What Not to Wear: Adventures in Pastoral Fashion

Reflection on my first month of internship leads me to a strange conclusion. Much of what I’ve learned revolves around this theme: What Not to Wear.

The transition from student to intern is in large part a wardrobe issue. I agonized the first week over what to wear. I regressed to junior high, laying out outfits the night before to prevent emotional breakdown in the morning. Unfortunately, while my husband was quite patient with my clothes dilemma, he wasn’t particularly helpful when it came to feedback on fashion choices. Finally, I broke down and made a trip to Ann Taylor. I left the store wondering when I had become a grown up, but looking forward to the easy decisions that a couple of pairs of dress pants and some button down shirts would make for in the future. What Not to Wear Lesson Number One: “Stick to the Essentials”

Soon I was assisting at my first funeral. I was proudly sporting my new classic suit and feeling surprisingly comfortable in a collar. There was one fashion choice I had overlooked. And as I click-clacked noisily over the tile floor in stylish heels, I realized my mistake. I tried to minimize the damage by tip-toeing across the sanctuary. While the congregation who had gathered to mourn and celebrate wondered why the intern walks like a cat, I learned What Not to Wear Lesson Number Two: “Quiet shoes are More Important than Cute Shoes When It Comes to Funeral Leadership” or “Keep it Practical.”

I could go on about my adventures in Pastoral Fashion, but there has been one lesson that covers them all. As I’ve walked fearfully into hospital rooms, stood trembling in front of a congregation to deliver a sermon, and entered so many new situations without a clear sense of what will come next, I’ve learned that I cannot rely on fashion sense alone. Whether I’m wearing heels or flats, jeans or slacks, a collar or not, doesn’t matter as much as I thought. What does matter, for me and for those I serve alongside, is that I have put on Christ. To be adorned in truth, dressed in faith, and wrapped in love are the wardrobe choices that count. And as I continue to learn what it means to be Pastor, this is the What Not to Wear Lesson that I will carry with me: “Put on Christ.”