Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: A New Look

Sunday's Lectionary Readings

There is an old picture hanging in my office by my bookshelf. It is a picture of me with my family taken about six or seven years ago. I probably should take it down now because we all look quite different. But I think I enjoy the occasional double take that people do when they happen to catch a glimpse of it while they are on their way back to Pastor Kevin's office. Recently someone took a look at it, and then at me sitting at my desk, and then back at the picture, and then back at me and asked, "Is that you?" I jokingly I gave my standard response, "Yea, that was me when I looked like a Republican." That was me before my hair got shaggy and I let the stubble on my face get out of control. Pastor Kevin often jokes that I take being transformed into the likeness of Jesus literally! Actually, it has nothing to do with trying to look like Jesus and everything with me not liking to shave or cut my hair very often. The fact that my wife tends to like the scruffier me is the only excuse I need to sport this look.

Sporting a look. Style makeovers. New clothing. That is where we will focus this Sunday. Paul tells us, "The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.... clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 13:12 and 14 (NLT)

I often like to pray from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. In the service of morning prayer, there is a prayer petition that says:

Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

Let your people sing with joy.

Every time I pray this prayer, I direct it toward the upcoming Sunday and our worship services. I remember one of the "brothers" at the monastery where we hold our Monastic Retreat telling us that they put on their white robes when they enter the chapel for prayer service as a visual reminder of this very thing. They are covered in the righteousness of Christ as they go to do their work of prayer and intercession.

As worship leaders, we too are ministers. We need to clothe ourselves in the presence of Christ as we do the work of prayer and worship in song. It is more important to prepare ourselves spiritually for the task than to prepare musically (although we need to spend a good deal of time doing that as well). Yes, we need to plead the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, but we also need to begin to throw off known unrighteousness like dirty clothes. We then need to put on brand new attitudes that are shared with Jesus Himself. We can then do our work with humility and compassion. We want people to see Christ and not us. That is when we will sing with joy!

How do you clothe yourself with Christ when you are tasked with the responsibility of leading God's people in worship?