Contemplative Bible Reading

Malachi 1:7-8 (New Living Translation)

…“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. 8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased?…

A long time ago in a prior millennium, we had this saying—Sunday best. We wore our best clothes, our best shoes, etc. on Sunday to “go to church.” Women wore dresses and men wore ties or they were turned back at the door (I exaggerate, but only a little).

Then we entered a new era in the 1970s or somewhere back when and decided that such dress was superficial and we needed to relax “at church.” Of course we did. God was interested in our hearts, not our clean shirts and neatly combed hair. And that was right; God is interested in our hearts.

Times change. Fashions change. “Sunday best” change.

And then we read something like the verses above about “respect” and offering defective things to God. Perhaps we should consider things like “best” and “less than best” and such. Is relaxing defective?

I don’t have the answers, just a few questions. Please forgive my awkward words.