Dress Code And Jury Duty

by Micky Galloway

I recently received a summons for jury duty. It is very official and requires due attention. While reading the section entitled, “What You Should Do/Know Before You Appear,” I found the following: “Dress Code – Dress respectfully – business casual attire is suggested. Do not wear shorts, halter or tank tops, clothing that exposes the midriff, beachwear, sandals, or clothing with inappropriate graphics, logos or wordings.” Does the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, know something about modesty and respect that we don’t?

The Psalmist when speaking of God said, “I will extol thee, my God, O King: and I will bless thy name forever and ever” (Psalms 145:1). David expressed a heart of reverence and respect toward God. David further said of God, “Holy and reverend is thy name” (Psalms 111:9). Many have lost sight of the greatness and divine majesty of the Almighty God and consider their relationship to Him as casual. Perhaps we have become so immersed in the world and so absorbed by that which is common that it makes real reverence almost impossible.

God demands respect. God called out to Moses from the burning bush, “Moses, Moses … Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:3-5). Not only does God demand respect of the individual, but He also demands respect of the whole assembly. When Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire from God for using a “strange fire … which he had not commanded them,” God said, “I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified” (Leviticus 10:1-3). David wrote, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him” (Psalms 89:7). David wrote in Psalms 2:11-12, “Worship the LORD with reverence, and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way.” Again in Psalms 5:7, “But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house, at Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee.” Our worship must be offered “decently and in order” (I Corinthians 14:40). Lack of respect exists when we applaud and cheer in worship to God, and otherwise turn a worship service into human entertainment. We cannot afford to lose sight of the solemnity of the occasion of gathering with the saints to worship our Creator and our Redeemer.

In the jury duty summons I also found this instruction: “We suggest that you leave your home early enough to allow yourself time to find the parking location, court, and get through the building’s security screening.” During jury duty we are expected to be on time. We are not being respectful to God when we are habitually late to Bible study and worship. We must prepare for our responsibilities; whether it is teaching a class, leading singing, making announcements, encouraging our brethren, or greeting and welcoming any visitors we might have. To fail to prepare and consequently being late is simply disrespectful and God deserves better than that.

Has worship become so casual that there is no difference in our behavior, dress, and degree of solemnity at worship or at a ball game? Let us not “profane” our worship by taking that which is holy and treating it as common. May our dress and practice in worship reflect the attitude and character of one who truly fears God and holds His holy name in reverence and awe. Let us bring the best we have in attitude, dignity, respect and character as we worship God.