Thought for Today
Leviticus 26:13 I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be their slaves no more; I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
Jeremiah 27:2 Thus the LORD said to me: Make yourself a yoke of straps and bars, and put them on your neck.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
“The stole dates back to the early Christian Church, with the first recorded use in the 4th century. It likely evolved from a secular garment worn by Roman officials, symbolizing their authority and office. The stole represents the office and duties of the ordained ministry, symbolizing the yoke of Christ and the wearer’s responsibility to the Church. It denotes specific roles within the ecclesiastical hierarchy” (blog.ecclesiasticalsewing.com)
One of the daily devotionals I read this morning referred to the liturgical stole I wear, and many pastors wear, as a “symbol of the yoke of service to which Christians are committed.” (These Days, July 1, 2026) I must admit that I had never thought of my stole as a symbol of much of anything; and, I have never thought of my calling to ministry in terms of being ‘yoked.’
My entire knowledge of yokes is from reading. I have seen antique yokes for sale at fares and antique stores. I have watched television westerns and seen paintings of yoked horses and oxen; but, I have never actually seen any animal yoked to a plow or to a carriage or anything else.
Now and from now on, I will always wonder what others are thinking when they see me in an ecclesiastic robe and wearing a stole. Will they think of the symbology, understanding my ‘uniform’ as representing “the yoke of Christ” and my own responsibility to the Church? Will they even notice the robe and stole at all?
In the churches of my youth, the congregations of which my parents were members, the ministers did not wear robes or stoles. Television had taught me that some clergy did wear robes, especially Roman Catholic priests. I had even seen Protestant clergy in robes. It was not until I attended Greta’s church when we were dating that I first saw in person a minister wearing a robe and stole. In the church where we raised our children and worshiped for many years, every minister we called wore a robe and stole.
Since my own ordination, I have always worn a Geneva robe and a stole. I have several stoles in each of the liturgical colors. I always try to match the stole I wear to the appropriate liturgical color for the season. Most of my stoles have only a cross on the right and left panels. Over the years, I have seen a wide variety of stole designs, some simple, some elaborate, some plain, some fancy.
Through it all, however, I have never thought about the symbology of either my robe or my stole. And, through it all, since I first heard my own call to ministry, I have never, until today, thought about either robe or stole as a “symbol of the yoke of service to which Christians are committed.”
I do understand my own call in terms of being called to serve. I do believe that all Christians are called to some sort of service. Some are called to be clergy; some are called to be elders or deacons; some are called to head committees; some are called to sing in choirs. All Christians are called. I find that idea in Jesus’ answer to the question posed in Luke’s gospel, “10:25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26 He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ 27 He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ 28 And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’"
While I believe symbols are important and significant, they are merely symbols. Is our corporate worship any more significant or valid or important because I am wearing a robe and stole? No! In fact, during the hot summer months, I forego wearing my robe and merely wear a stole. The most important symbol for all Christians is in the lives we live. Our best validation is to ensure that They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.
Stay safe, make sure they do know, trust God,
Pastor Ray