OK, so the title might be an exaggeration.

This morning, in jest, I posted a vesting prayer for donning a cassock alb to Facebook.  It read, “Place upon me, O Lord, the polyester potato sack of ease that I may speedily and conveniently enter Your Presence.”

The post garnered some amusing responses.  Having not worn them before and now having worn them for a year – I think they represent some unfortunate trends in the Church.  Sometimes and alb isn’t just an alb.

They represent an ease that makes me uncomfortable.  When we approach worship our chief task is to spiritually prepare ourselves to be in the Presence of Christ.  This is a responsibility that is all to easy to take lightly.  The repetitive nature of our pattern of worship poses challenges to our need to come to the Sacraments with reverence – treating each encounter with Christ as a…