Today was a momentous day because today I ordered my clergy kit from Wipples. I chose Wipples because I need to be properly fitted and in my experience being measured isn't enough and a pre-making fitting is a very good idea. Wipples offer this service and they are in Exeter so I can go down for the fitting, meet up with Eleanor and be absolutely sure it all fits before I buy it. It may cost more but if you are a funny (ha ha and peculiar) shape like me a good fitting makes all the difference.
It was a very odd feeling getting the stuff down on paper and committing myself to fabric, style (though to be honest the choices are limited). I am going for a classic black almost catholic look. I have even gone as far as ordering a cloak! I am going to look sharp.
I am off to bed now. We have had a very exciting day at Trinity discovering spiritual gifts - I didn't get anything new today though I did renew my subscription to the gift of beverage making, being 2 mins late for stuff, making people laugh at my funny hair, saying rude things and eating cake. In addition I remembered how important the more esoteric spiritual gifts are to the church - for building up love, serving, speaking into the world and for their wow factor. When Paul writes to the Corinthian church warning the not to take this stuff for granted or abuse it he was deadly serious about the importance of making the most of all aspects of Christian life - being spiritual is at the heart of this. In an age of spirituality Christianity can forget to make the most of this and downplay the experience of faith in action. When tempered by the mundane and issues of justice, peace and reconciliation God's spiritual action is sublime and extra-ordinary.
About Me
- Ellen Loudon
- I have lived in Liverpool since I was 18years old. I came here to study drama, pop music and be an actor. I spent a couple of years in a theatre company in Leeds during the mid 1990's returning to start an academic career at Edge Hill University in 1998. In 2001 I started to explore the possibility of full time ministry in the church of England. After a long period of discernment I started at Trinity College, Bristol in 2006 and trained be a vicar. I was ordained as a Deacon in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in June 2008 and ordained priest in June 2009. I am serving as the assistant curate at St John Chrysostom and St Peter's churches, Everton.
1 comment:
Hello Ellen
I am 'blog hopping' and landed here!
The mention of Wipples brought back warm feelings. My father was a vicar and, while I was growing up, Wipples was a regular part of our vocabulary but I had forgotten!
Then . . . reading on . . . you mentioned buying a clerical cloak.
My father had a huge one, with a brass lion clasp at the neck.
Mostly, he used it when taking funerals . . . but at Christmas, he wore it when we went carol singing.
One of my greatest pleasures was to hide inside it while we were singing. It was warm in there and I felt safe, like being in a very thick, dark tent.
On the other hand, he found this very irritating. I'm not sure whether this was because it made him feel a bit silly (instead of dignified) or whether it was simply that it impeded his movement. Either way, it led to some . . . er . . . disagreements!
Susan
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