“Real Life Spiritual Attire”
August 25, 2024 – Northwood United – Rev. G. Scott Turnbrook – Psalm 84 & Ephesians 6: 10-20
Choosing one’s attire is something we struggle with each morning, isn’t it? Through the Covid pandemic, I heard more than one person say that ‘one’ thing they loved about being stuck at home was that they didn’t need to go through the trouble of selecting their attire. Many sheepishly confessed to remaining in their pj’s all day. Some even told me that when they had video meetings, they would just put on a nice top and continue to sport pj’s on the bottom! Yet, we have returned to normal, and we are back to choosing what we will put on each day. Attire selections have varied a lot over the years. We have some fashion trends that we miss and others that we hope will come back. We might think of the somewhat recent trend of the saggy jeans. You might recall the trend of plastic surgery where many were undergoing lip enhancement. Tattoos became increasingly popular and even spread onto the face. Looking further back, you might recall the era of the mullet, or the bell bottom pant, and even further back the Victorian corset. There have, indeed, been many interesting things each generation has done with their attire and we might collectively wonder…what’s next?
When Paul wrote the letter that scripture records as the book of Ephesians, a lot more was going on than guiding his listeners through wardrobe selection. Written in AD 62 while Paul was in a Roman prison, he sought to guide the early Christian community to continue living faithfully in the way of Jesus. This section we read from is the concluding portion if Ephesians. It would be helpful to imagine how difficult it must have been for the early church in that era. For the early church, the stories of Jesus were fresh and in the air. Stories of his life and teachings, his death, his resurrection and the birthing of the church…they were now Jesus’ living body on earth…waiting... Paul had taken up the mantle as a key leader of the house churches that had formed to follow Jesus. But, as we know, these churches opposed the Roman Empire. They proclaimed Jesus, not the emperor, as Lord. And at this moment in time, Paul had been imprisoned for his work with the church. Many others had been imprisoned or killed for their involvement with the church. Just imagine…How would the members of the church must have felt? Disillusioned? Afraid? Confused? Thinking about giving up on their faith? Perhaps all of the above…And Paul writes down this letter of encouragement and guidance to the early church in Ephesus. And if you have ever felt those emotions in your faith, perhaps it might be informative for you as well. And, so we have this powerful section for the timeless pondering of faith.
The letter travels from a Roman prison to the western coast of Turkey, what was then known as Ephesus. The final verses seemingly pertain to attire: a brilliant decision by Paul. Yet they are about much more! A common sight for people would be to see Roman Centurions stationed throughout their city. You would see powerful soldiers wearing battle attire: helmets, shields and swords, breastplates. The centurions would be fully outfitted in battle armour holding the dominance of Rome in place. And what Paul does is contrast this battle attire with another. Paul writes to the early followers: “take up the whole armour of God…fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace…take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one…Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Perhaps, you may remember memorizing this list of attire back in Sunday school? This trip down memory lane is why I had the image placed on the bulletin cover and on the screen.
So, the question that we have to face 2 millennia after this text was written is how might it inform our living now? How does spiritual attire for real life appear. I doubt any of us will be dressing up in biblical battle attire any time soon! Yet, we ponder, what might be some timeless truths we can take from this passage. An important piece of analysis is found in the letter’s structure. As you heard, there are three sections: it begins in prayer; it prescribes one’s attire; and it concludes in prayer. The bookends in Paul’s letter are prayer. When we are considering spiritual attire for real life ~ how to begin and get dressed for the day, it should start as a discernment in prayer. When we begin our day,
might we prayerfully consider what is needed for the day. You might look at your agenda and realize that there are some challenging things ahead. Perhaps a prayer that you can ‘shine the Christ light’ in those situations is a great beginning. Perhaps a prayer that you put on justice, compassion, empathy, wisdom, prophecy, care. Perhaps a prayer that Christ will be in your words and thoughts and actions. Prayer is the beginning of discernment in how we will go out into our day. Will be an battle soldier enforcing empire? Or will be a beacon of Christ’s light? It is an invitation for God’s presence to be found in our living. The first thing Paul guides is the beginning in prayer. Before we even put anything on, Paul first guides us to begin in prayer.
The next section in the text pertains to the actual spiritual attire we wear. Wonderful sermons through the ages, and you have likely heard some, have been preached that bridge the wonderful parallels between the biblical attire and modern day. The helmet, the shield, the sword, the breastplate, the belt and the shoes. I would like to broaden our thinking to a consideration beyond mere attire. Broaden our thinking beyond what we are putting on into what we are taking in. You have heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’. A deep truth is that we are the sum of all that we take in! And I am not just talking about food. Think about what we consume: certainly we think about the importance of healthy, nourishing food. But what about all the other things we consume: movies, television, radio, podcasts, internet, social media, reading, research. We take in SO MUCH! Are we taking in things that nourish our body, our mind and our soul. Now, certainly, we need a bit of ‘junk food’ from time to time. However, the question we ask as we explore Ephesians 6 is: are we taking in things that allow our spirits to take in light and peace. Are we feeding our soul? Are we taking in rich nourishing learnings, reading scripture, attending church. Think about the sum total of all the things you take in. When you add them up, do they nurture your life in Christ or are they taking away from it? The comparison Paul draws with the Roman Centurion and the spiritual warrior is significant. Are we taking in things that allow us to build up our spirit: becoming a person of light or are we a warrior rooted in the ways of this world? Are we feeding body, mind and soul with the things that allow for Christ to be present and growing in this life?
Be prayerful about what we take in and what we put on. Be little lights of Christ. Help Christ be seen in the midst of grief and sadness; allow Christ to be seen in times of injustice and wrongdoing; bless the world as Christ seeks to bless others through you. Put on Christ in the ways you are able!
We talked about the bookending of this section in prayer. The conclusion in prayer is equally significant as the opening. I wonder if the concluding portion in prayer is a call to give things back to God at the end of the day? Paul writes: “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication….Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.” I don’t know of anyone who feels entirely adequate when they select their attire. Should they have worn the brown shoes or the black ones? The jeans or the khakis? Should I have dressed with more compassion, more care, more peace. Should I have spoken with more wisdom, more grace, more Christ? When we return at the end of the day, I wonder if Paul’s concluding section is an invitation to give it all back to God and know that what we offered was enough. Enough because it was God working through you. Enough because that was God that you put on….and that was enough. A prayer of thanksgiving for the ways that Christ’s light shone through you today; a prayer of hope that seeds will have been planted and taken root; a prayer that God’s grace that surpass our understanding and will continue to overpower any darkness and trouble that people are facing.
May we get dressed each day in the garments of light, hope and peace. Amen.