The best photo of my chin yet!
Another post on the clerical collar. You can read the other posts I’ve written about collars here and here.
On Wednesday night, a few new kids had come with a few regulars. As they were standing in the food line, one of the girls caught my eye and said, as she pointed to both sides of her, “they’re new!” So, I came over to introduce myself to the new girls.
For kids who have never been to a church, saying my name with “Vicar” in front of it is confusing. Actually, I’d be willing to bet actual money on it being confusing for kids who have been to church. I didn’t really know what it meant before I got the title either. (Here’s a little word study I did on vicar.)
Is it important for me to have a title? Yes and no. On the yes front, it seems important for me to have this title with the teenagers here. Their boundaries run a little blurrier and they test me in all sorts of ways, so I’m trying for some consistency. (Although, I must say, the teenagers often call me “miss.” Hilarioius to me, but it works fine, too.) And for the older folks, they can just call me “vicar” without having to remember my first name. (I am the 18th vicar here, so you can hardly blame them.)
On the no front, it can get in the way at times, which is what inspired this post. And I think I can have people’s respect without a title. I know it, actually.
After I asked the names of the girls and said them a couple times, I said, “Well, my name is Laura. I’m a vicar. It’s a funny name that means I’m practicing to be a pastor.” Then I pointed at my collar and said “This is a collar that reminds me I am practicing to be a pastor.” They looked quizzically at it and I said “Here, you want to see it?” They all looked at it and touched it and that was that. (I promise this conversation didn’t sound so….so…. scripted! Reading it makes it sound like I had a lesson plan. Not true.)
Truthfully, I don’t know if they used my name the rest of the night with “vicar” in front of it or not.
What do you think? Those of you who have been or are in the position of having some sort of title, weigh in.
