A few years ago, I shared some of my many clergy stoles in A Story of Stoles. A few recent conversations prompted me to continue that reflection with another part of clergy garb: robes.
The Original
I no longer have the robes I wore soon after graduating from seminary. And enough time has passed that I don’t have high-quality photographs of myself wearing them. They were simple black robes, worn during my first two calls to congregations affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
An Upgrade
After completing my Doctor of Ministry degree in 2007, I purchased the black robe shown below. I was now eligible to wear a robe with doctoral chevrons, marking the completion of that degree.
I wore this robe almost every Sunday and for many special services for the next decade. Then, for almost another decade, I have continued wearing it as my primary robe. Nearly twenty years later, it remains a familiar part of my ministry.
Going White then Red
After returning to parish ministry following several years away, I added a white robe and then a red one, both styled much like the black robe that is now approaching its twentieth year of service.
All White
In between acquiring the white and red robes with chevrons, I purchased an all-white alb for my emerging ministry among congregations affiliated with with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or ELCA.
So What?
These robes have become more than vestments. They are reminders of people, congregations, and chapters of ministry for which I am deeply grateful. Each one carries memories of the people with whom I have worshiped, celebrated, struggled, learned, and served. I expect I’ll continue to wear all of them in the years ahead, but I also recognize that I will always see more than a robe when I put one on. I will see the people and places that helped shape me into the minister I am and the minister I am still becoming.
At the same time, worship continues to evolve, and so does my ministry. I find myself wearing robes less and less as more congregations embrace less formal approaches to how both clergy and parishioners dress for worship. I have learned to be comfortable leading worship in a robe, a clerical collar, or everyday clothes. And, I am reminded that the robe, especially when worn with a stole, is primarily a visual reminder to others that I am a pastor. This can be meaningful, but it is not what makes me a pastor and I understand robes do not resonate with everyone.
I am grateful to have these robes hanging in my office. They connect me to the wider story of my ministry and to the many people who have been part of it. And whether I wear them often or occasionally, I know that each one will continue to tell a story, reminding me of where I have been, whom I have served, and the minister I am still becoming.