I received the holy mysteries yesterday from someone who celebrated wearing brown shoes.
The shoes in question were beautifully polished and the feet that they were on were of the most reverend quality, (the Most!) but it still bothers me 24 hours later.
Time we rewrote the canon on clergy dress, I think.
Tell me someone do, is my desire for shiny black footwear at the altar of the Lord merely my own sad fetish which I should deal with quietly and with appropriate counselling?
May I say in defence of wearing socks with sandals – it does worry a goodly number of those more elderly (especially female) members of the congregation if you don’t wear socks with sandals in the winter. They are also prone to buying you socks if you persist in wearing sandals without socks. And expect you to wear them.
I am relieved to have a special excemption and will continue wearing sandals and brown shoes.
I was once asked not to wear my trainers to church as the sight of the highly coloured soles when I was kneeling at the altar rails was distracting… this was in my pre-brown era, and I was not serving at the time!
When I served in the Diocese of the Arctic I was given a wonderful pair of beaded moosehide slippers by one of the elderly ladies in my congregation. It was the custom there for such slippers to be worn on important occasions. I have had the moosehide replaced twice since then, but still in my present city congregation in Edmonton I wear those slippers in church as often as I can (I left the Arctic fifteen years ago).
Personally I don’t think God gives a fig what we wear on our feet, whether we’re officiating or not. and if God doesn’t give a fig for it, I’m sure as heck not going to bother about it. But then again, I’m just a low church evangelical, so what do i know????
Wow. Beaded moosehide slippers – that is most impressive.
We may need the liturgy committee to draft an Arctic Moosehide Exemption. However, I suspect that will take a couple of years to get through synod.
However, I don’t think that someone who habitually wears beaded moosehide slippers in church in Edmonton can really claim not to be bothered what goes on someone’s feet.
a) Its all a question of accessorising, sweeties.
Thou wouldst not, surely to goodness, wear brown (or indeed pink) shoes with a black coat. So why on earth wouldst thou think it proper to wear them with a black cassock??
b) Cotton Traders mail order have currently on offer pink suede mock Timberlands at half price. Perhaps we could purchase a full set of them to be worn with the Diocesan Polyester Chazzies on ceremonial occasions?
c) One has, for many many years, found a pair of kid’s black gymshoes, £2.50 from Woolies, to fill the bill perfectly well.
For someone who is experiencing extreme difficulty accepting the holy mysteries from anyone it is a delight to read such good humoured exchange.Brown ,black,pink,purple I don’t really care.What is important to me is that the person serving is comfortable and connected and in a suitable place to be serving such a wonderful gift.
40 degrees INSIDE?
Alas, I fear that sandals will not have their day unless Global Warming continues it’s alarming trends. And then we’ll probably have more pressing things to worry about . . .
Yes, but I’m in Florida, where one roasts underneath one’s chausible or alb. I will say, most male priests sport shiny-black shoes. I know one who wears sandals and red socks.
I will wear sandals when serving at the altar, as will most of the women. I’ve seen acolytes in flip-flops or athletic shoes.
Shocking, I know!
Polished black shoes, even in Central America where it’s easily 32C. They don’t need to see my poor beat-up feet.
Too funny.
I’ve said for a long time, there’s a fundamentalist and a liberal inside every one of us. We just apply them to different things…!!!
Kelvin, I’m going to be in the UK later on this year for a sabbatical. I might have to come to Glasgow, just to see those shiny black shoes!