In view of the colourful clerical shirts and elaborately-tailored vestments on display and the whooping expressions on the faces of the ordination candidates, it is sobering to reflect on the Lord Jesus Christ's words to Peter as recorded in John 21:
Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go (John 21v17b-18 - RSV).
John then tells us that Jesus said this in order to show by what death Peter was to glorify God.
The possibility of martyrdom is on the tin of Christian discipleship in the New Testament, and its possibility is intensified in the case of those called to pastoral leadership.
A violent death at the hands of God-hating humanity is not a prospect any sane disciple of Christ would wish on themselves (Jesus recognises that by pointing out that Peter will be taken where he does not wish to go). But according to the New Testament the disciple of Christ should be mentally ready for it.
Indeed, such spiritual preparedness surely helps those disciples set apart for the pastoral calling to keep themselves from prancing about like participants at a celebrity fashion shoot.
Increasingly I am observing (albeit on the other side to the world to you CC) that the justification for robes (apart from symbolising being clothed with Christ, they make us anonymous in respect of what we are wearing) is being undermined by the individualism of expression, even fashion sense being made visible in stoles and chasubles.
ReplyDeleteIf people are going to be distracted by the pattern, illustrations, alternative colours being exhibited in what robes we wear, why not wear a suit and tie or a dress and silk scarf and run the gamut of comment on whether we made a good choice with what we plucked out of our wardrobes!
Thank you Peter - the sad fact is that going on an ego-trip or 'showing off' as it was called when I was a boy is no longer frowned upon. In fact it is positively encouraged in our celeb-crazy culture. That culture is infecting the Church.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as one of those 'prancing' ordinands I find your comments patronising and insulting.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know my story or the pain that's been involved in reaching this stage in my life and ministry. Ordinands may be 'newbies', but most of the ones I know are only too aware that Christ shapes us as much by pain as happiness - a lesson often taught by personal experience.
For me, and I'm sure for many, our 'big day' was one of very mixed emotions, reflecting on both highs and lows of the journey so far - please allow us some smiles as we pass this milestone without having to listen to your sneers.
Sir, the ordained calling is not about your or my 'big day' or indeed about the high and lows of our journey so far. It's about humble self-effacing service. The Litany and Suffrages in the Ordering of Deacons in the Book of Common Prayer includes the petition that the good Lord would deliver us from 'pride, vain-glory and hypocrisy'.
ReplyDeleteThe Ordinal includes such a petition because in public ministry we can very easily fall into those things.
Hear hear.
ReplyDeleteWhat you illustrate here, CC, is the "rampant careerism" that you have referred to before. No, the time will come, not long away now, when ordinations have to be done in virtual secrecy, and the ordained ministers have to keep quiet about their subsequent work for fear of intimidation, etc., by the state. Yes, it would be wrong to welcome such a situation (and I don't), but it sure will make for a church, and clergy, which have the correct motives and motivation.
ReplyDeleteSir, You are quite right of the need to avoid "'pride, vain-glory and hypocrisy", but since God looks at the heart, not outward appearances (1 Sam 16:7) is it wise to make assumptions about others' states of heart from a set of photos in Church newspapers?
ReplyDelete