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Ask Pr. Sophie
Abstract: What color is your clergy shirt?
Pr. Sophie Fortresson, our resident expert on all matters of theology, Lutheran etiquette, and social protocol, answers questions submitted by our readers and occasionally simply volunteers advice when no question has been asked. Send your questions to pr_sophie@lutheranconfessions.com.
Dear Pastor Sophie: I have a sartorial dilemma I trust you to address. I am a stylish gay pastor. Not excessively stylish, simply handsome and aware of my appearance. I find that the task of approaching my closet each morning bores me (as do closets in general). Will I wear the black clerics or the baby blue? Will I wear the tab collar or the full collar? As a pro-choice Lutheran, I find very little in my pastor's wardrobe to choose from.
I often see bishops wearing purple or scarlet clerics, and have spotted other pastors in grey or white. I've seen pastors in tie-dyed clerics. That's all well and good, but I find myself daydreaming of clerics in rich mahogany tones or a gentle Aspen blue. Are there theological or traditional reasons behind the pigmentation of our priestly garments, or are we simply being held captive by laws of supply and demand - in which case I'll gladly commission some specially made shirts!
Your insights are appreciated,
Baby Blue Priest
Chicago, IL
Dear Baby Blue Priest: My goodness, what a predicament. Pr. Sophie suspects that the severely restricted choices in clergy civic attire actually represent a "structure of domination" (cf. Lacan, L'envers) that is ultimately more sinister than either tradition or economics.
One need only compare the situation of clergy with that of health care workers to confirm that this is so. Nursing uniforms, once exclusively available in white, have blossomed into an extravangant array of colors. Indeed, the Dickies Sandwashed Two Pocket Mock Wrap Top is available in your beloved Aspen Blue, whereas clergy shirts in the color of the season are scarcer than hen's teeth. Among the professions, only football referees have fewer choices than clergy.
Pr. Sophie thinks you should throw off the chains of oppression and commission some nice shirts in colors that will make your heart sing.
Pr. Sophie notes in passing that you seem to be fond of tree-related colors (aspen, mahogany, etc.) and she recommends elm foliage in autumn for a truly spectacular effect.
