Those of you who know me may remember that I frequently talk about the dress (or undress) of women. It’s one of the “hot button” topics at Titus 2 Retreats. If you’ve attended a “Dressing for Life: Secrets of the Great Cover-up” event or used the Bible study by the same name, you’ve heard me repeat God’s Word to women. Fig leaves weren’t enough for Eve and they’re not enough for Eve’s daughters. After Adam and Eve fell, God covered their embarrassment with clothing and their shame with Christ’s Robe of Righteousness. To be “covered” is both a physical and spiritual worldview. The culture asks: Who needs to be covered? The repentent Christian responds: I do.
It is with great appreciation that I share Adrienne Dorr’s blog entitled “Take My Jacket.” I have spoken on this topic for years. But, how thankful and refreshingly encouraged I am to read “Take My Jacket.” How good it is to let another woman so eloquently (and faithfully) address this subject. Why write a blog of my own when I can share what I believe through the gifted writing of Adrienne?
TAKE MY JACKET
by Adriane Dorr
Ladies, we have a real problem. It’s our clothing. And, in particular, it’s the clothing we wear to church.
I get that there are certain kinds of clothes that make us feel better about ourselves, that give us a waist, that show off our curves, that make us feel feminine and confident.
But despite what the culture told you, it’s actually not all about you. There’s these other people in the world (they’re called men), and often times, the clothes we wear doesn’t exactly help them focus. That’s not helpful. In fact, it’s so not helpful, it’s hurtful.
The problem is exacerbated when we show up to church in clothes we shouldn’t. I’m not recommending women button up like we’re Amish or start wearing floor-length jean skirts. That’s not feminine either. But if your skirt is so short that it reveals your gender when you sit down, honey, it’s too short.
And think about your pastor. Young ladies, how’s he supposed to be preaching God’s Word to you when your skirt is so tight you can read its size on the label?
Or nursing moms? Please cover up. No pastor needs to turn around and see you adjusting all your feminine glory for your child. (And honestly, I don’t want to see it either.)
Or middle aged ladies? Put a tank-top on under that blouse. Your pastor has to bend over to give you Holy Communion, and he’s got enough on his mind to not have to deal with seeing all your girl bits too.
Dressing modestly isn’t the same as dressing like a frump from the 1980s. This doesn’t mean that you can’t feel good or look feminine or have a figure. You don’t have to wear a burqua, and you should never, under any circumstance, take to wearing oversized, lumpy sweaters that make you look like a dude.
You don’t have wear long dresses Little-House-on-the-Prairie style. It doesn’t mean you can’t go to the swimming pool. It simply means that you don’t have to let all the parts of you that are uniquely feminine cease to be un-unique by showing them . . . constantly . . . to the whole world.
Besides, covering up a bit adds some mystique. Turns out you actually don’t have to give everything away in a guy’s first glance at you.
Lutheran ladies, we can get ourselves back out of this mess. We can work on our wardrobes and choose to wear things, especially to church, more suited to being in the presence of the God of creation who comes to meet us there. And we can choose to think more of our neighbor, of our pastors, of the guys we interact with than we do of ourselves, and then dress in a way that bears witness to the beautiful creations God made us to be.
Ezerwoman’s postscript: Adrienne encourages Christian women to dress in a way that honors God — especially in church. But, here’s the thing. If we honor God in church — in His House, why would we not want to honor Him all week long — in His world? As women of God in Christ, we are called to help men think on what is good, right, and praiseworthy every day. This means turning attention away from the created to the Creator. This means changing attitude from “it’s my body, my choice” to “because I love God and care about my neighbor, I will try not to be a temptress.”
Ezerwoman's Blog 