The First Baptist Church of Redlands
TA PE S T RY Woven Together In Love: Colossians 2:2
JUNE 2016
ISSUE No. 6
A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR SHAWN
Who Are You Wearing? The week before my first day at the church I received a note on Facebook from Lisa Olson. It went something like this: “My daughter Natalie wants to know your favorite color. I think she is planning her outfit for Sunday.” How sweet that a child would want to wear my favorite color to welcome me on my first day! I suspect that all of us have at some time or another dressed to please someone or to make an impression. We may wear a special outfit for an occasion or when we know we are going to meet with someone who is important to us. Sometimes we wear something that our mom gave us when we are going to be with her to let her know that we appreciate the gift. I can’t tell you how many t-shirts that I have acquired over the years because I have been a part of some retreat or mission project and we wanted to show that everyone was on the team! There was a period of about three years at the campus ministry at Purdue, where we had so many of those shirts from different occasions that there wasn’t a single night when we would meet for Bible study or a social activity that there weren’t two or more people with matching shirts. Sometimes we make judgments
or assumptions about people because of what they are wearing. Most often our clothing will say something about a person’s gender. Sometimes people wear something that indicates their religion or their nationality. Some people are concerned over a “label” which could indicate their economic bracket or their “taste” in fine things. Sometimes people are even concerned about where the garment was made – what were the working conditions of those who made the garment and were they compensated fairly? On the “red carpet” leading into events like the Academy Awards participants are asked by interviewers, “Who are you wearing?” “Armani,” “Vera Wang,” “Valentino?” In Galatians 3:27, Paul says, “As many of you were baptized into Christ you have clothed yourself with Christ.” As one looks at the context of this passage (and I hope you will) it serves to empower those who were hearing these words to not be limited by categories that society placed on them. In other places this idea of being “clothed in Christ” or “putting on Christ” makes implications about our behavior before God and with other people. Lauren Winner in her book, Wearing God, encourages the reader
to ponder Biblical images of our relationship to God that are not as well known or popular. In a similar way that is my goal with this article. May I encourage you to take some time to roll around in your mind this idea of “clothing yourself with Christ.” Allow, if you will, my meandering thoughts above to be a springboard for your meditations. Once you have started, allow these thoughts to break in as you walk from your car into the store, or while you wait for your kids to finish dance lessons or baseball practice, as you take a shower, prepare a meal, or even get dressed. Who are you wearing? Christ?