Today was Easter and I almost didn’t go to church. You might be surprised why.

This morning was Easter. Well, it was Easter all day, not just this morning. I saw the sun come up. It wasn’t planned. I didn’t go to bed thinking, I really want to see the sun come up. 

The puppy woke up three times last night. And every time she woke up she had to go to the bathroom. The last time she went outside we watched the sun come up. Or we saw the colors as the earth rotated on its axis. Something like that.

I was so tired from waking up so many times with the puppy. I won’t go to church. I am too tired. But, my daughter wants to go, and I have to take her.

Jesus died on the cross on Friday, then there was Saturday, and then on Sunday he rose again. A big celebration. Sunday is the day Jesus rose from the dead.

And Sunday is the day of “The Easter Dress.”

I couldn’t find anywhere in the Bible where it said, “Though shalt wear a fancy pastel  “Easter Dress” and white shoes on Easter.”

Black is my favorite color. But, black on Easter Sunday felt a little morbid. I had a red dress, red wasn’t the right color, but it was a dress. I tried it on, but it was too small. Then I found a yellow sweater in my closet.  I bought the yellow sweater  when I have to teach color theory at school, and I dress as The Queen of Color. Yellow is an Easter color. The color of little ducks, and yellow peeps. I wore the yellow sweater, and a denim skirt this morning.

Does Jesus care if I wear a pastel dress or a black dress to church on Easter?

And I am twelve again visiting my best friends church, and I want to fit in. I don’t want the regular church attenders looking at me like I don’t belong, because I don’t understand the dress code. Like there is a cultural set of rules and I don’t know what they are.

I didn’t want to go to church because I didn’t think I had the right clothes to wear.

This morning I went to church. There were women wearing jeans and women wearing pastel Easter Dresses. There was a red sweater, and a black sweater. All sorts of clothes and colors.

As we sang songs celebrating Jesus, I realized that it didn’t matter that I didn’t have a new Easter Dress to wear. Even if every single women but me had a new Easter dress, it wouldn’t matter.

I can come to church in jeans or a dress, in red, blue, black or lime green.

Jesus died on the cross so we could have new life in him. Forgiveness for our sins and the freedom to be accepted for who we are regardless of what we wear.

When we met Jesus in the long line to get into heaven, he won’t be asking us, “Did you wear a pastel Easter dress to church on Sunday?” He will be looking to see if He knows us. I don’t think he has to ask us, “Did you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord? Did you believe in your heart that God raised me from the dead?” He will already know us. Jesus will recognize us right away. He will smile and greet us with open arms.

He takes us as we are, in our jeans or in our dresses. In your suit and tie or in your sweatpants. God knows our hearts.

 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10: 9-10

(But I did have white shoes.)

Do you think it matters what you wear to church? Please tell me in the comments. I would love to chat.