Pastor Rob: "Why do robes hold such importance for us? Why do cleric collars? Why can’t the pastor wear jeans? Why can’t the pastor wear Converse? Seriously…why not?"

When Ruth and I were seeking a church, as the more "experienced" church goer I had more detailed requirements. I was raised Roman Catholic so my only church experience was liturgical, and so for a service to be "church" for me it had to fit with what I had most experienced. 

Robes, cleric collars, and liturgy hold importance for some of us because they are an imprint of what is church, "because we have always done it this way." 

Because we have always done it this way is very powerful because it gives us a sense of control, and what we most desire is being in control. I like my church just the way it is, thank you very much. Ironic, if you know the history of the Roman Catholic church and why it was assimilated by the Empire. Turns out, Constantine was very insightful.

So questioning why we do what we do is important, and not doing things simply because we have always done them is also important. But, I think equally wrong is to stop doing things simply to not, and I wonder whether not doing something for the sake of being welcoming is simply an excuse or a true reason. Are the decisions we make today really based on what millennials want, or are they based on what the generation in power (Gen X'ers) want? And, are our decisions based on a lack of appreciation for what came before, or truly formed by the Spirit in moving us forward?

The word we often interchange with "because we have always done it this way" is tradition. Generations before us separated Roman Catholics from Protestants along the lines of tradition (as implemented by papal authority) and sola scripture. What I find ironic is that most who hold the Bible alone (or are "Bible believing") don't seem to realize that they too are embracing tradition as the Bible is a record of tradition. Tradition was likely important to Jesus, who is a Jew and raised in a Jewish tradition, and yet we Christians tend to know so very little of Jewish tradition and thought.

American Christianity, in particular, tends to eschew tradition for the sake of defining Christianity within the context of an American capitalistic world view. Jesus was white, wants us to be financially successful (so that we can help others and have all that we want), and would always stand during the national anthem. After almost a century of all this, one has to ask, has American Christianity been successful?

The numbers, as most church professionals know, are starting to say no. Might one of the reasons be that since the church has become so assimilated by society (see Constantine reference above) it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between the kingdom (society as we know it, or what most consider "normal") and the Kingdom of God?

Perhaps doing things differently is not all bad. Wearing robes and clerical collars are not the norm in society today, so what if that tradition is exactly what is needed?