Comments on: Why I Can’t Bring Myself to Wear My Collar Into Target

By: Frances Handrick

Frances Handrick — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 01:39:21 +0000

After the called by God, in 1993 and being lead
by the Holy Spirit, living in today’s world, it is a blessing
to be a true servant of the Almighty God! Today, I walk in my
calling! When I put on the collar, I want to keep my mind on Christ
the Lord, and who He has called me to be for Him to the world
and think about soul’s. Being call out is not easy. If it was anyone
could do it. My trust is in the Lord! May the Lord continue to help
each one that is called to stand! In Jesus, Name Amen!

By: Dave L

Dave L — Sun, 05 Oct 2014 02:20:21 +0000

I have been a Quaker Minister for 25 years and recently became ordained as a ULC Minister. The main reason is Quaker Ministers are only allowed to perform marriages and funerals among other Quakers within thier meeting. The ULC Ministry is a vehicle to work outside the meeting and perform weddings, funerals etc. I perform weddings for a fee, but the fees are used to fund a fledgling food bank. I wear my clericals because I AM a minister, not to show off – I do gods work and help others. I use my ministry to show others that Christians do good in the world, not just evangalize and criticize people of other faiths. For those that say bad things about the ULC Ministry – it is what you make of it. If you choose to marry you friends and obtain the ordination to do so, then you are a “minister” for the occasion. If you choose the ministry as a way of life and to use that ministry to do good then you are a practicing ULC minister. ULC is NOT and online ordination. You apply online OR in writing. Several times a week the ULC Modesto clergy sits down and approves ordinations. Noting is done online. ULC was ordaining LONG before there was an Internet. When you are ordained you are a minister. In the old west preachers were called and then ordained in the local church. They did not go to seminary (except in the east) and receive college educations. They were no less ministers than the seminarians and were respected by the community. I have more respect for the practicing ULC Minister that lives a life above reproach than for the seminary educated clergy that has been caught up in some of the recent scandals. I quote Ephesians 3:7 – “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power”.

By: Ten on Tuesday

Ten on Tuesday — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 15:35:48 +0000

[…] In my collar at PetSmart in an attempt to counter this post. Nobody said anything, although the woman behind the counter kind of looked at me […]

By: Mary Evans

Mary Evans — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 21:42:31 +0000

Interesting! I’ve been ordained just over a year and I’m 35. If I’m ‘on duty’ then I’m wearing a collar. If I happen to drop into a store or my kids’ school, I don’t take it off. I try to see it as a witness to the church, but I agree you can feel slightly a bit of a spectacle – or worse, as if you’re showing off. ‘Look – a young woman priest! How different is that!’

Also interested by comments about ‘Anglican’ collars – I guess you mean the full white ones. Here in the UK those are fairly rare, except among exceedingly High-Church clerics. Almost everyone else wears tab collars.

By: (RF) Norman

(RF) Norman — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 23:11:19 +0000

Fifty years ago I elected to work outside the buildings, worker priests were more popular back then, I haven’t worn my collar since. I do occasionally miss the “dress up”, but that’s not why we were called. If the clothing helps you “to be all things to all men, so some may be saved” than go for it. You do whatever it takes to do His work.

By: Marcy Troy

Marcy Troy — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 22:43:51 +0000

Okay, before I read Heidi’s post, but after I read the title of it, I guess I thought that wearing the collar is a good way to evangelize (although you are not actually preaching the gospel, but perhaps calling attention to the notion of religion because hopefully when people see the collar they will make that connection). Is it a bad thing for people to see clergy in collars in public? It seems like the collar is an outward sign and a reminder that religion exists and perhaps it can be viewed as a promotional device to encourage people to come back to the church or to think about coming to church for the first time. Kind of like advertising. But after I read Heidi’s post and the comments of others, I could connect to the feeling of wanting to be under the radar. As a teacher, there are times when I am roaming around town and do not want to run into students or parents of students. I don’t want to have to be “on”. Since I don’t have a sign that I wear that says Teacher, my circumstances are different, but I do think I now better understand the dilemma of To Wear or Not to Wear. I guess my final thoughts are that if you have the mental energy and the time to answer questions and deflect comments, wear it. If you are contemplative, in a hurry, or want your own space, then don’t wear it and don’t feel bad about it. I think priests already give a lot of themselves. They need time to refuel and rejuvenate.

By: Donnie

Donnie — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 22:25:07 +0000

Rev. Heidi, I enjoyed reading your blog and never realized the feelings that wearing the collar brings to clergy. I would almost never approach a clergy person in public because I feel they deserve their private lives. However, I’m sure there are lots fo people who feel the clergy have no private life and are there to serve the people no matter where. Knowing you, I feel you are a priest no matter with or without the collar. Thank you for sharing.

By: Evan D. Garner

Evan D. Garner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:59:32 +0000

Our last diocesan bishop encouraged clergy to spend one day a week doing nothing but hanging out at the local shopping center, mall, store in our collar. Part of me wanted him to go back to parish ministry and ask himself whether that was possible, but I got his point. Being seen in a collar is a chance for a conversation starter. But I live way down in Alabama where people want to talk about church–my church, their church, any church. And even people who aren’t that excited about a church conversation know that this is a safe place to talk about it if the subject should happen to come up. That might not be the case in Illinois, but down here it’s a benefit.

That being said, I’m one of those clergypeople who “looks” like the preconceived notion of a priest. I’m male. I’m white. I’m conservatively dressed. No one has ever asked me about my “costume,” though I have walked into a costume store while wearing a collar and asked for a priest costume. For me, the collar enables lingering, inviting eye contact. It makes it possible for me to smile genuinely at people and not have them wonder what the heck I’m doing staring at them. I’m not prone to wink at strangers, but, if I were, I bet I could get away with it–but only in a collar. I can’t speak for other contexts (gender, location), but the collar makes it possible for me to minister to strangers. And yes, whether I’m wearing the collar or not, I always walk into Target as a pastor AND a person.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:54:30 +0000

I have this conversation with myself all the time, and honestly, sometimes I take it off when I’m in the grocery store so people don’t see a priest when I end up making cranky faces at folks who can’t figure out the self-checkout machines. I’m human too! I’m not always sunshine and daisies.

But I’ll also convey a story from a collegue who recently went to speak at a civic event on behalf of gun control. He wore a black clerical shirt and collar with a grey suit. He was the only person in the crowd dressed so formally, and a stranger walked up to him and said, “what are you, a lawyer? Why are you wearing a suit?”

I think we need to realize that in our current cultural setting we can’t assume that people even know what the collar means.

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:17:12 +0000

I wear my collar every day except my day off. I know that this causes reactions but as a very wise mentor once said — you have chosen this and now you need to live what you have chosen. So workday is collar day.