hand-me-downs
Last weekend, one of my big brothers got ordained (biologically, I have four older sisters, no brothers.) He may not think of himself as my big brother, he's got a little sister to be a brother to, but early on in my life, Rob was, to me, a big brother. He was the acolyte who made me want to be an acolyte. He was one of the "Hiktown Sk8rs" who inspired me to learn to skate.
The best thing, though, was that I got his hand-me-down clothes. That helped seal the bond. A couple of times a year, I would get a box or bag of clothes to go through, and as far as I was concerned, everything in there was exactly what I wanted. That meant my mom had an easier time, perhaps, dressing me for church because, "Rob wore this to church." But it also meant I got the occasional skate clothes, which I may NOT have gotten otherwise. I wore a pair of "Jimmy'z" brand pants until they were too short, then I cut them off and wore them as shorts until the waist was too small.
Sitting in the pew last week, I saw Rob putting on his own hand-me-downs. The style of vestments we wear in church have been handed down through the generations. More importantly, the Gospel Story has been handed down. As part of the ritual, Rob was vested, and then given a Bible. The hand-me-down faith comes to us from others, and it becomes our own. The bond is made when we put on the spiritual clothing we have been given. We "put on Christ like a garment" and we become part of the family of Christ.
Rob's ordination as a deacon helped me remember that, but it's not really about ordination. It is about the whole Christian Family. It happens at our baptism. It happens when we try on new ministries or prayer practices. It happens when we risk loving others as Christ has loved us. That love for all of us: hiktown skaters; priests, deacons, and bishops; we are baptized into the family which has received a hand-me-down faith. Then we wear it, and then pass it on to someone else.
The best thing, though, was that I got his hand-me-down clothes. That helped seal the bond. A couple of times a year, I would get a box or bag of clothes to go through, and as far as I was concerned, everything in there was exactly what I wanted. That meant my mom had an easier time, perhaps, dressing me for church because, "Rob wore this to church." But it also meant I got the occasional skate clothes, which I may NOT have gotten otherwise. I wore a pair of "Jimmy'z" brand pants until they were too short, then I cut them off and wore them as shorts until the waist was too small.Sitting in the pew last week, I saw Rob putting on his own hand-me-downs. The style of vestments we wear in church have been handed down through the generations. More importantly, the Gospel Story has been handed down. As part of the ritual, Rob was vested, and then given a Bible. The hand-me-down faith comes to us from others, and it becomes our own. The bond is made when we put on the spiritual clothing we have been given. We "put on Christ like a garment" and we become part of the family of Christ.
Rob's ordination as a deacon helped me remember that, but it's not really about ordination. It is about the whole Christian Family. It happens at our baptism. It happens when we try on new ministries or prayer practices. It happens when we risk loving others as Christ has loved us. That love for all of us: hiktown skaters; priests, deacons, and bishops; we are baptized into the family which has received a hand-me-down faith. Then we wear it, and then pass it on to someone else.
Comments
Post a Comment