Purple-itis
There was a time when I wanted to become a Bishop. I had that dreadful Episcopal Church disease called “purple-itis”. Supremely confident in my own ability, I knew that I would be a great, godly and wise Bishop!
Bull-shit. If I ever had become a Bishop I would have fallen into that greatest trap - “believing my own propaganda”. That’s what happens to Bishops.
Bishops wear purple. Hence purple-itis. That purple came from the Roman Empire. Men of the equestrian and senatorial classes were allowed to wear togas with purple stripes. It was a sign of status.
Victorious Generals were allowed to wear the “toga piota”, a toga dyed entirely in bright purple. Later on Emperors wore this toga piota, even hairless boy Emperors who had never seen the light of battle.
That’s what our Bishops wear.
We swear that some parish Priests have a purple clerical shirt in their closet “just in case they should become a Bishop”. I never owned a purple shirt, but I wanted to be a Bishop.
That desire was put to the test. Twice within ten days I was invited to join searches for Bishops, one for the Diocese of Newark, and another for the Diocese of Delaware.
I was tickled pink, if not purple!
I spent a couple of hours with my own Bishop in Western Mass, to try to discern what this might mean. He was very helpful in outlining parameters for discernment.
About a week later I awoke in the middle of the night with one thought: “but I don’t want to be a Bishop”. By 9:00 the next morning I had written to Newark and Delaware declining to be considered.
Why did I make this decision. Well, I imagined myself in a troubled parish, meeting with the Vestry until late at night, and then driving home to a lonely apartment, only to get drunk.
And I imagined myself “believing my own propaganda”.
Thank God that I was delivered from purple-it is. I may, or may not have been a good Bishop, but the cost to my soul would have been great.
And I question the purple; the episcopal ring (a fancy ring which Bishops wear); and the pointy hat.
Why are these accoutrements deemed to be so essential? Does it have to do with power and status?
Do we believe that a man or woman in a pointy hat, with purple vestments and a fancy ring is automatically more wise and godly than the woman who sits in the pew next to us?
Yes, we believe that. And more dangerously, the Bishops believe that.
But I must be careful. What I do wear in Church is that long white garment known as an Alb. It is all too reminiscent of a Toga.
And I wear the scarf like vestment called a “stole”. It was originally the “orarium” worn by Senators and Consuls of the Roman Empire. Now there’s a bit of status for you.
And the one article which I cannot use is the crozier, or crook. This is the Shepherd’s crook, carried for the protection of the sheep. Only Bishops may use these.
And I wish that they were never be-jewelled and ornamented. A simple wooden staff ought to be enough for any Bishop who is content not to be an imperial figure, but to be a shepherd.
Bull-shit. If I ever had become a Bishop I would have fallen into that greatest trap - “believing my own propaganda”. That’s what happens to Bishops.
Bishops wear purple. Hence purple-itis. That purple came from the Roman Empire. Men of the equestrian and senatorial classes were allowed to wear togas with purple stripes. It was a sign of status.
Victorious Generals were allowed to wear the “toga piota”, a toga dyed entirely in bright purple. Later on Emperors wore this toga piota, even hairless boy Emperors who had never seen the light of battle.
That’s what our Bishops wear.
We swear that some parish Priests have a purple clerical shirt in their closet “just in case they should become a Bishop”. I never owned a purple shirt, but I wanted to be a Bishop.
That desire was put to the test. Twice within ten days I was invited to join searches for Bishops, one for the Diocese of Newark, and another for the Diocese of Delaware.
I was tickled pink, if not purple!
I spent a couple of hours with my own Bishop in Western Mass, to try to discern what this might mean. He was very helpful in outlining parameters for discernment.
About a week later I awoke in the middle of the night with one thought: “but I don’t want to be a Bishop”. By 9:00 the next morning I had written to Newark and Delaware declining to be considered.
Why did I make this decision. Well, I imagined myself in a troubled parish, meeting with the Vestry until late at night, and then driving home to a lonely apartment, only to get drunk.
And I imagined myself “believing my own propaganda”.
Thank God that I was delivered from purple-it is. I may, or may not have been a good Bishop, but the cost to my soul would have been great.
And I question the purple; the episcopal ring (a fancy ring which Bishops wear); and the pointy hat.
Why are these accoutrements deemed to be so essential? Does it have to do with power and status?
Do we believe that a man or woman in a pointy hat, with purple vestments and a fancy ring is automatically more wise and godly than the woman who sits in the pew next to us?
Yes, we believe that. And more dangerously, the Bishops believe that.
But I must be careful. What I do wear in Church is that long white garment known as an Alb. It is all too reminiscent of a Toga.
And I wear the scarf like vestment called a “stole”. It was originally the “orarium” worn by Senators and Consuls of the Roman Empire. Now there’s a bit of status for you.
And the one article which I cannot use is the crozier, or crook. This is the Shepherd’s crook, carried for the protection of the sheep. Only Bishops may use these.
And I wish that they were never be-jewelled and ornamented. A simple wooden staff ought to be enough for any Bishop who is content not to be an imperial figure, but to be a shepherd.
For my own selfish reasons, I'm very glad you never became a bishop. :)
ReplyDeleteWould you have become Bishop or..
ReplyDeletewould the bishop had become J Michael Povey?
My view of the bishop was skewed because I was given first communion and confirmed by the same man and when he came back to visit I never noticed the ornaments.