How to Survive in an Un-Air Conditioned Church

The Lutheran Handbook, a witty little guide about all things Lutheran, has a sectioned entitled "How to Survive for One Hour in an Un-Air-Conditioned Church" and it must be an important item because it is very near the beginning on page 18.  Well this last Sunday was a day that those tips would have come in handy.  The official high temperature for Sunday was 86 degrees, and I think it hit that high before 11 as rain came through in the afternoon.  This was also after two day of high 90's if not 100 degree, so it was just warm.

And since I knew we in Connecticut were not alone in this heat wave as it was almost nation-wide, I posted the following on the ELCA Clergy group on Facebook:
Today is one of those Sundays that as a pastor in an un-air conditioned church building I ask myself what is the least amount of clothing I can wear and still be socially acceptable. Blessings to you all that find yourself in this situation - may you not pass out during your own sermon.


Boy, did that start a flurry of comments - people commisserating on the heat, tips on how to stay cool while wearing albs (robes), a debate on if you should wear them or not, stories of people who have passed out while leading worship, another discussion about whether it is appropriate to shorten hymns or lessons on account of the heat, and tips on how to get churches to invest in air conditioning.

Well last November I wrote a post entitled "What I Don't Wear to Work," in that post I talk about how I don't wear clerics during the typical week other than on Sundays or other worship occasions. Well I have to say that summer and heat trumps clerics any day.  

After posting the above on Facebook, I went to my closet and found a nice sundress that is not completely casual  (I actually wore to my sister's wedding and my seminary graduation), then went to the church to open every window and door and turn on every fan.  And I was still hot! I can't imagine how much warmer I would have been with something tight around my neck (I've never been a fan of high neck t-shirts or turtle necks for that matter). 

And this isn't the first time I have worn a dress to worship instead of clerics.  The first time was Easter.  It was the end of April, it was a beautiful day and between being a tomboy who hated dresses from the age of 8 to 25, plus living in Minnesota/Wisconsin where it is always too cold to wear a dress on Easter, and then being in seminary or a pastor I have not worn a dress on Easter since well I was probably 8 and damn it, I was going to wear an Easter dress!  During worship I wore an alb and stole over the dress but before worship during the pancake breakfast and afterwards when the Easter Bunny came for a visit, many people complimented me on the dress and that I looked nice and springy.  

Since then I have worn a dress instead of clerics a few other times to worship, and no one at Bethlehem has ever said a word about me not dressing professionally.  And while the dresses have helped me survive in an un-air-conditioned church, I also feel that they have helped me realize that I am just a fellow worshiper in the Body of Christ, one that is just as effected by heat as every other member of this body.