DRESS
UP FOR JURY DUTY?
J
Sasser
What?
Dress up for jury duty? You must be out of your mind! But, no, not at all.
"Proper clothing requested; all persons entering the courtroom should
be dressed in clothing reasonably befitting the dignity and solemnity of
the court." That was lifted from a notice for jury duty -- and did
you catch the part: "Dignity" and "Solemnity" of the
court?
Here we have mere men, an elected or appointed judge,
a cross section of humanity in the jury box, lawyers, each with possible
questionable reputations -- and the notice informs us of "the dignity
and solemnity of the court proceedings." But it is so. And you know
it is so if you have ever sat in a courtroom to observe a trial. A
juvenile probation officer was telling of three young men who were in her
office and she was preparing them for their litigation before the juvenile
judge. She told them to get their hair cut and to put on some decent
clothing before they came to the courtroom.
If worldly men have respect for a court of man, how
much more should God-fearing Christians have respect for the assembly
where we have gathered in the very presence of God for worship?
We are not at all suggesting that we must dress
elaborately for worship, but reasoning from the jury duty notice, and our
high regard for God, how can the current "come as you are"
attitude display respect for public worship? I mean, we are to show the
courtroom and the judge respect, but not the Eternal Father and the house
where we worship Him? Is that it? The denominational world even
advertises, using the very phrase -- "come as you are." Have we
forgotten whom we are worshipping? Certainly God looks on the inner man,
but is not our thoughtless inner man put on display as we come before His
Holiness to worship in outward carelessness?
What kind of image does it project when a brother gets
up to lead singing, wearing an "I'd Rather Be Fishing" T-shirt?
Or he look is like he pulled last week's work clothes out of the dirty
clothes hamper. The brother who comes directly from work to the meeting
house, having no time to "clean up" is not in this consideration
at all -- we have men with such a heart. But, what about the rest of us,
who are careless in gathering before God for worship, in unkempt,
inappropriate, or otherwise disrespectful attire? We are only saying, if a
court room demands honor and respect, how much more so the house of God.
