Church of God members have always been considered too stupid to know how to dress properly. Year after year, the Churches of God have to reinforce and admonish their wayward members on what proper dress should be. Keep those money-makers under control!
Appropriate Dress at the Feast
Basic Principles of Dress and Decorum: As we prepare to be “lights to the world” at the Feast, it’s good to review some basic principles about our outward decorum and dress. When we look to the Scriptures we find definite instructions about dress for both men and women—instructions that our modern liberal societies and also some members of God’s Church seem to forget or ignore, unless they are reminded periodically. Jesus stated in a parable that some invited to the wedding supper will be turned away because they are not dressed appropriately (Matthew 22:8-14). Individuals who feel that God only looks on the heart, and therefore is not concerned about how we dress when we come before Him, are simply missing the point of Scripture. We have taught for decades that when we come to services, we are coming before the God of the universe and we should dress in the best we have, to show proper respect to God.
In most modern cultures, coats, collared shirts, ties and nice slacks are considered appropriate attire for men on special occasions. Jeans, T-shirts, tennis shoes or other sportswear are simply not in good taste at special occasions or at Church services. This may vary in tropical climates, yet, in all climates there is a distinction between what is appropriate and what is not. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 explains that ladies should dress “in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation.” This does not condone the trendy and immodest apparel that is commonplace for many women in our society today: short, tight, form-fitting dresses, necklines displaying cleavage, bare shoulders, backless dresses, belly-baring tops, etc. These are simply not appropriate forms of attire for Church services and many other situations! We come to services to worship God, not to display our bodies. Just because something is comfortable or acceptable in our modern society does not make it appropriate at Church. When people dress in a manner that attracts attention to their bodies, they become a distraction to others from the real reasons for being at services.
Our challenge as Christian men and women is to come out of this world (2 Corinthians 6:17) and recapture true values (Matthew 17:11) so we can be lights to a world that has lost its way (Matthew 5:14-16). This is especially true as we gather to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles—picturing Christ’s glorious reign on earth! (Source: “Example and Bringing Honor to God” by Dr. Douglas Winnail, Ministerial Bulletin, July-August, 2012)
