Fashion and the ministry are not always common topics, unless your familiar with Ed Young or you often scour the sacred text for insights on how your supposed to present your most ministerial self to the masses. In modern American life just how is a man or woman leader or church attendant supposed to dress for worship and witness? Is Mr. Fancy Pants or Casual Cathy the best model for Sunday styles?
From my reading, I would advise all fashionistas restrain their search to the Old Testament for sacred smocks instead of the more agricultural hippy style of the New Testament.
"John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey," Matthew 3:4.
Clothing oneself for religious life is a topic that pops up fairly often throughout the bible, yet it seems to be a subject that produces hives more than help when it comes to practice. Most discussions I hear revolve around potty policing, modesty matters and privates paranoia or the worldliness of this or that shoe, jean or style. Skirt lengths, to bikini or to not bikini, dress up or dress down topics seem to be the epicenter of most fashion dialogues I have encountered in evangelical land.
In the end it all seems to be far more polarizing paternalism than spiritual or moral guidance on how to live clothed lives in beauty, dignity and character. As a pastor in the nondenominational corner of the playground, it's all up for grabs style wise, we are fashion mutts. I envy the mainline folks with their simple robes, no fuss, no mess, just a uniform for the work.
I'm curious how my fellow ministerial mannequins or other religious service attendees think about these matters? What place to outer things should we folk who follow the God of the inner life give to such things?
Tracy Simmons | Sep 7, 2012 | 11:03am
I know a pastor back home who wears snake skin boots. That just doesn’t sit right with me. Of course, he also drives a jaguar and I know for a fact that he has a $1,500 coffee pot in his kitchen, but I digress.
I know some Evangelical pastors who are definitely very trendy. I like the casual feel, but I wonder if it’s as casual as it seems?
On the mainline end, I knew an Episcopal priest who wore shorts and sandals under his vestments every Sunday. He actually got in some hot water over it, as some of the older members thought it was disrespectful, I guess…
Would be interested in hearing some pastors chime in…
Tracy Simmons | Sep 7, 2012 | 11:38am
One of our Facebook readers says she prefers pastors to wears vestments so they can be recognized.
What do you think?
Amy Rice | Sep 7, 2012 | 3:34pm
Eric,
Interesting question! I am not from the leadership/clergy side, but sometimes when I visit a new church, I intentionally wear something a little less than traditional “Sunday best” (jeans, for instance). Sometimes I want to see how people will react, because it says something about people’s attitudes toward outsiders.
And Tracy, I rather like that the Episcopal priest wore shorts! I can’t imagine the vestments are the coolest (temperature-wise) things ever. But I can also see how some people might be offended.
Eric Blauer | Sep 10, 2012 | 8:46am
I’ve had parishioners tell me my neck hair bothered them, my hands were too soft, my clothes too casual, my weight too heavy, my beard too big…and, well, whatever, you get the point. No matter what you do, dress up, dress down, stand out, fit in, someone’s going to not like this or that about you. At least that’s what I’ve experienced.
Tracy Simmons | Sep 10, 2012 | 8:55am
Wow, that’s terrible! That’s a test in humility and patience, I imaging. I’d want to snap back and tell them what I don’t like about their outfit, but that wouldn’t be very “pastor-like” would it?
Eric Blauer | Sep 10, 2012 | 9:24am
I tend to meditate on Jesus’s observations of the pomp and circumstance of his day:
“Woe to you…hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. -Jesus (Matt 23:27)
Humanity loves to look good on the outside, and we love to bite and devour one another, especially in matters of clothes, style, economics and body.
Humans are brutal with themselves and others.
Being loved and being lovable is the deepest truth we don’t believe and practice.
I’m still trying to figure out a way to say “woe to you” in a modern way that doesn’t dip into my pre-Jesus, hand gestures days.
Liv Larson Andrews | Sep 10, 2012 | 11:56am
“pre-Jesus, hand gesture days”
Ha! A line that had me nearly on the floor in chuckles. Awesome.
Isn’t this a sticky issue? And so points to the oddness of the pastoral role and its public nature. So sorry, Eric, that you have had nit-picky (in my opinion) parishoners who feel it necessary to comment on your appearance. And sad proof that it doesn’t happen to just us gals.
I love my “uniform” for worship, which is not a uniform at all but a gift, a set of symbols rich with meaning. I wear a white alb. This is not a robe that makes one holy, or something only pastors wear. It is the garment of baptism.
Then I wear a stole. In my tradition, this is reserved for pastors. But it’s also a stylized servant’s towel. A reminder that our role is always leader-as-servant. It is meant to mark the preacher in the assembly.
Then I wear a chausible. It is a large, colorful garment that’s somewhere between a poncho and a cape in style. It is meant to mark the presider (table-server) in the assembly.
I try not to be too ostentatious with my hair, nails or shoes on Sundays. The best sentiment I read to this affect is Aidan Kavanaugh, “the presider should, like a zen master, strive to be as uninteresting and yet refreshing as a cold glass of water.”
Lastly, I have some post-Jesus hand gestures if you want to learn them…
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