The following appeared in a church bulletin and offers good food for thought.

In the book of Ecclesiastes it is written in the third chapter, "There is an appropriate time for everything and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to plant and a time to uproot the plant. A time to be silent and a time to speak." In other words, everything has an appropriate place. I would add a time to dress up and a time to dress down. We come now into the summer season, the season of flip-flops, short shorts, tank tops and anything else that lets in the sun and the cool breezes. The season also brings the dilemma of what is appropriate dress for church. Are shorts appropriate at a wedding reception or a job interview? Is wearing a suit and tie to the beach called for? Do we wear a dress or pants with shoes to bed and pajamas to the supermarket? I ask you to consider what you wear to worship your Creator. Is He important enough to dress up for? Oh, yes, it is true that God loves us just the way we are. Saint Paul writes that because of his relationship with Jesus, he is free to do anything, but qualifies that freedom with his obligation not to offend or bring harm to others. The question I ask is, how much deo we respect the love of our Creator has for us and are willing to witness and to show others that respect by our dress and behavior? There is an appropriate time for everything!