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CHIC

A BIT OF CHIC
By Paul A. Corcoran

A friend of mine who is the chaplain at one of those exclusive prep schools says that he knows he has his work cut out for him when the students start asking to be baptized in Perrier water. I know how he feels. I once had a family join the church and then ask if they could have their communion bread toasted.

WELL, WHY NOT? A touch of class is good for anybody. You know, the bread that Jesus used wasn’t just little cubes of Grandpa Stroehman’s Enriched White. And the wine? Well, let’s put it this way: When he supplied the wine for the wedding party at Cana, the guests thought that the host had brought out his best private stock. Christian Brothers Sauvignon, I imagine. It certainly wasn’t Mogen David Ceremonial. Jesus didn’t mind a few nice touches here and there. Gloom is for Satan, and serves him right.

So, I don’t mind people making requests for something special. It’s fine that they want to drag the church out of
Dullsville. For too long we have had the notion that drabness is next to godliness and blessed are the bored, for they shall inherit the earth. If they do, they can keep it. God and I will be off to somewhere more interesting.

So, “good,” if some of my fellow clergy have taken to wearing shirts or blouses of mint green or royal blue or even Protestant pink with their clerical collars. No problem. The collar is still there to show their holiness and to keep them safe from muggers and traffic tickets; meanwhile, they make life a bit more colorful for us all. And what’s wrong with preaching in an Arnold Palmer blazer? A person can be humble and stylish at the same time,
you know. Dressing up religion isn’t a bad idea. A little touch of this, a little bit of that — shows you know how to do it right. If the Lord loves a cheerful giver, he certainly appreciates one with a little hit of chic. He who made the caviar and gave mankind wool worsted and put the Rolls next to the Royce surely doesn’t mind when people act like going to church is one of the classier things to do.

VARIETY is the spice of life, and I really don’t think the Lord takes away points when we try to put a little of it
into the church. In fact, I think it is rather theological. “Behold the birds of the air ...” and “Behold the lilies of the
field. . ..” Behold the snowflake (no two alike). God invented variety. As one of my black friends put it, “Paul, if the Lord had wanted the world to be dismal, he would have made everybody un-colored like you.”

So, lately, I have been looking around for ways to add a touch of class to our church. We could put an atrium in the lobby — or a salad bar. How about gold cushions on the pews? Air conditioning with scented air? Box seats for VIPs and double-tithers? Red carpet all the way out the front walk? People would notice.

All nice, but I think the answer is much easier. All we have to do to add some class to our church is to get you to come around more often, because you’re some of the classiest people I know.

JULY 16 23 30, 1984 edition of the Presbyterian Outlook