Do you remember my post about “The Truth” by Megan Woods? As a quick recap, this song (ironically) tells a lie about Christians. It claims that God wouldn’t change anything about us. But the opposite is true—God does want to change us. He wants to make us look more and more like Christ (Romans 8:28-30).
Maybe “The Truth” by Megan Woods is such a popular song because we want to believe we’re good enough as we are. We want to believe we don’t need to change anything in our lives. We want to believe God doesn’t mind when we sin as Christians. Unfortunately, the song “Church Clothes” by Franni Cash has a similar vibe—and I don’t like it.
Coming Just as We Are
Is there a place in the world
We could come just as we are?
Ain’t no tryin’ hard
Sometimes if feels
Like we trade freedom for buttoned-up
All dressed up for what?
I think I’m ready for a different way
Yeah, I’m tired of the same old same
Let me tell you if you resonate, I gotta say
In the first verse, second verse, and pre-chorus of “Church Clothes,” Franni makes it clear that church is not her scene. She doesn’t want to “[try] hard” or get “all dressed up.” She feels restricted, but she wants to feel free.
To an extent, I understand and sympathize with Franni’s frustrations. Some churches promote legalism, which is harmful, not helpful. They create rules and set boundaries that aren’t actually from Scripture.
Still, I feel like “Church Clothes” doesn’t really take the right approach to church. It’s so important for believers to gather together regularly for worship, teaching, encouragement, and service. I don’t think an “anything goes” attitude is appropriate for such an important spiritual practice.
Going Inside Those Doors
Sun on my face
That’s the place that I hear the Spirit say
“I like you just this way,” yeah (Just this way)
And in the end, there is so much more
Than what goes on inside those doors
Oh, it’s all about the love, y’all, welcome to the club
I have two specific concerns with the third verse and pre-chorus afterward. First, “That’s the place that I hear the Spirit say ‘I like you just this way,’” does not sit well with me. I’m sure Franni is simply saying that God loves us whether we’re wearing “church clothes” or not because He cares more about our hearts than our outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7). But it sounds like she’s saying that we don’t really need to grow or improve because God loves us as we are.
We aren’t perfect though. We have the righteousness of the Son, but we don’t have the perfection of the Father. We can’t attain perfection in this life, but we can—and should—strive for it (Matthew 5:48).
Second, “it’s all about the love” does not sit well with me because it paints an incomplete picture of Christianity. It’s not simply about love; it’s also about truth. In addition, while I realize that “what goes on inside those doors” isn’t the only thing that matters, I still believe it matters. If the worship, teaching, encouragement, and service at a church align with Scripture, then what happens inside the church can equip us well for what happens outside the church.
Final Thoughts
In a previous post, I wrote about the reality of church hurt. But I don’t think we should let our negative church experiences in the past keep us away from all churches forever. Perfect churches don’t exist, but biblically aligned churches do. We grow spiritually when we spend time with God on our own and among other believers. Though you might not need fancy church clothes, you definitely need the Church.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16 ESV)
Lyrics are from Genius.
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