You Christians are weird!

A conversation yesterday had as it's challenging moment the expressed view that Christian were 'weird'! Now of course I had to ask what they meant by this and in doing so the float bobbed and the person I was talking with struck - I had Ben hooked and was about to be played. Game on!

Lifting the tip of their metaphorical rod they began the fight:
'Well, just look at the way you accept everything without question and have the idea that everything the world likes is wrong. All you go on about is sin and hell and stuff. Don't you think that makes you weird?'

'Where do you get that idea from?' I asked, trying to gauge the potentially unfolding battle, so they continued,
'One of the people I know says that no one can please god and that I'm going to hell because I don't go to church or read my bible. That tell me god will judge me for everything I do and that unless I accept him I'm his enemy and will be punished. When I pointed out the things they do they told me god had forgiven then and now whatever they did was OK because of Jesus.'

'Hmmm,' said I viewing some stuff I'd recognise as Christian and wondering where to start to unpack this. 'Do I know this person?' So they told me their name and my response was simply:

'Ah I see the problem, it's not Christians who are weird, it's the person you're talking to that is!' And I proceeded to explain that within the many expression of Christian faith there were many weird people but that didn't make Christianity 'weird' or render all Christian 'weird' either. After all, look at the weird people around us, do they make society weird because if their presence or serve to show us what, or who, isn't weird?

So I explained a condensed theology of God, separation, atonement through the cross, reconciliation and living in that new reality. We talked of those who claimed forgiveness and lived as before, taking Christ to the cross on a regular basis, rather than as new creations: The world of hypocrisy where your sins condemn and mine are forgiven.

'That makes sense,' they said, 'I can see what you're saying but don't quite understand it all. Is it just about Jesus then, him dying and coming back?' My response, 'Yep, pretty much - you've got the shape, you just need to adjust your focus to find the detail. And as for the weird bit.' I added as a postscript, 'It's not Christianity or Christians that are weird! it's the person you've been talked at by that's weird - don't judge the church or Christianity or Christ by them. They're their to make the rest of us look normal!'

And with that the hook was gone and I was free and we shook hands and parted friends even though we weren't (yet) brothers - but tomorrow is another day.

I love this ministry stuff - always a challenge, a blessing and wonderful people to engage with, even though some of them are weird!

Vocations: Collared or Covert and Covered?

An interesting conversation arising from a vocations meeting centred around the issue of the wearing of clerical garb and focused upon the clerical collar in particular. The conversation came down to this question: collar or not?

Having friends who occupy just about every position in terms of churchmanship I know that some will never be seen wearing a dog collar whilst others appear naked without a cassock (all thirty-nine buttons done up) and a beretta (of the hat, not firearm, variety). Indeed, what we wear is often an indicator of the way in which we 'do' our theology but perhaps we don't wear it for ourselves but others.

One of the most important things about the dog collar is that it identifies us as being clerics. It's not just part of the uniform, it's a statement of intent; it's a proclamation of commitment and availability.

The wearing of a dog collar is not some fiendishly 'popish' statement, nor is it a fashion statement (although some try to make it such and far too often fail) or an imposition. The collar is something that is somewhat kergymatic (by which I mean 'proclamatory') and so brings an added dimension to the person wearing it - one that is bounded by ontology ('being'), proximity (the 'parakletos' that is 'coming alongside') and the servanthood that is 'diakonos'. It speaks of God's Kingdom made real and present in the here and now.

What I'm suggesting is that the wearing of a dog collar finds its parallels in a taxi cab with its 'For Hire' light blazing availability in a dim and hurried world of 'too busyness' combined with 'not bothered ness'. The collar screams, in a John Inmanesque manner, 'I'M FREE'!

It is kergymatic in that it is the herald of the Good News that is the Gospel of Christ made present in the reality in which we are found; proclaimed and made real in the fact that 'the Kingdom of God is made real and come into your presence!' Indeed the collar speaks of the basileia - the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus in so many places in the New Testament in the way that He did.

Being a priest is more than merely playing a part, it is not what we do but who we are - it is therefore an ontology reality - and this is proclaimed, or perhaps 'supported', by our 'ring of confidence'. Not an item of dress but a statement of fact.

Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as 'one who comes alongside' - using the word 'Paraclete' - and this is our role as, enabled and filled with that same Holy Spirit, we engage in our calling. Again, it is the collar that speaks of this as we serve them in our diaconal role.

To choose when we will, and will not, wear our collars is therefore to choose when we will, or will not, be the priests we are called to be. If wearing it says 'available' then what does not wearing it communicate? (postscript: for many, the only way they can identify pastors or priests as such is by the clothing and so to wear when we choose - this means on/off/on/etc and do nor refer to making the choice through theological position - is to choose when to be identified and therefore also available).

A Vicar I knew used to occasionally frequent a pub during the lunch- hour session and did so without his collar. Slowly he became known to the regulars and was incorporated into their conversations and friendship. Then one day one of the regulars knocked at the vicarage door, only to find it to be opened by the same man he drank with, wearing a dog collar and he wasn't best pleased. The reason for thus was that he'd said things and related events to someone he considered to be a friend, not a Vicar!

The relationship with those in the pub' was broken and it damaged the work of the church in that place too. Integrity and calling demand that we are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) - and the collar sets the tone, expectation and reality.

The question is - do we?