“Does Jesus Love Bare Feet?”

File this under the heading of “questions-I-never-dreamed-I’d-have-to-answer.” Here’s yet another one we didn’t cover in ordination classes.

It’s the happy outcome of working with passionate, diverse, multigenerational musicians and actors. The whole debate started innocently enough. When the warm weather came back, so did the baggy shorts, tiny tank tops, I-can-see-your-belly shirts, tube tops, bikinis, tankinis, and sandals… So we did what we do every year in Worship Arts – pull together the troops and review the official Crosswinds list of “What Not to Wear” while leading worship in the summer months. The POINT was to save worshipers the dicey distractions that come with flashing a whole lotta skin at eye level on a well lit stage…

What I wasn’t ready for was the pushback that came next. Who KNEW that the skin people most wanted to show was on their feet? “Why do I have to wear shoes when I’m on the stage? What do shoes have to do with worshiping God? Will Jesus love me more if I cover up my bare feet?”

Smile if you want to, but I’m still savoring the rush of freedom I felt when we figured out (not that long ago) that it was actually possible to worship God and wear JEANS at the same time. Forget the jeans – I remember when women who really loved Jesus only wore DRESSES to church. And real men of God wore suits and ties and short hair. (Wow. Flashback. I can actually smell the Aqua Velva and hairspray.)

So back to the bare feet question… where’s the line? What’s “appropriate?” How do we decide what honors God and what is not really all that important? As far as I can figure, yesterday’s jeans are today’s piercings, hats, tats, and flip flops… And I would imagine that grace, acceptance, and open-mindedness are as important to our up and coming leaders as there were to me the first day I wore jeans to church.

But here’s what I’m also sure of – I serve along side volunteers of all ages, and we love God and love His church more than we love jeans… or bare feet. And we will do whatever it takes to point people to Him with every word and gesture, and even every item of clothing… So next time we stand in front of the open closet door, scratching our heads and wondering, “What am I gonna wear to lead worship today?” … the answer will be obvious. “I’m going to wear… do… and be what will call the least attention to me, and give the most attention to God.”

Yeah – Jesus loves me when I have bare feet. And I get to love Him best when I love His people first.