sunday's best

blackologian of the month

Lisa Fields, one of the world’s most sought-after Christian apologists, combines her passion for biblical literacy with her heart for sharing God’s love with all she meets.

Fields started the Jude 3 Project to help the Black Christian community know what they believe and why they believe. Through the Jude 3 Project, Fields has hosted four Courageous Conversations conferences featuring prominent Black scholars from different theological perspectives, developed two apologetic curricula for churches and laypeople, curated a YouTube series called “Why I Don’t Go” addressing the pain points millennials have with the Church, led a historically black college and university tour answering the question, “Is Christianity a White Man’e Religion?”, and curated a popular podcast covering everything from mental health to the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Since starting the Jude 3 Project, Fields has received several honors for her work as an apologist. Fields continues to break new ground for the sake of the gospel by adding production to her resume. She helped produce and create two documentaries: Unspoken, an in-depth look into the Christian heritage of Africa and people of African descent, and Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom. Thank you Lisa for your hard work and contributions to theology and spirituality!

monthly reflection: sunday’s best and what we wear to church

Beaded blouses, every unnaturally occurring color crocodile shoe, pastel dress shirts, and the most extravagant parade of hats veiled in a competition that does not exist, yet someone always wins. Easter is quite literally the “flyest” black holiday; even the so-called “heathens” get a piece of the action. And for the real saints, “Easter-caliber” ensembles are an every week affair.

Church is the one of the few places we can be vulnerable before God and a community of believers, yet the black church encourages you to put on your “Sunday best.” I believe it's the way we show reverence to God. Instead of taking a day to come before the throne “naked,” we adorn ourselves in presentation to the Lord. Is it for the validation of others? Sure, but it’s deeper than that. 

Walk with me, I think our Sunday ensembles are our “alabaster box.” It’s an offering to the Lord in the same manner as a monetary contribution and a show of devotion. Tithes are what we are called to give, but with our dress we are giving what “more” we can and quite possibly our “last” in a sense. Choosing to observe the ritual of ornamenting your body, your temple, is a form of worship. Gospel music plays as pants are pressed and pin curls are undone, posturing oneself to receive a word from the Lord. So while, there is nothing inherently wrong with wearing jeans and a t-shirt to service, even on first Sunday gasp, the church mothers would never. Dressed in white panty hose and kitten heels that put them two inches off the ground and two inches closer to God, they exhibit admiration for who God is, specifically God, the artist and art appreciator. 

However, never negating that this belief we hold about our Sunday appearance is also the same belief that has made many feel unwelcome in a place that is allegedly the most accepting. The idea of “come as you are” - my favorite biblically associated, yet biblically non-existent phrase - was never as freeing as it was intended to be because it always came with unspoken rules of “appropriateness” that only seasoned church goers knew. Now in this post-COVID era, many churches are moving away from the old Sunday best tradition, and adopting comfort to coax congregations back into the pews, but there are still those who continue in this sacred practice in a visual offering presented to God. 

Thoughts? Do you think the black church focuses too much on appearance? Because this practice is heavily influenced by culture, is it still an act of worship for most? What does honoring God in the physical/visual sense mean for you? 

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