Church Traditions

I few weeks ago, I was scrolling through social media and stumbled on a video of a women who was talking about worship.  She talked about the tradition’s churches have that some might find boring. She commented that she is glad that folks find church boring.  Boring is not a bad thing.  She talked about how in worship we are connected to people (past and present), the history of the church, and the traditions set long ago. This video got me thinking a lot about the traditions we practice each week during worship. This blog will be the first in a series of blogs that I will write about some of our traditions. To begin let’s talk about the white robes and the stoles the pastors wear during worship.

Pastor Chad and I both wear a white alb (robe) on Sunday morning during the 9am worship service.  Albs are typically white, long and flowing.  Pastor Chad and I also wear a cincture which is the rope we tie around our waist.  The white alb symbolizes the white baptism garment, baptismal purity, and the common priesthood of all believers. The cincture or rope symbolizes readiness to serve or self-discipline.  The tradition of wearing an alb by pastors began around 400 A.D. and was adopted from an ancient Roman tradition.

The stoles we wear are a traditional ministerial vestment representing Christ’s yoke of servant leadership and clerical authority. As the yoke of Christ, the stole symbolizes being bound to Christ, carrying the burden of ministry, and serving the community with humility. The clerical authority represents the official duty given through ordination to lead worship, preach, and preside over the sacraments. Pastors and Deacons cannot wear stoles until they are ordained. Ordination is a public rite by which God grants a call through the church to set apart individuals for the ordered ministry of Word and Sacrament (pastors) or Word and Service (deacons).

The stoles worn during worship are typically the same color as the altar paraments.  The colors each have a meaning and are connected to a church season.  Green is the color during Ordinary Time representing “great green growing” days of life and maturation.  Blue or Purple are the colors of Advent and they represent a serious time of getting ready. White is worn during Christmas and Easter and represents pure light and joy. We also wear white during Epiphany, Baptism of Our Lord, Transfiguration of Our Lord, Holy Trinity, All Saints, and Christ the King Sundays.  Purple is worn during Lent and represents penance, sacrifice, and preparation.  Scarlet is worn during Holy Week and also represents penance, sacrifice, and preparation. Red is worn for Pentecost and Reformation and represents God’s love, the courage of the reformers, the fire of the Holy Spirit, and when the church became alive. The tradition of wearing stoles began in the 4^th century and is from an ancient Roman tradition, but wearing different colored stoles began in the 12^th and 13^th centuries in medieval Europe and was formally standardized in the United States in 1895.  The different colors of the altar paraments provide us a visual reminder of the Christian calendar.  Many of our stoles and altar paraments help tell the story of the life of Jesus. 

The practices of wearing vestments by either pastors or deacons are considered adiaphora (meaning matters neither commanded nor forbidden by God), which gives the individual congregations and synods autonomy.

There is so much history and meaning behind the vestments pastors and deacons wear on Sunday mornings.  I didn’t realize how far back the tradition of wearing an alb and stole actually went; it is quite fascinating. If you ever wonder about the stoles we were on Sunday, please ask us.  Most of my personal stoles have a story behind them or are a treasured gift from a special occasion and person, or a pastor who impacted my life and ministry.  The stoles that St. Mark has that match the paraments tell a story. Each person may see the story a little different when they look at the paraments. Which is beautiful.   

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber

Learning to Breathe with God

 

Learning to Breathe with God by Christine Sine

Breathing prayers are not about emptying ourselves so that we feel a void inside. They are about renewing our minds by saturating ourselves with the presence of God. I like to imagine that the outward breath creates a new space for God to fill. The inward breath draws something new of God’s character into me. As I breathe this prayer I visualize myself breathing in a little more of God and who God intends me to be and letting go of some of what is not of God.

Breathe out empty yourself: of hate, of fear, of anxiety,
Breathe in fill yourself with love, with life, with mercy.
Breathe out empty yourself of busyness, of selfishness of greed,
Breathe in fill yourself with peace, with joy, with hope.
Breathe out empty yourself of idolatry, of self-worship, of false gods,
Breathe in fill yourself with God, with Christ, with the Holy Spirit.

 

Breathing prayers can also form an important foundation for our engagement in the pain and suffering of God’s world. I wrote the following prayer to remind myself that breath cannot be held to oneself. We must breathe it back out into the world.  I am called to be both a contemplative and an activist and I as I take notice of my breathing I am reminded constantly of that.

Breathe in the love of God,
Breathe out and share it with the world.
Breathe in the peace of God,
Breathe out and share it with the world.
Breathe in the life of God,
Breathe out and share it with the world.
Breathe in all that is of God,
Breathe out and share it with the world.

 

Obviously, this is a very different understanding of the outward breath than I described above. This double meaning is very much in keeping with the physical act of breathing out however. We breathe out to expel toxic substances from your body, cleansing and renewing our blood. That outgoing breath can also be a source of life to others however. Mouth to mouth resuscitation depends on this. That breath which cleanses and renews our bodies, holds something of the life-giving presence of God which goes back out into the world to renew the life of others.

Beautiful Sky

On Wednesday, June 24, I was on my way to Flow for youth group when I noticed a beautiful rainbow in the sky.  I needed to stop at the church and I was glad that I did.  The view of the rainbow from our parking lot was breath taking, so I did what many folks would do and took a picture.  The picture is not as breathtaking as seeing it for yourself.  

After seeing the rainbow, I have intentionally taken notice of the sky.  I took note of when the sky was a stunning blue without a cloud to be seen.  I noticed the sky when it was full of fluffy clouds or light whimsical clouds.  I watched as storm clouds roll in moments before the rain began to fall.  The sky is a work of art that changes each day. 

As many of you know, I love being outside in God’s beautiful creation.  It heals my soul and helps to reset my mind. It is so good for me to be outside. Seeing rainbows in the midst of a busy day, reminds me that God is ever present.  God’s creation is so beautiful.

One of the simple things that I enjoy during the summer months is walking through the grass barefoot.  I went barefoot all the time as a child so when I walk in the grass barefoot, it reminds me of my childhood. The grass in my yard is thick and soft and when my feet touch it, I feel a deeper connection to the earth.  It is so good for my soul. 

I encourage you to stop and take notice of God’s wonderful creation, especially as we begin a busy holiday weekend.  Take a moment for yourself to just breath in all that God has created, from a small blossom on a wild flower to a beautiful rainbow in the sky.  If you are able walk in the grass barefoot, try it and take note on how it feels. Connecting with nature is good for our souls.  I hope you are able to find time to connect with God’s creation and appreciate the beauty of it all.  

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber