From The Shooting Star, September 23, 2007. Copyright 2007, Ellen Rowse Spero. All rights reserved.
Over the past two weeks, I have been in a couple of conversations with folks about dress and church, some about honoring the day by dressing up, and others about feeling comfortable in being able to dress casually. So here are some of my reflections.
Dress can be many different things. It reflects the environment in which we are: I dress differently for work than for a pool party, for example. And, despite my four-year-old’s opinion to the contrary, one does not wear mittens to the beach in the summer nor a bathing suit to school in February. At least not in New England. Dress is influenced by generation, tradition, and upbringing. I cannot wear black to a wedding (except of course, when I am officiating and wearing my robe), because of what I was taught growing up. Dress can also be a reflection of our personality, our individuality. The colors we choose, the style, whether we think about it little or all the time, offer a way to express something of ourselves.
One thing that many folks like about Unitarian Universalism is that casual dress in worship is more than acceptable. It is the norm. After a week at work and having to dress for others, coming into a community where one can be oneself and dress comfortably is a welcome break. But it is also fine to dress up for church, even in a UU congregation. I dress up for church in part because it’s fun. I love to have a reason to wear a dress with sequined shoes. I love that Easter gives me an excuse to wear a hat. I also dress up because Sunday is a special day for me. It is a way of showing my respect for all of you, and for the fact that I am inviting us each and all to stand on holy ground. When I was in seminary, I attended several services at African Methodist Episcopal churches. Talk about dressing up for church! Hats, gloves, heels, suits and bow ties. It was obvious that worship was an event, a time to celebrate life and community, and to praise God to the heavens. Dressing up as an expression of oneself and one’s joy and respect for the event of worship is one way of marking worship as a sacred time. As Unitarian Universalists, as in all other areas of congregational life, we have a range of what we feel comfortable wearing to church. Whether we prefer casual and laid back, or spiffed up and dressy, we can be mindful that we are in community, thoughtful of our own comfort and the comfort of others with whom we worship.
In faith,
Ellen