Overtime, more and more Lutheran pastors have deemed it fit to minister to parishioners in a secular form of dress – that is to say wearing jeans and a t-shirt or the like. I have to ask if this is really appropriate. Many pastors who wear just casual secular dress would certainly not be thought of as a clergy member by those whom they pass on the street. This can be a good thing or a bad thing.
On one hand, the anonymity of the clergy allows for him or her to live a life in which the burdens of the priesthood are not felt all the time. On the other, people can visually see a dedication to Christ in a clergy who wears a collar when going about everyday business, which may foster and encourage their own Christian devotion. Regardless of the pros and cons of each, there does seem to be some norms when it come to what clergy wear.
It is my opinion that all clergy should at all times wear clerical dress. For me that means a cassock and a collar. For others that may mean a shirt and collar. Regardless, black is the color of the priesthood and these styles of having several different colored clerical shirts seem to over emphasize the fashion tastes of the individual. As stated above, the cassock and collar seem to be the best form of clerical dress for me and is likely what I will wear when I start my parish visitations. It may be a little much for some people, but I feel that wearing it will alter the way I act. If I thing about the fact that wearing this clerical dress clearly and definitively denotes me as a Christian leader, I will be more conscious of my actions, the fact that my actions – good and bad – will point to Christ. It is by this notion that I feel I can better minister to others if I do wear a cassock and collar.
In general, this is part of a larger issue when it comes to vestments in the Lutheran church today – a topic I am sure I will spend a lot of time on later.
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