I attended the United Church of Christ Massachusetts conference gathering as a singer (“the entertainment”) this weekend and noticed an awful lot of people in Jesus Casual, as opposed to Business Casual. Sweet people, I know. It’s a weekend thing, you’re schlepping around a college campus, you want to be comfortable. But I still don’t think that “comfortable” warrants a faded T-shirt with some old Gaia graphic on the front, paired with cotton pull-on pants and sandals with fungus toes.
I thought I didn’t need to say this anymore. I thought we all agreed by now that there’s never any reason to wear shirts with kittens, bunnies or fluffy little birds on them. I thought you were going to empty your drawers of those and give them to — strike that. Don’t even give them away. Rip them up for rags.
After our evening concert I struck up a conversation with a very fashionable young woman and complimented her on her outfit. She was wearing a terrific, fitted black suit, very cute pointy flats, a great emerald colored sleeveless shirt with a little front bow detail, and she had great curly hair and a GREAT bag. She looked like a Somebody, and she is. She is in a position of leadership at the Massachusetts Council of Churches, and as are most women in religious leadership, just thrilled to talk about clothes and make-up with another woman.
I loved her observation that when a woman wears, say, MASCARA in the pulpit in some communities, she’ll get hit with something like, “How come you’re trying to be all sexy in the pulpit and everything?”
I have never in my life heard anything like that but I don’t doubt it goes on all the time. What I tend to get, by contrast, are concerned questions like, “Don’t you feel well?” or “You look so tired, is everything okay?” when I leave off the mascara and the rest of it. I say, “I’m FINE. This is my NATURAL BEAUTY. Aren’t you glad I don’t inflict my NATURAL BEAUY on you every day?” And they nod understandingly and wait patiently while I apply some lip gloss.
Being polished can be sexy, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to be as beautiful and vibrant a presence as we can be. That might mean a fresh-scrubbed face and a big smile, it might mean smoky eyeliner and big hair and a big smile, but it never means a kitten or puppy sweatshirt and a big smile. That is where PeaceBang draws the line.
Next posting: What Should Clergy Wear To The Wedding Rehearsal and Reception?