The following is an excerpt from an article about ministers wearing clerical garb (collared shirts and robes).  The excerpt points back to the original article for some points, so I’ve provided a link to the article in whole here.  I am interested in feedback on this!

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mattb

Arguments for the Reintroduction of Vestments
by James Jordan

There are a number of reasons why I think that conservative evangelical should seriously consider wearing clerical garb (the collar) and using some form of  vestments in the celebration of worship. To simplify the discussion, I list them here: 

1. The Bible indicates that symbolizing special office in clothing is a good thing, as we have seen above. All things being equal, we should move in that direction.  Since Rome is no longer a problem, all things are equal.

2. Biblical teaching as a whole links clothing and calling. Just as physicians, policemen, judges, and auto mechanics wear clothing that befits their calling, so should the clergy.

3. A church officer is neither a professor nor a civil judge.  Thus, wearing an academic gown (the Genevan gown) into the pulpit is inappropriate. The clergyman needs his own vestment, distinct from that of the academy and civil magistrate. (The use of academic regalia in the pulpit has gone along with turning the worship of the church into a lecture hour. We need to get away from this.)

4. Distinctive clerical garb makes the church symbolically visible in our society. This is important for evangelism (people come up to you when you wear the collar and want to talk about their problems) and for social restraint (people behave more properly around those they recognize as clergy).

5. As the state shows its contempt for the church and her officers, as in Nebraska, the church should make its signs of power and office more visible. Nebraska’s storm troopers felt free to invade a little Baptist church, because all the clergy there were dressed like businessmen. If everybody had been wearing collars, I think the thugs would have been much more intimidated. Intimidation is a good thing. People should be intimidated by the church, because on Judgment Day, they are definitely going to be intimidated by Her Lord!

I want to expand on this point just a little. Historical circumstances led the Reformers to make visible distinctions between their liturgies and the Roman Mass. We do not live in those same circumstances. In our circumstances, the Christian church is treated with contempt by the tyrannical state. When a Christian minister in a business suit is confronted by a statist judge in robes, the church is at a disadvantage. We need to make it visible and clear that the church is a true government on the earth, equal with the state. There is nothing like black shirts and collars to make that point!

6. The slave collar is important to the minister in that it reminds him constantly of his status as a special slave of Christ. A slave does not speak his own mind, but that of his master. A slave does not do his own will, but that of his master. While this is true of all Christians, it is true in a special way of the peculiar duties of the servant priesthood.

7. Similarly, wearing glorious vestments in worship, and generally adorning the place of worship in a beautiful and impressive fashion, is an important witness.  During worship, the church building becomes the palace of the King of kings. He is graciously willing to meet us even in the humblest dwelling, but it is more fitting that He meet with us in a beautiful place. An impressive church building displays the triumph of Christ, as well it should.

8. The symbolism of vestments is also helpful in our day.  True Christian theology is always triumphalistic. Christ is risen, and is enthroned King. He is arrayed in glory and beauty, and He also arrays His bride in glory and beauty. All of us could wear glorious apparel, but it would be pretty expensive. (This, though, is why people wear their “Sunday best” to worship. ) In worship, the oficiant represents the people, the Bride. Let him be gloriously arrayed, then. This is part of the public witness of the church before the watching world.

Presbyterians, with their heritage of postmillennial triumphalism, should be in the forefront of restoring splendor to the church, which is His Throne and Bride. Let the nations tremble!

9. Practically speaking, we should be careful not to introduce too much, but bring the people along. In the area of vestments, a simple white alb or surplice (the white robe of the Bible) and a colored stole (the strip of cloth that represents the “easy yoke” of Christ’s service, the colors variable with the liturgical season) should be sufficient. But we should not be afraid to think about more glorious apparel at some later time. The Bride is most certainly and triumphantly to be adorned, and this is most aptly indicated by the vestments worn by the officiant while he leads in worship.

Religious skeptic and freethinking humanist author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. died yesterday.

Vonnegut wrote many books, including Slaughterhouse Five and Cat’s Cradle.  Many of his books opposed war (he was in Dresden during American fire-bombing of the city in which 135,000 people–many civilians–died) and technological advances that he thought harmed mankind and made it lazy.

He was a genius of an author, if only he had done it to the glory of God.

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mattb

These are funny, especially if you don’t take them too seriously.  (There are four, make sure you watch them all, don’t want to miss the one on firewire.)

Enjoy.

(HT:  BaylyBlog)

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mattb