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Blessing or Barrier - the Pros & Cons of Clerical Collars

By Hedgehog.

I want to place it on record that, recently ordained, I enjoy wearing my clerical collar.

My wife, however, is still getting used to it (no, I don't wear it in bed!), especially when I arrive at Sainsbury's and insist on keeping it on throughout the shopping process ("but, darling, Sainsbury's is in our parish and the Bishop said I must always wear my collar in the parish").

For many years, I insisted I'd never wear one, but now that I've undergone the ontological change of ordination, I see the point of doing so. For one thing, it's the best tool I've ever come across for the modern pastime of 'people watching'. As people approach you at the station or in the street, they do a double-take, just to make sure they really did see someone in a clerical collar - which suggests to me that it's quite unusual nowadays.

In fact, come to think of it, it IS unusual. Most clergy dress like clergy when they are in church, but not when they go to the shops or out for a meal or to get the car serviced.

For another thing, it increases the visibility of the church. Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, when we all lived in much smaller communities and everyone knew who the vicar/priest/Baptist minister, etc. was, the collar was unnecessary. But not any more. Nobody knows who she is unless she wears a visible badge of office.

And I think it increases the confidence of the laity. After all, it's a bit rich to tell our congregations to let their faith be visible if we hide ours under a casual shirt or sweater.

My female colleagues tell me that, if they wear their collars in some parts of the town, they find themselves on the receiving end of highly improper suggestions about what the local drunks would like to do to them. I sympathise with them in having to deal with such offensive behaviour and if they wear civvies as a form of self-protection, so be it.

Another female colleague tells me that she finds her collar is a barrier to genuine communication and that only when she wears mufti do people really begin to open up to her.

But so far I've had more opportunities to talk about my Christian faith with complete strangers than I've had for years - and all because they recognised my vicar-ness and initiated a conversation. On trains and buses, in shops and offices, I get asked why I'm a vicar. The best comment was from a man in Halfords, as we stood side by side contemplating the bargains in a closing down sale. Without preamble, he turned to me and said, "You don't associate vicars with coming into Halfords, do you?" I could only respond that I have a car as well! But his comment surely speaks volumes about how church leaders are viewed by the public.

So, I'm considering having my collar tattooed in place. Trouble is, I'll probably have to sleep alone!

Hedgehog is a pseudonym for a slightly prickly, but eminently friendly character.