My late father used to bemoan every time he heard about new and improved chocolate chip cookie recipe, or when my mother tried a new and improved chocolate chip cookie recipe. In his mind the chocolate chip cookie was perfected in the 1950s. Why would people mess with perfection? I've pretty much adopted this mindset concerning chocolate chip cookies, and black clergy shirts.
Several months ago I decided to sell my car and use only my bike and public transportation for my job as a clergyperson (I have, however, been known to drive the new van to a meeting or two). Riding my bike changed my life in many ways; one of those ways: my choice of clothing. I couldn't very well ride my bike and wear a suit with dress shoes. So I simplified. I switched back to khaki pants, hiking boots, and clergy shirts.
Can a Baptist wear a clergy shirt? Sure we can. Yet I've always been a little uncomfortable wearing a black clergy shirt with a tab collar because of the immediate association of imitating Roman Catholic priest (but with Pope Francis, that aint such a bad thing). So I tried to forge new ground with a blue and white striped and a plain white clergy shirt. I really like these shirts but no one has any clue what they are. No one recognizes them as clergy shirts, I should ask someone what they think they are. Therefore, I have been wearing my old threadbare blue clergy shirts until I order some new black shirts.
The other day after dinner I had a revelation about the wisdom of black clergy shirts. Here is my revelation: Not only are black clergy shirts the uniform for clergy, not only do they hide wrinkles, not only are they Protestant (yes they are), not only are they visually thinning (at least folk say black hides a few lbs.) but, are you ready...they hide stains! I've only had my new clergy shirts a few weeks and they already have stains on them. I love chocolate and red wine, two things that my non-black clergy shirts love to reveal.
Why mess with perfection indeed?
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