May 05, 2008
Clean and Shiny
An older friend recently phoned to compliment Bill on the communion meditation he’d given during the worship service. Her comments, along with those of a few others, included a rave review of his attire – a sports jacket and tie. She reminded me that her husband Bob (now deceased) was just a plain ol’ dirt farmer, but that he wanted to be clean and shiny for church on Sundays. Bob, a faithful member of the church, survived a heart attack and the coma that followed. “When we got Bob back home [after the coma] he was real clear minded, he’d just lost his memory. He knew he’d be slipping up on some things, but he told me, ‘Just make sure I dress nice for church.’” We all know that worship is not about the clothes we wear, but I think Bob knew that the Lord is pleased when we’re clean and shiny.—Gail
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Gail;
-----There are some things that have no cultural boundaries, rather, they extend from human nature, or even simple reality. The lullaby sung to the baby being rocked is sung with the same rhythm as has the rocking. And that is generally a slower, lazy rhythm of three beats or less per second. There is a certain softness to its tones and the melody settles the emotions instead of stimulating them. This is all by the nature of how tones and sounds effect the inner being. We could not change it if we wanted to, so lullabies are still pretty much what they have always been.
-----So also, by nature itself, the lesser always approaches the greater on the terms of the greater. Every species is given its weapons to assist in sorting out which animal in the pack is indeed the greater. Once that matter is determined, every animal who treads upon the territory of the dominant one must do it mindfully. Why then should a man approach his God without a mindfulness? Shall we complain about being dressed in white like those of Sardis who had not soiled their garments? Do we think that the ten virgins went to wait for the bridegroom in the same rags they wore to scrub mommies kitchen floor? Does the fact that their dress was not a part of the parable throw culture out the window? Nor does it throw nature out the window.
-----The Lord calls us to a humble life of servitude to a dignified God. God calls for our good behavior towards others and our fear for Him. (Read Proverbs before choking.) Although it is our inner nature that we are called to change, by Christ’s own teaching, the change of the inner nature is not complete until it also effects the outer nature. And then we are expected by our leaders to come in our best inner nature to worship (code word to them meaning celebrate) the Highest God while wearing our most common rags? Is it that God has no interest in what we wear? Is it that the terms of approach have no part in dress?
-----I must admit, when it comes to dressing for church, I am a slacker. I wear to church the same shirts I wear to work, sometimes with a tie, sometimes without. But I will step up to wearing slacks to church instead of the blue jeans I wear to work. And maybe a cleaner pair of sneakers, too. But that is about as far as my dress elevates for church. In the end, I suppose it is entirely a personal thing. I always go to church thinking maybe I should dress better. And thinking that, maybe I really should.
Love,
Steve Corey
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