Casual dress is becoming more common during religious services in congregations — both Christian and Jewish — though not without resistance, reports the Wall Street Journal (April 7).
The practice of “dress-down Fridays” has changed the workplace and many people are asking “why can’t churches and synagogues follow suit on Saturdays and Sundays,” write Angelo Henderson and Robert McGough. Many congregations have taken the casual approach in order to be more user-friendly and people-centered, as well as less materialistic, even on holidays such as Easter — traditionally the most “dressed-up” Sunday of the year.
The dress-down approach — whether by design or just changing habits — has been taking place for several years in many congregations, but the trend’s appearance in black churches is raising the most controversy. Older members are being pitted against younger ones on the issue, with the former arguing that dressing down shows the lack of reverence growing among the younger generation.