I just want to say before I go off for a week-long colloquy in evil and suffering, how nice it was to attend church today and to have the church saints all in white.
Can someone educate me on this tradition? Is it just an African-American church thing?
This was a United Methodist Church, predominantly Black congregation (not AME).
PB,
I remember when we would all wear white on the first Sunday, but since today is the third Sunday, I’m assuming that’s not the answer. 🙂
Was it mostly older women of the church doing this? If so, then it might be that today was the Mother’s Board’s day to wear white. If not, there might be another reason.
We can talk about it after your trip.
I’m not sure who “the saints” are that you refer to. In the Episcopal church we mostly wear white cassock-albs if we are officiating in the service. My Eucharistic ministers and acolytes wear black cassocks with white surplices, but in some churches, everyone who serves during the service wears the white cassock-alb. It comes from Revelation, of course — the saints whose robes are washed white in the blood of the Lamb.
And were the white garments somewhat or completely uniform? Women in white dresses that evoked nurses?
Basically everyone who read/ushered wore wonderful white outfits (not uniform, just suits and the like). Even the men, which I loved and have never seen before. They were all older, too, which may support Kim’s theory about it being a ladies auxiliary type thing. It seemed so to me. They also wore white gloves!
I’ll ask the pastor.
I can’t tell you how beautiful it was.
In my neighborhood, the deacons and deaconesses wear white to church, which explains why you can buy white suits in so many of the neighborhood stores.
It may be an ushers’ guild (for want of a better term) — there’s a national organization whose headquarters is near my apartment.
I grew up in the Methodist church in Kansas and still attend when I visit my dad. That church is predominantly white. I have no idea who “the saints” are or why they wear white. My point being, I bet it’s either African-American or regional. (I mean, it wasn’t the choir, right?)