Sunday Best

Easter weekend! Lots of last-minute shopping going on to buy some “Easter clothes.” Much of the shopping is for children who will get a new outfit to go to church on Easter morning or to go to a family lunch or Easter egg hunt.

My parents tried to teach me many things as I was growing up, and one thing I caught was that we wore our best clothes to go to church. If we were going someplace else like a wedding, a funeral or to pose for pictures, my folks would say, “Wear your Sunday best.”

When I first started working with Chick-fil-A’s foundations, there was an unwritten apparel rule for men at their corporate offices: long sleeved dress shirt with a Chick-fil-A tie. Right after I started working there, one day I was in Truett Cathy’s office, and the first thing he said to me was, “Where is your Chick-fil-A tie?” I looked down at my tie, and I had on a regular tie that I thought was a nice one. I had only accumulated two of the branded ties, and I did not want to wear them every day. He went in his closet of goodies in his office and brought me a Chick-fil-A tie and told me to take off my tie and put on the correct tie.

After Truett passed away, that dress code passed also. Dress at the home office became more casual. I did not mind the ties going away, as I have never been a fan of neckties. However, I continued to wear a long sleeved dress shirt to work each day. And I added a sport coat on occasions as I wanted to look my Sunday best.

Over the past twenty years the dress at our church—and most churches—has also changed. We have all sorts of dress represented in our small church. I have not yet heard of a designation that summarizes Sunday dress these days—like business, business casual, casual, etc.

I am one of three or four men who still wears a sport coat to church. I don’t have any quarrels with what others wear. We all should wear what we feel most comfortable wearing. But I still like to honor the Lord by worshipping corporately at my church and others I visit in my “Sunday best.”

The changes in what people wear to church reflect broader cultural shifts in apparel over the last few decades. The whole of American culture has dressed down. The result has been generational arguments about proper church dress. Those like me (the Sunday best group) believe informal clothing could reflect an irreverent attitude toward the holy God of all universes. Those who prefer very informal clothes (I am talking shorts, tank tops and flip flops style here) say that their apparel displays a more genuine approach to God.

Can either side back up their views with scripture? As far as I understand, there is no persuasive exegetical evidence to argue that more formal clothes are inherently more respectful of God than informal dress. Church dress is a cultural and tradition-based preference.

Finally, three thoughts: 1. I am OK with people wearing whatever they want to wear, and I will not criticize them. They may be wearing their Sunday best even if they are not dressed like me. I am just happy that they have chosen to worship with our congregation. 2. There is not much to argue about here as those oldies like me are dying out anyhow! 3. I love the third verse of the old hymn (those are the songs that we use to sing in church!) entitled “Give of Your Best to the Master.”

Give of your best to the Master;
Naught else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom,
Gave up His glory above.
Laid down His life without murmur,
You from sin’s ruin to save;
Give Him your heart’s adoration;
Give Him the Sunday best you have.