“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
“By offering defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty. -- Malachi 1:6-8 NIV
I think I've finally twigged to why it bugs me when the preacher stands up dressed casually: we wouldn't dress like that if we were to meet the Prime Minister or the Queen. We're supposedly meeting with God but we're happy to show more respect to the Prime Minister or the Queen that we are to him.
And one might say, "well that's Australian culture" and I might say in response, "So is every culture of equal value in God's sight?" but in any case even in this culture we show deference to those in authority by dressing up to meet them. Why not demonstrate the state of our heart by the state of our body?
