Today has been an interesting day! Someone who four years ago really struggled with any of my more creative or meditative approaches to worship made a point of asking if we could have more of the kind of thing we had at this/last week's church meeting (a reflective series of images interspersed with words from songs and scripture in PowerPoint with background instrumental music). Then he started talking about our pub outreach thing and asked me if I'd wear a dog collar in future because it would help people in the pub to recognise me as who (in role terms) I am. I said yes, provided I could still wear my jeans!
It's an interesting one, isn't it - well it is for me anyway.
Like lots of good Bappies, I went off to college vowing I'd never do dog collars (long since learned never to say never....) but by the time I left had conceded to 'clerical' for funerals, weddings and hospital visiting. This goes down fine around here, it is the same as my predecsssor did; indeed, people have commented that they knew/know they are ill if visited by minister in collar.
I have to be honest and say that my logic for using said 2 inches of white plastic originates in reasons that are far from theological - though like any good theologian I can back-fit theology to it. The first time I donned a dog collar was for a funeral I was doing jointly with someone who was not an acredited minister of any known denomination, but who used the title reverend and "clericalled." My not at all holy logic was that in order to be credible, I had better do likewise! The next time I was 'collared' I was conducting the funeral of a former work colleague, with a congrgeation that consisted mainly of the people I had worked alongside for eleven years, and it was two inches of plastic to hide behind and hopefully convince me and them I knew what I was doing. It also let the undertakers know who was in charge!
There is something about this act of dressing up that I find helpful in some situations, so that it isn't just Catriona who goes into them, but a Revd who is called Catriona. Last summer, someone helpfully suggested to me that for non-church people the dressed up person - even if it's only a minimal two inches of white plastic - can become in some sense a 'type' or an 'icon' for church. In other words, it isn't just me who benefits from hiding behind the role, rather, and more profoundly, in some way I 'embody' or 'incarnate' church for that moment. That is quite scary, and probabby means I ought to behave in a more vicar-like manner when so-clad (discuss), but it is also a position of privilege - to be allowed to act in what is essentially a priestly role.
So there's the rub - if we believe in the priesthood of all believers, however we understand that, why should I be the one who has to dress up when we are in the pub? And what does it mean if I'm not there? I understand the representative role Iam being asked to fulfil, and think it probably makes sense. But, I am then left wondering if I should become like an Anglican and sleep in the thing because I'm not sure I see a difference between being the minister when I'm on church business and being the minister when I'm not.
On balance, I've decided to give it go and see what happens. Maybe a girlie vicar in the bar will attract appropriate interest in what we are about? In due course I'll let you know.