Why do I wear a clerical collar?

When I was attending Bible school, I met a black pastor of an all-black church. I went to hear him preach and was treated to the uniquely wonderful style that can only be found in such a group of Christians. He shouted, he rhymed, he swayed and waved a handkerchief around. His admonitions to his congregation were unbelievably blunt and the language used was gospel ghetto. I came away enjoying the service but unsurprised by the delivery. Later however, I discovered that he held postgraduate degrees in theology from a renowned Ivy League school. When I asked him why his delivery didn’t match his educational background, he told me that if he used the vocabulary that was his by right of education, his people would not listen to him. They expected sermons to be delivered in a traditional cultural manner and could not receive truth otherwise. He conformed to his culture (without sinning) in order to bring the gospel to his people.

Jesus became one of us in order to save us (John 1:14). Paul advocated change in tactics or approach in order that all might be saved (1 Corinthians 9:22). Joseph took the Pharaoh’s signs of authority in order to be able to save millions (Genesis 41:42). Daniel, too, took what authority he rightly could from a pagan king in order to do good (Daniel 2:46-49). Like Joseph, he also took a necklace that granted authority from a pagan king (Daniel 5:29).

Hudson Taylor was willing to offend the other white Christians by growing a queue in order to not offend the Chinese and ended up doing more for the Kingdom of Christ in China than all the other missionaries combined.

The culture in which I presently find myself has been strongly influenced by the Presbyterian and Methodist heritages, both of which make use of the clerical collar. It does not have the Roman associations that some other places in the world have. If I walk up dressed in shirt and tie, people’s first impression of me is not that of clergy but of a salesman. Worse yet, some believe I’m a Mormon. But if I approach with a clerical collar, I am received with a certain amount of respect and find a listening ear.

The clerical collar is a tool like anything else. It is a recent phenomenon only being in use in the Church since around 1827. But Sunday School as we know it has only been around since October of 1811. Like Sunday School, Wednesday night prayer service, church buildings, pianos and bells, you will not find the use of a clerical collar in the Bible. But you will not find an admonition against it either. It is a cultural relic. As such, I have the liberty to take it up like Moses’ shepherd’s crook and use it to beat back the devil’s kingdom or lay it aside for another, better tool. When it is not longer useful, you will find it in the back of my drawer along with old keys and lost socks. It means nothing more.