Understanding Vestments in Presbyterian Worship | First Presbyterian Living Waters for the World Understanding Vestments in Presbyterian Worship The Impetus Behind the Conversation At the beginning of the first Community Lenten service last year (2006), as the ecumenical cadre of ministers, having donned their black Geneva gowns, made their way toward the sanctuary, one of the minister-participants said glibly, “Look out! Here comes the Supreme Court!” referencing our liturgical vestments. Everyone laughed. Then everyone forgot about it. Except for me. The image that was burned into my imagination on that night was this: What we wear along this journey of faith and life, especially in worship, matters. As a result, I began an in-depth historical study into liturgical vestments (clothing for ministers) and decided after many months of prayer, counsel, and deliberation with other ministers in our presbytery and beyond, with our Session’s Worship Ministry, and with Wes, that it was time to make a change that more appropriately represented the theological and historical tradition we represent. What follows is a brief summary of that study.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Presbyterians believe firmly that all Christians are given gifts for ministry, and that some are called to exercise certain functions relative to those gifts in the life of the church and its congregations. Some are given gifts to preach, some to teach, some to visit, some to serve, and so on. Some are gifted for the office of deacon, some the office of elder, and some the office of the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. However, it is the function of the office that distinguishes us, not our calling, giftedness, or otherwise. We are all ministers, and some of us practice that ministry inside the life of a local congregation. Those who do (i.e., Ministers, etc.) are not more special than any other child of God. We are all special due to the beautiful truth that God has created, cared for, and called all of us into the ministry of Jesus Christ. The journey of life becomes the process of discerning how to use our gifts for him.

For so long, many (though not all) Presbyterian ministers have sought to honor the gravity and honor of Christian ministry via their worship vestments by adopting the Calvinist tradition of wearing the long, black, academic gown called the Geneva Gown for the University of Geneva, where Calvin got the idea. It was thought that the black robe hid distracting clothing brands and lent a reverence to the occasion for worship. At a time when you could determine a person’s profession by what they wore, ministers, academicians, and judges, in their flowing, simple black gowns, became less subversive and quite visible, instead. “There go the learned ones,” some on the streets would say. Such a reputation was anything but what Calvin and other reformers had in mind. Which begged the question, “What did the early church’s pastors wear to indicate their commonality with all the baptized, not just the educated ones?” Biblical/Historical Overview Exodus 28 relates the story of God giving Moses detailed instructions about the vestments to be worn by the priests, often with explanation of their meaning. While Exodus is rich with detailed liturgical instructions for priests, the New Testament has no such worship specifications.

Vestments (clerical or ministerial clothing) of Old Testament priesthood were not utilized in early Christian worship. Instead, the common street clothing of the Roman Empire was used - however, rubrics from the time mention that those worn by the leader of a service should be clean and were normally white. (The most primitive vesture of the Christian liturgical year is in the white vestments of Easter.) The early Christians saw their gatherings around the Eucharist as festive moments and sought to dress well, as if for a party. As the Roman Empire declined, the dress of the general populace became shorter and tighter fitting, reflecting the fashions of the Germanic and Gallic tribes that had once been part of the Empire. The clergy, however, retained the older forms of looser garb, and eventually attached new symbolism to the clothing they wore. Writings from the late Imperial and early medieval periods show the emergence of a new clerical symbolism is in what had once been ordinary clothes. As the power and wealth of the Church increased, so did its prestige. As the Church expanded into lands far beyond Rome, a massive influx of music, poetry, narrative, and cultural distinctives reshaped the Church.

Resources were directed toward the elaborate furnishings as worshipping communities sought to give their very best to the Church. This was an outgrowth of the desire to honor God in their worship and to provide sensory stimuli that would aid in the retention of teaching and of tradition among the illiterate. However, by the late 15th century, artistic excess flourished in many Church quarters. In response, various religious movements, both lay and clergy-led, called for radical vows of poverty and demanded that artistic corruption and financial greed be purged from the Church. Reformed adherents to what the Puritans would later call "the Regulative Principle" (see Book of Confessions 6.103 and The Regulative Principle in Worship by C. Matthew McMahon) did away with the liturgical vestments as having no Scriptural mandate. In their place, the early Reformers wore their street clothes. At a time when you could tell a person's profession by what they wore, persons with academic credentials wore their gowns at almost all times. Thus, the learned ministry wore the marks of their scholastic achievements in the pulpit. This was later enshrined and became a new sort of conservative holdover long after these clothes ceased to be everyday dress.

As the Church came into America, there grew an impulse towards simplification - silk gowns are not practical in the wilderness. Furthermore, many ministers had no formal academic degree that would entitle them to the gown of previous generations. Therefore, most Protestant ministers lost the tradition of wearing anything other than their "Sunday best." They also noticed that this was in many ways a return to the earliest Christian communities who had no regulated forms of dress. Such egalitarianism also fit well with the ethic of the emerging country. In recent years, particularly due to the influence of the Christian ecumenical movement, there has been a trend toward reincorporating ancient church traditions. Liturgical renewal has created a new demand for symbolism that engages as many of the senses as possible. This has brought a resurgence of the use of liturgical vestments that had once been common among our forebears. Vestment Descriptions The Alb is a full, white, ankle length garment. It has become popular is recent years because of its cheerful white color and flowing style. The most ancient of Christian vestments, its origins are traced to the Roman tunic, a common piece of clothing until the 5th century.

After a catechumen was baptized, they often received a bright white alb as a symbol of their spiritual washing. Thus, the alb is truly the garment of the baptized; as such, it can be worn by any baptized Christian who is taking a part in leading worship. After the fall of Rome, it became a garment unique to the clergy as normal dress. The word "alb" means "white" in Latin, and it reminds Christians of the multitude dressed in robes, who "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Rev. 7:14). (All Scriptural citations are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise specified.) The image reminds believers that they now stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ and proclaims the hope that someday we will stand with that white-robed multitude washed in the blood of the Lamb. This hope is expressed in the alb's vesting prayer: "Clothe me, O Lord, and cleanse my heart, that cleansed in the blood of the Lamb I may always enjoy eternal happiness." The Amice is a rectangular white cloth, worn as a collar with the alb.

Originally designed to protect the finer, silken vestments from natural body and hair oils (which could be quite substantial - in the medieval period, bathing was thought to expose one to disease. It was also seen as immodest. Perhaps this is why incense was so common in the churches!) and to ensure that the neck was unexposed (both for warmth and modesty). It is often omitted with contemporary albs because they close more tightly around the neck. This vestment served as the basis for the later academic hood. When putting on the amice, the priest says, "O Lord, place on my head the garment of salvation to expose and reject the attack of the devil." Bands or Tabs are worn on the collar of a gown. The academic gown was originally used outside the church, but as a church garment was used first in England and later in Germany and among the Magisterial Reformers. Rarely seen in the US on anyone other than a minister, they remain in common use in the United Kingdom and Canada by barristers and academics. Typically, bands splay out at approximately a 30ï¿½ angle and are approximately 6" long.

The Cassock is a full-length black or scarlet (for Doctors of Divinity) gown worn with a clerical collar. This garment began as a simple overcoat that was used for warmth by all classes of peoples in the Middle Ages. Its length was increased and the garment died dark black for the modesty of the clergy. The cassock is the traditional street clothing of the clergy. As such, it is not a liturgical garment in the strictest sense. It became a symbol of the public ministry of the gospel and for that reason became a common preaching garment. In the pulpit, it is most often worn with bands under an open preaching gown. It is sometimes worn underneath an alb or surplice. The Chasuble is a poncho-like cloak. Originally it was a warm raincoat worn by virtually everyone until the time of the Frankish kings (c. ad 800). In the church of the High Middle Ages, the chasuble became a highly ornamented garment, made from expensive silks and embroidered in gold and silver thread. For that reason it became know as "the vestment," and was worn over the alb during the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Since it is exclusive to those ministers that are ordained to administer the sacrament, some associate it with the Roman Mass and sacerdotal privilege. More recently, some churches of the Reformation have reclaimed this ancient, colorful and graceful vestment as more liturgically appropriate than vestments rooted in academic rank. The prayer used as the chasuble is put on links it to the yoke of Christ: "Lord, you said, 'My yoke is sweet and my burden is light,' enable me always to rely on your grace and assistance." The Cincture is the name given to the robe or belt used around the waists of an alb or cassock. The traditional cincture vesting prayer sadly suggests a confusion of law and gospel. "Bind me, O Lord, with the cincture of purity and extinguish within me unwanted passions so that I may experience the virtue of continence and chastity." The Geneva gown is a V-neck academic gown. Historically black, it has in recent times been used in a variety of colors. It bears the name of the University of Geneva, from which Calvin adapted it for clerical use.

Even to this day, its predominant use is outside the church, worn by graduates, magistrates and judges. It signifies an academically trained person and especially one performing a public function. The Geneva gown has historically been preferred in the non-liturgical protestant churches that use gowns. The sleeves were open, wide and bell-shaped. When someone has a doctoral degree, Americans show the academic rank by adding three doctoral chevrons to the sleeve. The Geneva gown (upon which the American doctoral gown is based) has a long pedigree within the Reformed tradition and emphasizes the learned preaching of the Word. The Stole is a silk or cloth band of the color of the liturgical season, worn around the neck and hanging down at the front. Originally it was a neck scarf used to wipe the face and chase away insects. Its practical function gave way to its symbolic indication that the wearer is functioning in vocational office. It is sometimes regarded as a symbol of the yoke of Christ. Practices Within Reformed Churches The Reformers generally protested against ornamentation in the church, something reflected in their rejection of liturgical vestments in favor of simple academic gowns, which focus on the ministers' learning rather than on religious function.

The wearing of academic bands also became the rule in many churches. Many Reformed pastors still follow these patterns. The most well-used vestment among PCUSA clergy is still the simple black Geneva gown, though some prefer that type of gown in brighter colors. Along with the connection to a learned clergy, the dark academic gown connotes a sense of sobriety and gravity in the ministry. In recent decades, increasing numbers of Reformed ministers have begun to wear the liturgical colors of the Church seasons, whether over a Geneva gown or an alb. This parallels a remarkable increase in the number of churches that observe in closer detail the liturgical year and its festivals. Meanwhile, others have chosen the alb, in order to emphasize pastoral identity with all the baptized, and in order to promote a spirit of celebration in the service of Word and Sacrament. The alb, being the garment of all of baptized from ancient times, is a sign of solidarity with those who have been inducted into the common ministry of reconciliation in all times and in all places. The alb is also appropriate for any baptized church member who has a role in leading public worship (praying, assisting in the sacraments, presiding at ordinations and installations, etc.).

The stole, in like manner because of ancient use, is a sign of solidarity with all of those who have been set apart to labor in the ministry of Word and Sacrament to the Church in all times and in all places. Still others of our churches have followed more closely the Anabaptists by abandoning any type of vesture that may distinguish the pastor from any other person in the congregation. Resistant to the slightest hint of any clericalism, and affirming the priesthood of all believers, these Christians attempt to embody in dress the equality of all the baptized. The Presbyterian Church (USA) As with many other liturgical questions, in the PC(USA) the choice of vestments is a matter left up to individual pastors to decide. Many will consult with their session in determining their choices of vestments. A discussion of why a pastor chooses a particular style of vestment can be of real value in raising a congregation's awareness of why we do what we do in the worship service each Lord's Day. The Wesleyan Methodist Church also known as The Independent Methodist Church - Episcopal - Holiness - Sanctification - Spirit Filled - Pentecostal A neckband shirt is a clerical, not a vestment.

It is a type of shirt that has no collar, just has a thin band of cloth around the neck; hence the name. The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. Where you would expect to find a top buttonï¿½the one youï¿½d fasten before putting on a necktieï¿½the neckband has two buttonholes that line up. There is also another button hole in the neckband in the center of the back. The wearer puts on the shirt, then sticks a collar stud through the button hole in the back of the neckband, then another collar stud through the buttonholes in the front to fasten the two ends of the neckband together under the throat. The white plastic collar has three small holes in it; one in the middle and one at each end. The wearer slips the center of the collar over the collar stud in the front, then wraps the two ends around the back and slips them over the collar stud in the back. The end effect is a circular collar that goes completely around the neck.

Neckband shirts come in all colors and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black. Tab-Collar Shirt A tab-collar shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. It is a type of shirt that has a folded-down collar with an opening over the top button over the throat. The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. The shirt comes with a white tab that looks something like a tongue depressor. After putting on the shirt, the wearer slips the tab into place. The effect is a black collar with a white rectangle over the throat. The terms ï¿½Roman collarï¿½ or ï¿½Roman shirtï¿½ refer to style, not origin. Clergy shirts are Protestant in origin. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as street wear for clergy until the end of the nineteenth century. Tab-collar shirts come in all colors and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black.

Wearing a Clergy shirt and white collar This is appropriate for leading informal worship and for public ministry where vestments are impractical, such as visiting the sick. The advantage of wearing a clergy shirt to visit people in the hospital is that everyone knows what you are and why you are there. You have quicker access and carry greater credibility with the hospital staff. Even a delirious patient can tell that you are a minister and not some casual visitor. Cassock A cassock is a plain, lightweight, ankle-length garment with long sleeves, but no hood. The cassock is a clerical, not a vestment. It serves as an undergarment for vestments, namely the surplice (a type of alb ) and the stole . If the cassock has buttons down the center of the front, from the neck to the ankles, it is called a Roman cassock. If it is double-breasted, it is called an Anglican cassock. Cassocks are worn by both clergy and lay worship leaders, with or without a surplice. Only ordained clergy wear a stole over the surplice. The main difference between cassocks and albs is the color.

(Cassocks are generally black, albs are generally white.) They are both adaptations of first-century tunics. They both mark the minister as performing in an official capacity, not as a private individual. John Wesley and Ulrich Zwingli wore cassocks. Cassocks are most common in all churches. The cassock-and-surplice combination is very common in Anglican churches. The cassock- robe is very common in non-conformist churches, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, some Baptist and some Pentecostal. John Wesley wore a cassock and surplice, because he was a priest in the Church of England. Some choirs wear cassocks with surplices instead of robes. Cincture A cincture, called a poias in Orthodox churches, is anything worn around the waist to gather or hold up clothing. Often cinctures made of a band of cloth or rope. When a cincture is made of leather or plastic, or if it is used with street clothing, it is called a belt. Robe Many people use the term robe as a synonym for vestment, but in actual fact, a robe is not a vestment at all.

It is a ankle-length gown with long sleeves, designed to be worn without a cincture . They originated from the middle-east and particularly from Judaism through early church times and up and to the present day. They can be seen worn by Christian, Jewish and Islamic clerics today. There are four types of robes, all of which are modern forms of the academic robes that professors used to wear while on the job in medieval universities. The four types are choir robes, clergy robes, academic gowns, and judicial robes. Only the first three types are worn in church. All types of robes are designed to be worn over street clothing. The only vestment that can be worn over a robe is a stole . Choir robes come in a large variety of styles and colors. They give the choir a unified appearance. (However, choirs can wear cassocks and surplices instead of robes.) Academic gowns come in three forms corresponding to bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. The doctoral robe sometimes appears in church. It has puffy sleeves with three stripes on the forearm, indicating that the wearer possesses a doctoral degree.

When they are used in church, academic gowns are most often worn without the square cap or the long, decorative hood down the back that normally complete the outfit. If there is a hood, the colors indicate the wearerï¿½s field of study and alma mater. ( You can find out the color code for the fields of study .) Clergy robes mark clergy who do not have a doctorate degree or who do not choose to wear their doctoral robes. Even though most clergy have a masters degree, clergy robes are a modified form of the baccalaureate robe, probably because contemporary masters robes have an odd appearance. Clergy robes are nearly identical to judicial robes, except that clergy robes often have a sort of built-in stole; a wide stripe running down both sides of the zipper in the front, often with decorated with Christian symbols. Unlike vestments, robes are not worn by lay leaders. The original purpose of the robe was to indicate that the wearer had the authority of academic credentials. John Calvin started the tradition of wearing academic robes in church. He was not able to wear vestments because he was not ordained clergy, but he did have an academic law degree.

For that reason, clergy robes are most common in churches that are in the Reformed tradition, such as Presbyterian churches, and in other groups with Calvinist roots, such as Baptists. Also the wearing of academic robes was carried by Arminians into Methodism. Choir robes are nearly universal. Robes or Gowns that we presently see worn by Christian ministers are called a Geneva Gown, because of their particular adaptation in style, which originated in Geneva. Geneva gowns originated in medieval times as academic gowns. The three stripes on the sleeve originally indicated that the wearer holds a doctorate degree. University professors used to wear them while teaching, and they are still common at academic convocations at secular colleges and universities. They are common in the Arminian tradition because Arminius and Wesley and his contemporaries wore one and in the Reformed tradition Calvin wore one. (Calvin was not clergy). However, Zwingli, who was also in the Reformed tradition, wore a cassock. (Our Wesleyan Methodist Comment: In Europe, Academic and Clergy Robes known as the Geneva Gown is worn as the norm by Non-Conformist Protestant Clergy.

They are: Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Free Presbyterians and some Baptist and Pentecostals, as well as ourselves in the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Of course, this only applies to conducting worship. Jesus forbade wearing worship attire in the marketplace, so we donï¿½t do that, except when we are street preaching or if we are involved in other acts of public worship: Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation. ï¿½Luke 20:45-47, KJV Outside the context of worship, clergy must dress plainly and with a clerical collar if they are "on duty", because this simply makes them identifiable as clergy. Why our Clergy wear Clericals Clothing conveys a Message A business suit in our opinion is completely inappropriate, because it is worldly. The church is not a business.

A business suit is fashionable, it is comfortable, and it expresses the wearerï¿½s sense of style, and these are precisely the reasons why it should not be worn. Ministers are not supposed to be representing the changing fashions of this world, but the unchanging mercies of our God. Their primary concern should not be their own comfort, but the spiritual well-being of their congregation. They should not be representing themselves, but God. Business suits also allow the clergy to pass for a lay person, which means that newcomers and visitors might not know who the pastor is. Clothing conveys a message. A business suit says, ï¿½Money!ï¿½ A police uniform says, ï¿½Law!ï¿½ A tuxedo says, ï¿½Wedding!ï¿½ Casual clothing says, ï¿½Me!ï¿½ Clericals say, ï¿½Church!ï¿½ Any of those messages might be valid in different contexts, so you have to make sure you are wearing the right clothes for the occasion. If you wear a business suit in a department store, people will mistake you for the manager.

If you wear a tuxedo to a football game, they wonï¿½t ask you to play. If you wear a jogging outfit to a fancy restaurant, your clothing says, ï¿½I wandered in here by mistake,ï¿½ and the staff will treat you accordingly. The word clericals refers to the special clothing that clergy wear outside of worship services, usually consisting of a white collar on a black shirt, combined with other clothing that is either black or grey. If you are a pastor and you think you are aggrandizing yourself when you wear clericals, youï¿½ll be disappointed. The congregation quickly gets used to the clericals and they see them as badges of service, not honour. Clericals put you in the same functional category as waiters, police officers, airline pilots, and so on. We do not dress to please ourselves, or anyone else for that matter; our manner of dress facilitates our service. It makes our function obvious to strangers. It makes our duties inescapable, and it constrains our personal conduct, because we canï¿½t disappear into the crowd when we are wearing clericals.

Clericals mean that visitors donï¿½t have to ask, ï¿½Where is the pastor?ï¿½ They know just by looking. Clericals also have other advantages. They communicate to the congregation that you are not a proxy child, a potential date, a worldly expert, or a bosom buddy. It allows you to focus on the job of being a pastor, without slipping and sliding into those role conflicts and boundary issues your denomination keeps warning you about. A minister was required by his ministerial association to wear a clergy shirt with a tab collar while he was traveling. He thought it was a huge imposition on his personal liberty, until he obeyed. On the airplane, he heard a confession of faith, reassured a frightened traveler, and calmed a terrified child. He was delighted that a routine air flight had turned into pastoral ministry. If you are clergy and youï¿½ve never worn a clergy shirt to visit people in the hospital, you should try it. The clergy shirt means you donï¿½t have to explain what you are or why you are there. The staff extends you all necessary courtesies, and even delirious patients know right off what you are.

You can get in after visiting hours, even if youï¿½ve never been to that particular hospital before. If you called the police because of a burglary in my house, you would not be reassured if the police showed up driving a sports car with his kids in the back, and wearing jeans and loafers. If you are in distress because of a crime, you want the police to arrive in a police car and you want them to be wearing freshly pressed uniforms. If you have just been through a burglary, you donï¿½t need a buddy, you donï¿½t need a narcissist expressing himself in his clothing, you need a policeman. You need a policeman who will carry out the law, not his self-expression. You couldnï¿½t care less about who he is personally; You called him as a representative of a greater force. Similarly, if you am on my deathbed, facing the greatest spiritual crisis in your life, you donï¿½t want a buddy to come express himself. You want a properly uniformed and equipped minister of God who subordinates himself to his ministry, and who confidently and authoritatively represents God. Our church membership deserve nothing less.

When you visit people in the hospital or in jail, for example, what sort of message do you convey with your clothing? If you show up in casual clothes, you are trying to say, ï¿½Iï¿½m just one of the gang,ï¿½ but they hear the message, ï¿½Iï¿½m not taking this seriously.ï¿½ If you show up in a business suit, you are trying to say, ï¿½Iï¿½m a well-dressed capable person,ï¿½ but they hear the message, ï¿½Iï¿½m a man of the world.ï¿½ When you are watching television, you can tell right off what sort of character has just appeared on the screen, because script writers take advantage of our cultural stereotypes to dress the characters to give us the right first impression. For example, if the character is supposed to be an inhibited secretary, they pull her hair back in a bun, put glasses on her face, and give her plain make up. When she loses her inhibitions, they signal the change by removing the glasses, letting her hair down, and improving her make up.

Very few actresses play romantic scenes with their hair up in a bun. So have you been paying attention to the way they dress the characters who are supposed to be clergy? It tell us what sort of ministers they are by the way they are dressed: If the minister is a shyster who is fleecing his flock for their money, he is most often wearing a sports coat and tie. If the minister is the manipulative type who is gradually transforming his congregation into a mind-control cult, he is most often wearing a well-tailored business suit, shirt and tie. If the minister is an activist who is crusading against the establishment, he is most often wearing casual clothing, with a tab-collar shirt under his sweater or leather jacket. If the minister is "daddy-cool", who is trying to keep up with "Christian-Television-Cool" and be a look-alike-wannabe, he is most often wearing casual clothing, jeans, open neck shirt or tee-shirt under his or leather jacket.

If the minister is competent and respectable, and if he is performing a valuable spiritual service (such as a wedding, funeral, or exorcism) in a dignified setting, he is most often wearing clericals on the street and vestments or clericals in church. (It is interesting to note, that most of those who don't wear clericals, have the most pharisaic attitude towards those who wear them. They have ended up legalistic about not being legalist. This decision to wear secular dress was started by evangelical Protestant individuals in the nineteenth century, firstly because the Roman Catholic Church seemed to high-jack the Protestant Clerical Collar and secondly because of their wrong reasoning, thinking that to throw away all vestiges of what they thought was "religiousness" was a "Godly" action. What they thought was wisdom from God to repudiate the wearing of Clerical Attire, has ended up in the secularization of the "Born Again" Christian understanding of dress code. However, now they dress like the world, talk like the world, try to make their worship services compete with the world. Interesting!) Objection: But Jesus Didnï¿½t Wear Clericals!

Now of course there is the objection that Jesus allegedly wore the clothing of the working man, not special clothes of the clergy. The assertion doesnï¿½t stand up to close scrutiny in Scripture. In many places, people walked up to Jesus out of the blue, addressed Him as ï¿½teacher,ï¿½ which the New Testament informs us is the translation of the word ï¿½rabbi.ï¿½ Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? ï¿½John 1:38, KJV Without knowing who He was (that is, Jesus), they knew what He was (that is, a rabbi), because they asked him to do rabbinical things: to heal the sick, cast out demons, settle disputes, probate wills, and decide religious issues: And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

ï¿½Mark 10:17, KJV If they thought He was a rabbi, these were reasonable expectations, because those were the duties of rabbis. However, in John 7, Jesus attends a festival at the Temple and even though everyone is talking about Him, they are unaware that He is among them in the crowd. Since there was no photography in those days, we can understand that strangers would not recognize Him by His face. There was no television newscaster to say, ï¿½Galilean rabbi draws large crowds with His controversial miraclesï¿½film at eleven.ï¿½ But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?ï¿½John 7:10-15, KJV So we have to ask: how could they know He was a rabbi in one circumstance, but not in another? Why were people surprised by His expertise at the Feast in John 7:10-15, when they took it for granted in situations such as Mark 10:17? The only explanation is that they knew by the way He was dressed. When they addressed Him as a rabbi, He must have been dressed like a rabbi; the surprise was not that He was a rabbi, but how He handled their requests. In John 7, they did not recognize Him as a rabbi, so they were surprised that He knew rabbinical things. He must not have been dressed as a rabbi. The only way He could attend the Feast ï¿½in secretï¿½ was to go without wearing rabbinical clothes. While Jesus definitely did not wear a black shirt with a white collar, He obviously wore the first-century equivalent. So clergy who wear clericals are imitating Christ.

We think that clergy who do not wear clericals have the more difficult position to defend. Objection: Some People Have an Adverse Reaction to Clericals! Conflict-avoidant people raise this objection, but there are two problems with letting other peopleï¿½s phobias dictate your wardrobe. The first is that you are not solving their problem by changing your clothes, you are only letting it fester unresolved. The second is that if you are driven by your own fears of what other people will think of you, youï¿½re on a slippery slope to second-guessing yourself into total ineffectiveness. If someone has a problem with clerical dress, at least this exposes it so you can help them overcome it. We observe, however, that this problem is more apprehension than substance. A person who is assertive without being authoritarian or bossy is said to have a strong character. Objection: But a Collar Would Make Me Look Catholic (or whatever)! The inventor of the clergy shirt, the Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod, was not Catholic. The wearing of the Clerical Collar is growing again amongst Protestantism. Objection: None of This Applies to my Congregation!

A black shirt with a white collar makes you look like ordained clergy. If that is what you really are, why not dress like it? So, let's talk about some of these Christian titles and what they mean. Again sadly, most secularized dressed clergy will say that titles are prideful and are irrelevant today. Today, if you use a title, the trend is to as quickly as possible to get you to a first name basis and even shorten that if possible. The Revd. Dr. Kenneth G. Williams Ph.D., DD. is quickly brought down to the Rev. Williams, then Rev. Kenneth, then Rev. Ken and eventually Ken or Kenny. Why does this happen? Those who do it would say that it is endearment that is making them "get to know" their pastor better. But this breeds familiarity and the primary reason that it quickly happens today is the hope that if you get familiar with the Minister then that Minister will not "blast" you for your sinful lifestyle because "isn't he supposed to be your friend?". The clergy are not primarily your friend at all. They are firstly the friend of God, and how God sees things, what God thinks about things and delivering those Godly commands on the earth.

So it's not "Kenny baby" that preaches to you in Church, or "Stevo" that is the visiting clergy dude from Coolsville. And it's not "Oi Vicar!" When we get to heaven you won't march up to Jesus on His throne and say, "Hey dude, hey Jeezy baby, uh! I'm a joint heir with you dude and uh, get down off that throne for a minute and let me try it, I mean, I should be able to be seated on it as well." Now, this same spirit emanates out of a lot of ordinary evangelical Protestants today even if they are just not as crass as that. Why? Because of ignorance, the refusal to accept rank and file hierarchy in the church, the democratization of church government and lastly the wrong expansion of "equality at the cross" into "His callings" as well. We repudiate this outrageous pulling down of titles, rank and file and hierarchy, because it is satanic and comes from a rebellious heart of ignorant inverted snobbery and hypocritical pride, whilst accusing those who use titles as promoting pride and unscriptural respect.

Here is an explanation of titles, including some that we do not use Bishop (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Bishop is the English version of the Greek word (episkopos), which means overseer or supervisor. (Note the progression from episkopos to piskop to bishop.) The qualifications for bishops are given in 1 Timothy 3, but there is no scriptural description of their duties. In the first century, the local church was headed by a bishop and the priests served as a board of advisors who also functioned as clergy under the bishopï¿½s direction. By the time of Ignatius at the end of the first century, the Church had grown. By that time, bishops had territorial supervision over several churches, while the presbyters were responsible for pastoral care of individual churches. Ignatius describes a system identical to the modern practice, well in accord with Titus 1:6-9 and the situation in the seven letters in Revelation. Bishops wear purple clericals . In the historic church, a bishop is a regional minister, a priest with administrative duties over a group of churches in a territory called a diocese . Only bishops can preside at the rite of ordination.

An individual bishop can ordain a deacon or a priest, but it takes three bishops to consecrate a new bishop. A Roman Catholic bishop must remain unmarried. An Anglican, Lutheran, or Methodist bishop can be married. In the eastern Church, only unmarried priests can become bishops, and bishops are not permitted to marry. Canon (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) A canon is a priest who serves on the staff of a cathedral . The duties of a canon include conducting worship and performing pastoral services, especially when the bishop is visiting other churches in the diocese . If John Smith is a canon of a cathedral, he is called the Rev. Canon John Smith. (The word ï¿½canonï¿½ also has another meaning .) Clergy (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) The word clergy comes from a Latin word that means ï¿½office holder.ï¿½ It refers to ordained ministers who are authorized to conduct the rites and sacraments of the church. Some clergy may have administrative duties at various regional and national levels of a church. In some legal jurisdictions, clergy status may automatically empower a person to perform legally binding weddings; in others, clergy must obtain a license from the court.

Courts generally do not require clergy to divulge what people have told them in confidence; this is often called the sanctity of the confessional. However, there can be exceptions. Many legal jurisdictions impose criminal penalties on clergy who do not immediately report information about certain types of crimes, such as suspected child abuse, even if the information was given in confidence. Curate (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Curate is an Anglican term for assistant pastor. The word cure is related to the word care. A curate is a person who takes care of a cure, that is, the congregation, viewed as a spiritual charge. Assistant pastors are usually assigned the duty of routinely visiting the members of the congregation who are sick, shut-in, or in distress; hence the term. The word curator (as in a museum) is related. See also rector and vicar . Deacon (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) The word deacon comes from the Greek word (diakonos), which means servant. The New Testament records the appointment of the first deacons in Acts 6 and lists their qualifications for office in 1 Timothy 3.

The New Testament describes the function of the first deacons, but it does not lay down a general charter for the function of deacons in the church. Up through the fourth century, deacons had administrative functions, and because even the largest churches limited themselves to seven deacons, they often had more power and prestige than the presbyters, who nominally outranked them. This situation was corrected by the Council of Constantinople in AD 381 and by allowing larger churches to have as many deacons as they needed. Today, depending on the church, a deacon can be any of the following: a member of the clergy ; a lay minister; or a lay administrator. Elder (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Elder is the English word which translates the Greek word presbuteros (or presbyter ), which came down to us in English as priest . Father (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) In Roman Catholicism, in Orthodoxy, and to some degree in Anglicanism, people often address priests as father. In general usage, if John Smith is a priest, he is called Father John, but if he is an Anglican priest, he might be called Father Smith.

Protestants do not call their clergy father, based on Matthew 23:9, but they do not use the same reasoning to ban the term teacher (Matthew 23:10), so the prohibition is mainly a reaction against Roman Catholic practice. Groups who do use this term argue that the context (Matthew 23:1-12) only forbids Christian leaders to use titles such as father and teacher hypocritically or for self-promotion. They use 1 Corinthians 4:15 as an example of how the term father can rightly be applied to a Christian leader. However, if you are writing a letter to Father John Smith, the address on the envelope should say The Reverend John Smith. Minister (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Minister is the Latin word for doer of little deeds, as opposed to a magistrate, who is a doer of great deeds. In some churches, the word minister, if they are an "ordained minister" denotes a person who is charged with the spiritual care of a church. In most churches, "to minister" is a generic term that includes all who assist in worship, whether clergy or lay.

Pastor (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Pastor is the Latin word for shepherd. This word refers to the ordained minister who is charged with the primary spiritual care of a local church. Presbyter (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) The Greek word (presbyteros) is used in the New Testament for people who perform the functions of clergy in the Church. It means elder. The English word that developed over time from presbyter is priest . (Note the progression from presbyter to prester to priest.) The qualifications for presbyters are given in 1 Timothy 5, but their duties are not listed in scripture. The office, function, and name came into the Church from the ancient synagogue. Presbyters, that is, regular ordained clergy, wear black clericals . Presbytery (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) The word presbytery has several meanings in current use. In Presbyterian churches, it refers to a council of presbyters (elders) and a geographical area that corresponds to a diocese . In the Catholic Church, it can refer to a priestï¿½s residence. Presbytery is also a synonym for priesthood .

Priest (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Priest is the English word that originated from the Greek word (presbyteros), which means elder. (Note the progression from presbyter to prester to priest.) Originally, this was the normal word for Christian clergy . Over time it took over the meaning of (hiereus or hierarch) and was extended by way of analogy to Jewish and then pagan clergy. Some groups avoid priest as if it were pagan, when it is in fact entirely Christian and scriptural in origin. The Greek word for a temple functionary is hierarch. In many New Testament translations, the word priest is used to translate both presbyter and hierarch, which can confuse the reader. It gives the false impression that the Church has no clergy or that all Christians are clergy. The Greek New Testament teaches a hierarchy of all believers, not a presbytery of all believersï¿½meaning that all Christians have direct access to God, but not all have administrative, supervisory, or sacramental duties in the Church. (See 1 Peter 2:1-10 in the original Greek.) Priests, that is, regular ordained clergy, wear black clericals .

Priesthood (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Priesthood is a synonym for clergy in Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches. The phrase priesthood of all believers comes from 1 Peter 1:4-10. In this passage, the word priesthood translates a Greek word that does not refer to presbyters , but to people who have direct access to God. Thus this passage says that all Christians have direct access to God; it does not say that all Christians are clergy . Rector (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) Rector is the Anglican word for the elected pastor of a financially self-supporting congregation. The term derives from the fact that if there are multiple clergy on staff in a church, the pastor has primary responsibility for directing the worship. Historically in the Church of England, the terms ï¿½rectorï¿½ and ï¿½vicarï¿½ had different meanings, but today the distinction lies in the history of the parish. See also vicar . Reverend (used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) The term reverend is an adjective that simply indicates that a person is a member of the clergy .

In the United States, it is abbreviated Rev; outside the United States, it is abbreviated Revd. If John Smith is a member of the clergy, you can refer to him in writing as The Revd. John Smith, or The Revd. Smith. If he has a doctorate degree, you can refer to him as The Revd. Dr. John Smith, or The Revd. Dr. Smith. When you are talking to him, you can address him as Reverend Smith, but it is usually considered impolite to call him just Reverend. If John Smith is clergy in another church, and you are unsure what to call him or you are uncomfortable with his customary title, call him Reverend Smith and no one will be offended. If, for example, you are a Protestant and you are speaking to a Roman Catholic priest who refers to himself as Father John, he will not be offended if you call him Reverend John, because it is actually correct. Nevertheless, most members of the clergy are humble and are not offended if you get their titles wrong. When in doubt, refer to clergy as ï¿½Revd. So-and-so.ï¿½ That way no one will think you are being disrespectful.

Vicar (not used by the Wesleyan Methodist Church) In the Anglican Communion, if a church is not financially self-supporting and is unable to pay a full-time pastor, the bishop is nominally the pastor. The bishop appoints a priest to do the actual work. Since this priest is only functioning as a stand-in for the bishop, he or she is called a vicar from the Latin word for stand-in. When the church becomes self-supporting, its vestry calls and elects a rector to take the place of the vicar. Historically in the Church of England, the terms ï¿½rectorï¿½ and ï¿½vicarï¿½ had different meanings, but today the distinction lies in the history of the parish. We do trust that this page has been informative, but more importantly perhaps changed your mind in regards to clerical attire as you now know the facts regarding their origins and purpose.

Our legal rights for the wearing of Clerical Attire or indeed any Religious Attire which we have not yet instituted as part of Church policy requirement from the items and titles that are mentioned above are as follows and are now stated here: The wearing of Ordinary Clericals by all Wesleyan Methodist Ecclesiastical Ordained Clergy; ____________________________________________________ A Minutes of Conference Continuant Legal Statute here stated on this web-page entitled Clerical Attire: The Compulsory or Mandatory Requirement by all of our Licensed and Ordained Clergy which is a Statute required by Law so to do; The wearing of Ordinary Clericals or Clerical Attire is required by the World Conference of Wesleyan Methodist Church also known as the Independent Methodist Church by all of its Clergy without exception. The Clerical Collar and Ordinary Clerical Attire is compulsory and absolutely required to be worn by all of our clergy while conducting ministry in an official capacity or present at any religious event.

It is also compulsory for all of our clergy to wear the Clerical Collar and any other Clerical Attire deemed necessary when our ordained clergy are attending any public event or public ceremony and or any civic or civil ceremony as a participant witness observer or guest and as it is indeed our legal Christian right to do so as the wearing of Clerical Attire we believe and we regard as our Church's Ecclesiastical Ordained Clergy's compulsory religious public expression of our religious faith and practice. _____________________________________________________ St. Mark's Episcopal Church - What the Ministers Wear St. Mark's Episcopal Church Vestments Vestments worn by the celebrant at the eucharist typically include a stole and chasuble. These vestments usually reflect the liturgical color of the day or season of the celebration. The celebrant also usually wears an alb and may wear a girdle and amice. The officiant at the Daily Office or other non-eucharistic services may wear a cassock and surplice. A tippet may also be worn. A stole indicates that the wearer is an ordained person. Bishops and priests wear the stole over both shoulders, and deacons typically wear the stole over the left shoulder.

Bishops may wear distinctive episcopal vestments, including the rochet and chimere, and the miter. A purple shirt with a clerical collar usually indicates that the wearer is a bishop, and a black shirt with a clerical collar usually indicates that the wearer is a member of the clergy. Lay servers, acolytes, lectors, and choir members may also wear vestments at worship. According to local custom, they may wear an alb, or a cassock with surplice or cotta. Alb A long white garment with narrow sleeves, which is the basic garment worn by ordained and lay ministers at the eucharist and at other church services. The alb (from Latin alba, meaning white) is derived from the undertunic of the Greeks and Romans of the fourth century. It may be girded at the waist. Amice A rectangular piece of white cloth that may serve as a hood or be rolled down to serve as the collar of an alb. The amice is tied beneath the alb by attached strings. Many modern albs have replaced the amice with a collar or an attached hood. Cassock A long, close-fitting garment with narrow sleeves worn by clergy and other ministers.

Cassocks are typically black but also may be blue, gray, or red. Bishops may wear purple cassocks. It may be worn under a surplice. Historically, the cassock was the street garb of a person in clerical orders. It was part of the outdoor dress of Anglican clergy until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Chasuble The sleeveless outer vestment worn by the celebrant at the eucharist. The chasuble and cope are both derived from the outdoor cloak worn by all classes and both sexes in the Greco-Roman world. The chasuble may be oval or oblong, with an opening for the head. It typically reflects the liturgical color of the day. Chasubles vary widely in fabric and style. They may be plain cloth or decorated with orphreys or symbols. The chasuble is also known as a planeta. See Cope. The distinctive garments worn by leaders of the church's worship. Many of the church's vestments are descended from the ordinary dress of the imperial Roman society in which the early church came into being. Cincture A cord or sash that serves as a belt for an alb or cassock.

Also called a girdle. Cope A ceremonial cloak, semicircular, richly ornamented, with a clasp in front and a hood or hood-like appendage in back, worn over the alb (or rochet) and stole. It is based on the cappa, an outdoor overcoat worn in the Roman empire. The presider wears a cope usually at non-eucharistic liturgies in place of the chasuble. Several Anglican practices dating from the sixteenth century have extended usage of the cope. Presiders sometimes wear a cope at the eucharist during the entrance procession and even during the liturgy of the word. Bishops sometimes wear it when performing episcopal functions such as ordinations and confirmations. Deacons, cantors, and others may also wear a cope since its use is not restricted to bishops and priests. Cotta A white vestment that typically reaches to the hips. It has a square-yoke neck, and sleeves that are less ample than the surplice. The cotta is a shorter version of the surplice. The cotta is seldom worn today, except by young members of the choir or acolytes. See Surplice.

Dalmatic The distinctive vestment of deacons in the western church. It may be worn at any liturgy in any season. The dalmatic was an ample white tunic with wide sleeves, bands about the cuffs, and clavi, or colored bands, descending from the shoulders to the hem. Historically, it was worn over an alb by both bishops and deacons by the fourth century, but it did not become a vestment until around the ninth century. The dalmatic was accepted as the vestment worn by the deacon at the eucharist by the ninth century. Eventually deacons adopted the eastern orarion or stole, worn on top and hanging straight down from the left shoulder. Over the centuries the dalmatic, like other vestments, lost its full shape. The stole disappeared beneath the outer garment. By the late middle ages, deacons (or, more commonly, priests acting as liturgical deacons) were wearing a short dalmatic in the color of the day, ornate in fabric, adorned with orphreys (two vertical and two horizontal), with narrow sleeves, and open at the sides. The dalmatic has varied widely in appearance, and this variety continues in the Episcopal Church today.

In many places the medieval dalmatic has given way to a full-length white or off-white tunic which is simple and functional. It is worn sometimes over an alb, sometimes by itself (as a combination cassock-alb-dalmatic). Deacons often wear the stole on top, placed over the left shoulder and tied under the right arm or hanging straight down. Gown The gown has been used in the liturgy. It was worn with bands. Anglican preachers have worn the gown with hood and scarf for the sermon. This use could be seen as a display of academic credentials by the preacher. Some members of the clergy (especially with a low-church piety) wore the gown throughout the service, following the Genevan practice. Liturgical use of the gown continued into the late nineteenth century. E. Clowes Chorley credited the influence of the catholic movement in the Episcopal Church with the gradual substitution of the surplice for the black preaching gown during the nineteenth century. Preaching Gown A long, flowing black garment that may be worn by the preacher with cassock and preaching tabs. It may have full, bell-shaped sleeves, and velvet bands.

Scapular A sleeveless garment that hangs from the shoulders to the ankles. The term is derived from the Latin for "shoulder-blades." The scapular is a wide band of material, usually black, with an opening for the head. It forms part of the regular monastic habit for many religious orders. It is typically worn over a cassock or other similar garment. In some churches, a scapular is worn by servers or members of the choir. Surplice A full white vestment with wide sleeves. It has an opening for the head at the top and typically reaches to the knees or beyond. The term is from the Latin superpelliceum, meaning "over a fur garment." It was an oversized alb that was worn as a choir vestment over a fur coat in the drafty and cold churches of northern Europe. It is usually worn over a cassock by clergy at non-eucharistic services such as the Daily Office. It may also be worn by lay people with particular liturgical ministries at worship such as lectors or choir members. Acolytes often wear a shorter version of the surplice, a cotta, which reaches to the hips and has narrower sleeves than the surplice.

The academic dress of clergy may include cassock, surplice, and tippet, with or without an academic hood. The surplice may be worn with a stole by a member of the clergy assisting at the eucharist or by a member of the clergy who preaches. Surplice and stole may also be worn by a member of the clergy who presides at a eucharist or baptism. However, eucharistic vestments are typically worn by the celebrant at the eucharist instead of surplice and stole. Use of the surplice was a cause of dispute during the nineteenth-century controversies over ritual in the United States and in England. It came to be widely accepted as the standard vestment for Daily Office. Tippet A large black scarf worn by clergy over surplice and cassock at the Daily Offices. It resembles a stole and is worn around the neck with the ends hanging down the front. It may be ornamented by emblems such as the Episcopal Church seal or the insignia of the wearer's seminary.

How to Get Dressed to Lead Worship How to Get Dressed to Lead Worship These are my personal suggestions for Protestant ministers whose denominations don’t give them guidance on what to wear while they conduct worship. I am following the general ecumenical practice in the United States. Presbyterians can use these suggestions; however, if they wish to wear the distinctive Presbyterian vestments that are based on medieval academic attire, they should consult their presbyteries. Roman Catholic clergy and especially Orthodox clergy should consult their bishops. For more information Lay Leaders In any church, there are people who can’t afford nice clothes, people who overdress, and others who just have poor taste. You can eliminate these problems if you vest the lay leaders. It won’t matter if they are dressed like a floozy, a beach bum, or a beauty queen, because no one can see what is underneath. If you would like lay leaders to be vested, acquire a collection of albs in various sizes. Lay people can wear albs and cinctures . Albs are available in children’s sizes for acolytes who are children. If you are Anglican, you have the alternative of cassocks and surplices .

In that case, acolytes can wear red cassocks with white surplices. Only choir members should wear choir robes. It is possible to outfit the choir in cassocks and surplices, just like the choirs of angels on Christmas cards. There are specially designed vestments for organists and pianists. They match the vestments for the choir, except that the sleeves fall away at the elbows so that they don’t interfere with the keyboard. It is inappropriate for a lay leader who is not a choir member to wear a choir robe or a Geneva gown . Only ordained clergy should wear a pulpit gown, and only ordained clergy with a doctorate degree should wear the pulpit gown with puffy sleeves that have three stripes. Unless you are Presbyterian, my personal taste runs against wearing academic attire to lead worship, because it makes you look like a judge in traffic court. Regular Ordained Clergy (Presbyters) If you are ordained clergy, and you would like to dress ecumenically for worship, I suggest the following wardrobe: One or two albs At least one should be white to avoid a color clash with your white stole. The second alb can be white, ivory, or undyed.

If you have two albs, you won’t feel any anxiety when one of them is in the laundry. Albs are inexpensive compared to other vestments and most are machine washable. “Alb” is short for tunica alba; it is a white tunic; because that is the color of Jesus’ grave clothes,the color of the angels’ clothes, and thus the color of the resurrection. When Jesus sent out the seventy (Luke 10), He told them to take only one tunic. In the ancient church, when people came out of the waters of baptism, they were dressed in white tunics. Four stoles You need one stole in each of the following colors: green, white, red, and purple. The type of stole that goes with an alb is sometimes called a broad stole. It is about 5 inches wide. You wear it around your neck with the ends hanging down in front to about your knees. The stole is the work cloth that slaves wore around their necks. It is the yoke of Christ that you took on at ordination; it marks you as a slave of Christ and a servant to your congregation. At least one cincture Cinctures are usually ropes.

You can get a set in colors that match the stoles, if you like. Some albs are designed to be worn without cinctures, and others come with cloth cinctures, but in most cases, you’ll need the ropes. If you need help, Almy , a leading supplier of clergy vestments, has a web page with diagrams that shows how to tie a cincture . Jesus told Peter than when he was old, someone would tie him with a belt and take him where he did not want to go (Luke 21:18). If you realize that the “belt” was a rope cincture, this makes a lot of sense. Four chasubles For most Protestants, chasubles are optional and uncommon. Wear a chasuble only at a Eucharistic service, and only when you are the principal celebrant. You’ll need four chasubles, one in each of the four colors I just mentioned for the stoles. You need a second set of specially designed stoles to wear under the chasubles, but don’t worry, when you purchase a chasuble, it normally comes with the matching stole.

There are cheap chasubles, but they look as cheap as they cost. Since you will be wearing them the rest of your life, invest in good ones. Chasubles can be very expensive, so if you want to economize by having only one, make sure it is ivory or white and of very high quality, so that you use it for weddings, funerals, Christmas, and Easter—services that include Communion. Right before he was martyred, Paul told Timothy to bring him his chasuble, which he had left behind in Troas (2 Timothy 4:13). By wearing a chasuble, you show that you are willing to follow Jesus, even to martyrdom. To get dressed, put on the alb and the cincture. Put the cincture on the level of your navel, not your waist, otherwise it will accentuate your belly and make you look like you have a bigger paunch than you do. Then put the stole over the alb. If you are wearing a chasuble, it goes on top. You can also acquire a small “portable stole” that is purple on one side and white on the other. You wear it over your street clothes on certain occasions.

The purple side is for hearing confessions or conducting counseling sessions (whichever your church calls it) and for ministering to people during sick visits. The white side is for funerals when full vestments aren’t practical, and for ministering to people in the presence of the deceased. Ordained Deacons If you are an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church or in any of the Methodist denominations, or if you are a “licensed minister” in the Disciples of Christ, I suggest the following wardrobe: One or two albs At least one should be white to avoid a color clash with your white stole. The second alb can be white, ivory, or natural colored. If you have two albs, you won’t feel any anxiety when you take one to the cleaners. Albs are inexpensive compared to other vestments and most are machine washable. Four deacon’s stoles You need one stole in each of the following colors: green, white, red, and purple. A deacon’s stole is designed to hang only over the left shoulder to your knees, or more commonly, it hangs diagonally across your chest, is gathered at the waist on the right, and extends down your right leg to about your knees.

Your church discipline probably prohibits you from wearing a presbyter’s stole. At least one cincture Cinctures are usually ropes. You can get a set in colors that match the stoles, if you like. Some albs are designed to be worn without cinctures, and others come with cloth cinctures, but in most cases, you’ll need the ropes. If you need help, Almy , a leading supplier of clergy vestments, has a web page with diagrams that show how to tie a cincture . If you like, a dalmatic . To get dressed, put on the alb and cincture. Put the cincture on the level of your navel, not your waist, otherwise it will accentuate your belly and make you look like you have a bigger paunch than you do. If you are wearing a dalmatic, put it on next. Finally, put the deacon’s stole on top. When to Wear Which Color Red Wear your red stole at Holy Week services, on Pentecost, at ordinations and installations, and on services that commemorate the death of a Christian martyr.

White Wear your white stole during the twelve days of Christmas, during the fifty days of Easter, at funerals, and at weddings. Wear it at any service that celebrates a secular holiday, and on certain special days, such as Epiphany Day, the Baptism of our Lord (which is the Sunday after the Epiphany), on Trinity Sunday, All Saints Sunday, and Christ the King Sunday. You can wear a small, white “portable stole” over your regular clothes when ministering to people in the presence of the deceased, or when conducting a funeral when full vestments are not practical for some reason. Purple Wear your purple stole during Lent and Advent. You can wear a small, purple “portable stole” over your regular clothes when hearing confessions (in Lutheran and Anglican churches), when conducting a counseling session (which is the same thing for the rest of us), and when administering Communion in the hospital. Green Wear your green stole whenever none of the above colors applies, mainly after Epiphany Day but before Ash Wednesday, and after Pentecost Sunday but before the first Sunday of Advent. Use these color guidelines for chasubles, too. Why the Fancy Clothes?

I live near the location of the first battle of the Civil War, which took place just on the other side of Bull Run. (In Virginia, creeks are called “runs.”) On occasion, men reenact the battle dressed in nineteenth-century clothing and armed with nineteenth-century weapons. I don’t think you’d get very far if you tried to convince these people that they should reenact the Civil War battle in modern business suits armed with briefcases. They would complain that it destroys the authenticity of what they are doing. In view of all that, isn’t it anachronistic, not to mention inauthentic, or even disrespectful to celebrate Communion dressed in a modern business suit or a medieval academic gown? Is it more important to have an authentic Civil War reenactment than an authentic Communion? In Communion, the celebrant plays the role of Jesus at the Last Supper, so to speak, so it is appropriate to wear vestments, which are modeled on first-century clothing. Since the celebrant also represents the glory of Christ, it’s appropriate to express that glory in their clothing.

By dressing like Jesus, and not like themselves, it drives home the point to the congregation that the clergy are not acting on their own personal authority as if they were magicians, but on the authority delegated to them by Jesus Christ through the church. Of course, this only applies to conducting worship. Jesus forbade wearing worship attire in the marketplace, so we don’t do that: While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.” —Luke 20:45-46, NIV Outside the context of worship, clergy must dress plainly , but in a way that makes them identifiable as clergy. For More Information You can find out more information in my glossary about vestments .

If you would like more detailed information about vestments, or about how to perform various acts of worship, you might want to add some of the books in my list of How-To Manuals for Clergy to your personal library. Copyright ©1995-2016 by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins and his licensors. All rights reserved. You can get permission to use this material. You can also E write to Ken

Question: What is the name given to the bands of white cloth on the neck of some clerical and academic robes
Answer: Geneva