What do worship leaders wear?
This post comes from the Pilgrim Uniting Church website and was written by Rev Dr Jenny Byrnes for that community. It is published here with Jenny’s permission.
To Robe or not to Robe…?
A recent conversation alerted me to the more familiar practice within the Uniting Church in SA for clergy not to robe for leading worship.
The conversation had me reflecting on why I robe to lead formal worship and the advantages and disadvantages of wearing or not wearing liturgical dress.
The alb (long white gown that the Uniting Church suggests is worn) is representative of the baptismal gown and is appropriate for all members to wear. We could all turn up in white!
The reason why I wear it is both practical and symbolic. It is a strong reminder to me as I lead worship that I am fulfilling a responsibility that is more than me just doing and saying what I like. Rather I am to exercise discernment and leadership that is prepared and offered after reflection and engagement with the issues and concerns of the whole people of God.
I am aware that it is often seen as creating, or reinforcing, a division between people; however for me that distinction is more about a division of roles and responsibilities.
Nevertheless it is experienced as a barrier (reinforcing outdated hierarchical and power issues) with some people and on many occasions when leadership of worship is shared amongst the people it is more appropriate not to be worn.
The more practical reason for wearing the alb is that it ‘blurs’ the individuality of the leader as a personality by covering the clothing. For me it is of assistance so that my personal clothing choices do not impinge on my presentation. I always remember a survey that showed that parishioners were more likely to comment on the dress and appearance of female preachers than they were to comment on the appearance of males. That was certainly my experience in my early ministry.
The Uniting Church suggests that clergy choose whether to wear liturgical dress or not but to always be mindful that the leadership of worship “is no casual task”.
Not surprisingly Pilgrim holds together a diversity of opinion and practice on the matter!
Shalom,
Jenny
Alban Institute
Alban Institute publish many of the books that we as an MRN team have found to be helpful resources in our work with congregations and also for our own faith journeys. Their website also has a host of readily available resources. For instance, on their blog this week, you can read a post about the way in which vital congregations are communities of practice – places where we “immerse ourselves in those patterns of communal action” …which “create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy and presence of God may be known to us” (Craig Dykstra). The author of the post, Wayne Floyd, identifies and expounds on five practices that he associates with vital congregations: Discernment, Story-Telling, Proclamation, Hospitality and Service. You can read the whole entry here
You can subscribe to a weekly newsletter which contains articles and information about resources. In this week’s there is an excellent feature on “Planning as Holy Conversation”. The authors, Gil Rendle and Alice Mann have written a book, titled “Holy Conversation”: a resource I use frequently. They acknowledge the complexity of planning, where in contemporary congregations there are many competing preferences and needs. Their belief is that planning is not problem centred and it is not the responsibility of the leader(s) to find a solution. Instead, the task of the leader is to help the people have a purposeful and meaningful conversation about who they are and what they believe is important to do. The Exodus journey mirrors that of many congregations. It is helpful to think of leadership as “a dance in whcih we seek a more distant future that is both meaningful and faithful while simultaneously mananging the specific day to day realities of the trip”. To read the full article you will need to subscribe to the Alban Institute weekly newsletter – which is FREE. You can do that here
Their book (see below) is available on order from MRN Resources. Please contact Heather at hbald@sa.uca.org.au MRN have a copy for previewing.
Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations by Gil Rendle and Alice Mann
Gil Rendle and Alice Mann cast planning as a “holy conversation,” a congregational discernment process about three critical questions: Who are we? What has God called us to do or be? Who is our neighbor? Rendle and Mann equip congregational leaders with a broad and creative range of ideas, pathways, processes, and tools for planning. By choosing the resources that best suit their needs and context, congregations will shape their own strengthening, transforming, holy conversation.
