Tuesday 12 February 2008

Tat anyone?

The lecture hall is full of cassocks!

Not in the scheme of things a revelatory statement I know but today’s “tat fair” (I think the name gives some indication of the general view of clerical wear around here :o) is for many of the final year ordinands the place where the reality of what they are training for becomes all too real. Last terms talk of curacies and what kind of house is being offered has given way to stole brochures and the perplexing question of what colour lining to have in your cassock.

Though the few high church folk here are in hog heaven (one very excited that they have just found a Biretta!) for many the sight of so many clerical vestments in one place is likely to induce a panic attack. Even the most ardent supporter of clergy not wearing robes, or indeed clerical collars has to face up to the fact that for their ordination, if never again, they will need the gear.

This of course leads to that important question – why exactly do we dress up each week in a style of clothing that hasn’t been in use outside religious circles for 600 years? I have over the years come round to the idea that clerical collars may not be an altogether bad thing. They are, even in our increasingly secular society, a great calling card, singling you out as a safe person to talk to. There are amazing stories of priests who have been approached by the most unlikely people, in the most unlikely places to talk about God. The vestments however I remain to be convinced about. It’s not to say I don’t love the amazing vestments used each week at my attachment church. They have a robe closet so full of ecclesiastical bling I think ever Liberace would have been jealous and in this ancient church, with its traditional liturgy and a sense of things not having changed in the last 500 years it does work. However, in your regular parish church, striving to be relevant to the local population, wondering where all the real men have gone I am not convinced that a bloke dressed in a frock and looking like a penguin in search of a home is helpful…

I suppose it speaks volumes of my low theology that I think that it’s preferable for those leading services to be part of the congregation both in churchmanship and dress. To lead the people, surely you need to be seen to be part of the people?
However, as those going to the tat fair are finding out there is no escaping the fact that vestments are here to stay….

So a cassock it is then – not exactly the LBJ* of choice – but such is life…

*little black dress

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Accepting that you were coasting round the edges looking sideways and pretending it would never happen to you, did you happen to notice anyone who might supply smehting approaching a well cut short sleeved shirt? (Wippells call it a blouse: enough said.

Anonymous said...

That's "something", actually.

Mary said...

Hi Jane. Here is a reply for Mary - try Cross Designs in Derby. They have a website although don't be put off by it. Their garments are very good. Made to measure short sleeved shirt definitely available from them - I have one. And re your post, on balance I think wearing a dog collar is A Good Thing because it's much easier to do God Talk as people expect you to. Re vestments, hmmm, I know where you are coming from and I have some sympathy. But you are in a particular role when you in the position of being able/expected to wear them, and wearing them helps to define your role at that time. They also take your own personality/ego out of it somewhat. I don't get antsey about wearing them but I do wear them. With a vic who is a bit higher I make a point of wearing cassock, surplice and preaching scarf for non-eucharistic services to show the focus on the word. (But she only wears a chasuble when it is cold. And that is another advantage of robes - lots of churches don;t have much heating and certainly not where the clergy operate. When you come to buy your stoles you will need the ordination stole and a purple one (for funerals). Even if you go to a lowish church I suspect that you will still need those - people expect you to wear this stuff at funerals, especially if they aren't church people.
Cheers Mary