Isn’t it strange where ideas come from?! A chance conversation with Janice as she was cleaning the bathrooms this morning has led me to a sermon. My ordination stole arrived from Juliet Hemingray last week. Being a purple/mauve sort of person – ‘winter colours’ I am told – I eventually decided on a white stole with some purple and mauve on it. And with symbolism that I was happy with – the issue of what theological messages are given by what clerical stuff you wear is a whole blog, or even book, in itself. But when the stole arrived it looked rather different from the illustration. For ‘mauve’ read ‘pink’ – and quite a girly pink at that. I might be a sort of crushed raspberry acid pink person but girly pink…! After a few days I was able to put to one side what it ought to look like and see it for what it is. And it is rather beautiful…
So when in time I will be wearing that white stole at a marriage service I will be wearing a good sermon illustration. When you get married you think that your stole will be purple and mauve. Then you discover that actually it’s pink and not what it is supposed to be or what you expected. In time you stop thinking that it should be mauve and discover that pink is pretty good. In fact, it’s better than mauve. And the stole becomes not only beautiful but unique to you too (or two).
Add in the fact that an ordination service is a sort of wedding service and …
Now, if only I can store that away somewhere and remember where I put it when that wedding comes along…
So when in time I will be wearing that white stole at a marriage service I will be wearing a good sermon illustration. When you get married you think that your stole will be purple and mauve. Then you discover that actually it’s pink and not what it is supposed to be or what you expected. In time you stop thinking that it should be mauve and discover that pink is pretty good. In fact, it’s better than mauve. And the stole becomes not only beautiful but unique to you too (or two).
Add in the fact that an ordination service is a sort of wedding service and …
Now, if only I can store that away somewhere and remember where I put it when that wedding comes along…
Photo and design © Juliet Hemingray Church Textiles. www.church-textiles.co.uk
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