The Mainline Minister

Warning: this post contains absolutely no profound thoughts! Readers may recall that I recently ordered a clergy shirt and collar. They arrrived in the mail today and I decided to try them on. I must confess, I was a bit weirded out when I looked at myself in the mirror. Who is this guy? I wondered. I looked so ... ecclesiastical! Funny that I've never thought this when donning my robe or stole. One discovery I made on putting on the collar: I think I know why my Congregationalist colleagues have left the wearing of this bit of clerical garb to our Catholic and Episcopalian brothers and sisters. They're not easy to get on! One has to fumble with buttons and things and, in the process, if you're like me, use language that is most assuredly not sacred. I plan to debut my new shirt at next weeks Apple Festival, when I'll be grilling hot dogs on the lawn in front of church. Hopefully, people will think that a minister manning the barbecue is fun!

Good Congregationalist that I am, I wear a black academic robe, liturgical-seasonally appropriate stole, and shirt and tie in the pulpit. No chasubles, no miters, no albs for this preacher. And no dog collars – you know, those white bands worn with a black shirt that are usually sported by clerics of the Roman Catholic and Episcopal persuasions. Until now that is. I finally broke down and ordered the shirt and collar today, not because of some dormant High Church tendencies (fear not, friends in Lebanon, incense is NOT coming to a church near you), but for the church’s upcoming Apple Festival at which I’ll be grilling hot dogs. Come again? No, there’s nothing ecclesiastical about manning the barbie. But it occurred to me that people would get a kick out of seeing a minister at the grill and wearing a collar will be a lot easier than going out in my robe. Besides, those collars are part of our Free Church sartorial heritage. We just moved away, while oth