Uniform 1700S, Most Vestments of the Clergy Were Totally Rejected by Calvinists, “And You Shall Make Holy Garments for Aaron Your Pietists and Rationalists
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From the District NORTH President DAKOTA DISTRICT Sharing with you my heart . ministers. Pless traces the clergy vestments of the Christian Church to ordinary civilian clothing of the late Roman Empire. Between the fourth and ninth centuries, the LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford church gained the clothing of the alb and chasuble. By the time of the middle ages, the vestments had now become elaborate and decorated. By Luther’s time, the Anabaptists and the Reformed Church rejected vestments. Luther, however, states, The Pastor’s “We permit vestments to be used in freedom, as long as people refrain from ostentation and pomp.” By the UNIFORM 1700s, most vestments of the clergy were totally rejected by Calvinists, “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your Pietists and Rationalists. It was from this rejection of vestments brother, for glory and for beauty…They shall make that the Reformed Church intro- holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons duced the black [Geneva] gown. to serve me as priests.” The Lutheran Confessions, how- Exodus 28:2, 4 ever, states that vestments are to be retained in the church’s liturgy (Apology XXIV). Dear Baptized in Christ, medical clinics. The Church sets up Pless writes that vestments in the hen visiting with pastors in a Lutheran Hour Ministries booth Church of the Augsburg Confession Chile in May, I asked them outside these clinics. Rev. Tino says are important for the following Wwhy they wore their collars that when he is wearing his clerical reasons: everyday. They said, “These are the collar, many more people stop at › Vestments are used as ensigns of uniform of the pastor.” They went the booth than when he is not wear- the office of the holy ministry for on to explain that when they are in ing it. When the people stop by the the called and ordained servant of the community with their collars on, booth, the pastor ministers to them the Word. people immediately recognize them regarding their sickness and other › Vestments are a visual reminder of as pastors. concerns. They have brought many the continuity of the church’s wor- Chile has had some major catas- people into the Lutheran Church ship through history … vestments trophes, especially since 2010, this way. should reflect the continuity of including an earthquake, tsunami, The history of “the pastor’s uni- Christian worship. fires and a volcano eruption. When form” is not so cut and dried. In the The clerical collar, as a part of the the pastors go to these areas of Old Testament, God prescribes pastor’s uniform, has an interesting catastrophe to engage the people in garments for the priests. This is not history in and of itself. The alb mercy care, they testify that the a mandate, however, for all clergy (long, white pastor’s gown) was people more readily connect to throughout the ages. Neither is originally collarless. The alb clergy with their collars on. They there a prescribed garment for the became the pastor’s primary gar- say that they have greater opportu- “preaching prophets” of the Old ment by the fifth century. At that nity for outreach and evangelism Testament. time, the “amice” was introduced, with their collars on. In Lutheran Worship: History which was a wrap-around collar Another area for connecting with and Practice (CPH), John Pless the people in Chile is outside the traces the history of vestments for (Continued on page B) AUGUST 2015 A District News (Continued from Page A) placed around the neck to protect Earthquake victims the alb from sweat. From then on, in Iquique, Chile, the “collar” took on many variations meet with members throughout history and by ethnicity. from the LCMS Disaster Response Scandinavian and German groups team and Confes- generally used full vestments, much LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford sional Lutheran as we know today, with a variety of Church of Chile in collars, amice and bifkin. Other April 2014, at an groups, especially as they came to apartment com- plex damaged by the United States, mostly Reformed, a magnitude 8.2 came with no clerical garb at all. earthquake. Some in the Reformed tradition began to wear preaching tabs, or bands, around their shirts. Why do I write an article on such in these places, will that person In the Roman tradition, clergy a topic? There seems to be some more readily approach a man in a often wore a black cassock as their confusion today about what the pas- suit or jeans and T-shirt, or a man daily garb. It was not until the 20th tor wears, including the alb, to cas- wearing a collar? Perhaps it’s an century when Roman Catholic sock and surplice to stoles to cha- ongoing question that deserves priests began wearing a tabbed shirt subles to clergy shirts to what kind some thought and conversation. under the cassock. In the Lutheran of tab the pastor wears in his shirt. This, however, is true: the Lord Church in the United States, pastors Sometimes this confusion can lead dresses us all in a very special uni- have worn a variety of shirts, to disagreements or strife in the form — the uniform of “Christian.” preaching collars and vestments church. While there is much free- He has clothed us all with His righ- — from shirt and tie to Geneva robe dom and flexibility in this area, teousness, which is our glorious and bifkin to tabbed collars to full, there is also continuity and similar- dress. We are adorned with the sign wrap-around collars. ity among us. of the cross on our forehead and on There is much freedom of vest- Pastors wearing specific clothing our heart as we are clothed and ments, shirts and collars today is certainly nothing new; it dates all dressed with Christ in the waters of among the clergy. There is great the way back to Exodus. Pless Holy Baptism. We are set apart from freedom in what a pastor wears and makes a valid point when he says the world, redeemed by Christ the what he chooses not to wear. While pastoral garb identifies the pastor crucified, to love and serve our the “uniform” of the pastor has as an emblem of his office and as neighbor. changed throughout the ages, this one in line with clergy through the And the pastor: he is the one who much is true: pastors have generally ages of the Church. helps us understand this. He is the worn some kind of clothing that And what about the pastor in his one who teaches us all things. He is sets them apart as “clergy;” who are own community, among the disas- the one who preaches the Word, the office of the holy ministry, who ters and situations of the people shapes and forms us in the Christian preach and who give the gifts of where he lives? What about the faith and life, through whom the God in the blessed Sacraments. crisis of people, the crisis of the Holy Spirit brings Christ to us in His If you go to the hospital in need of community or the everyday strug- Word and Sacraments. You know… a doctor, you can readily identify gles of the faith and life of the pas- he is the one in the pastor’s uniform. him as the person in the white coat tor’s neighbor in his own town? Is it and stethoscope. If you are in the just in Chile, or is it universal that city in need of a policeman, he can the pastor is identified by his uni- be readily identified by his uniform. form? Does the pastor in his uni- In the name of Jesus, form make himself more recogniz- The same is true for the butcher, the Rev. James Baneck able as one whom people see as a judge, the pharmacist and the beau- Galatians 2:20 tician. Even more so, when one is in servant, mouthpiece — and in the need of a caretaker of souls, the stead — of Christ? If the person in ndlcmspres@ pastor is quickly identified by his the clinic or checkout line or politi- midconetwork.com uniform. cal rally is apt to speak to a pastor B NORTH DAKOTA DISTRICT NORTH DAKOTA DISTRICT Hambleton installed IN LISBON The members of Redeemer, Lisbon, welcomed their new pastor, Rev. Aaron Hambleton. A recent graduate of Concor- dia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., Hambleton was ordained and installed in June. He is pictured here with his wife, Katie (front row, center). He was also welcomed to the North Dakota District by fellow clergy, from left, (front row) Rev. Sean Daenzer, Rev. Dr John Pless, District President Rev. James Baneck, Rev. Les Wolfgram; (middle row) Rev. Jonathan Fisk, Rev. Matt Richard, Rev. Tom Puffe, Rev. Adam Moline, Rev. Douglas Wanderer; (top row) Rev. Bernie Worral, Rev. Jacob Swenson, Rev. Paul Preus and Rev. Anthony Ahrendt. Vicar shared in Bismarck North Dakota ethel Lutheran Church and District … BShepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Bismarck, worked together to this is YOUR news! find a unique solution Bible school • Youth group to their ministry Servant events • Mission trips staffing needs. The Outreach • Retreats two congregations Campus ministry applied for and were Community events blessed to have a Anniversaries • Awards student from Concor- Camp events dia Theological Semi- We want to hear from nary (CTS), Fort From left, Rev. Tim Jenks, Vicar John Koopman and Wayne, Ind., assigned Rev. Lester Wolfgram. YOU! to serve in Bismarck Send photos, news items, from August 2014 through July 2015. and spending time with youth and feature stories, new Rev.