Today’s Scripture Reading
(September 7, 2018): Exodus 28
The phrase “Man of
the Cloth” was originally applied to
anyone who wore any kind of a uniform in
the performance of their duty. A baker, with the traditional white shirt and
pants, wore the “baker’s cloth.” In any profession where a distinct uniform was worn, the wearers were men of the cloth. (And,
yes, it is an ancient tradition, so it
was a male-dominated term.) But by the
seventeenth century, for a reason that
remains unclear to me, the term narrowed significantly to include only members
of the clergy – the priest and pastors of our world.
In our century, we
continue to be men, and women, of the cloth, although admittedly many of us no
longer wear any kind of specific uniform.
I do not wear either a clerical collar or any kind
of a robe in the performance of my
duties, although I do have friends that do wear one or the other. However, fashion
has also never been one of my strengths. I like what makes me feel comfortable,
and left to my own devices, seldom even consider which colors might look good
on me, or what colors go together. On a list of fashion hits and misses, I
would most likely be on the side of the misses. By the way, I also don’t pay
attention to what you might be wearing. If you always wear jeans and then
appear in a suit or a nice dress, I might notice, but beyond that my noticing,
or caring, about what you are wearing is not very likely.
I am also aware
that sometimes what we wear can create distance. And in the performance of my
task, distance is something that I usually want to avoid. But then I also know
that times have changed.
God instructs Moses
to have a garment made for Aaron that would set him apart from the people, something that would command respect and give him
dignity. It was likely an elaborate robe that could be worn by anyone,
regardless of size or body style. Some have even argued that this robe was
passed down through the generations and was worn
by many different priests.
In a list of
prescriptive passages (commands of God that we are to follow) and descriptive
passages (descriptions of what happened),
I would list this passage as being descriptive. The problem is that the manner of
dress at one point did give dignity. But abuse of the clerical position has
caused many to look upon the dress of the priest or the pastor with suspicion.
We no longer see the dignity, but rather the failure of the institution, in the
cloth of the profession.
And so we dress and hopefully act, differently. We know
that we need to earn the dignity that at one point was granted because of our position. We are still men and women of
the cloth, but the dignity of the cloth is ragged and torn. And it is up to us
who are clergy to begin the mending and healing process. I hope that one day we will earn your respect
once again. But for now, I hope that you can see through “the cloth” to the men
and women who try to serve God to the best of their ability. And that it is our
efforts in the service of God that allow us the dignity to stand before you.
Tomorrow’s Scripture
Reading: Exodus 29
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