What to wear?

Today's quick answer to that question is "as little as possible"!  However, I was taking a service and trotting into church near starkers wasn't an option!

So I took all my usual gear with me but when I got there I asked the churchwardens if they would mind if I just topped off my ordinary clothes with my stole.  Bless their hearts, they thought that was a great idea.  

Alb and girdle

The "usual gear" in this case would also have included an alb and a girdle.  The white robe shown here is an alb.  It is a symbol of baptism, of being cleansed and dedicated to Christ. 

Then the girdle.  I have to confess that its primary importance for me is to stop me tripping over the bottom of my alb!  Albs are rather voluminous.  And that is also linked to its liturgical significance which is being ready to serve and I first wore a girdle when I was a deacon, ie a servant.  

Stole as worn by a deacon

And finally the stole.  This is the symbol of authority given at ordination.  Deacons wear the stole over their left shoulder and fasten it at their right hip .  When the deacon is ordained priest s/he wears the stole around the neck as shown.  

Stole worn by a priest

The colour of the stole is dictated by the theme of the day.  White stoles denote  joy, light, glory, and resurrection and are worn for the really important days like Christmas and Easter.  Purple is for penitence and is worn for the preparation times of Lent and Advent.  Red is for blood and fire and is worn at Pentecost and for remembering Christian martyrs.  And green is for growth, and ongoing spiritual renewal and is worn for most of the year.

Today we were remembering the life of St Peter who was a martyr, so I wore my red stole.  

And I reminded the congregation that of the three events normally remembered in my liturgical gear (baptism, ordination as a deacon and ordination as a priest) baptism is by far the most important and neither of the other two could take place had I not been baptised.