Wardrobe Malfunction

Today I was cycling to work, running behind and trying to get there in a hurry, when I heard the unmistakable sound of tearing fabric in the seat of my pants. I couldn’t be absolutely sure of the extent of the damage, but there was certainly some sort of wardrobe malfunction. While I was only a handful of houses away from my own, my street was jammed with city workers running heavy equipment fixing a damaged water main of some sort. Needless to say, I was too proud to dismount and do an inventory on my clearly compromised khakis for fear of public humiliation.

I love cycling. While I used to ride a motorcycle everywhere before we had kids, I am not joking when I say that I feel the same freedom of the open road I used to get back then via horsepower, but under pedal power. The exercise feels good, and the little bit of muscle ache never hurt anybody. The warm sun, the whistle of the wind, the smell of fresh cut grass, makes it all worthwhile. But then the sound of another impatient motorist laying on the horn brings me back to reality.

This week in Buffalo, the sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds and I spent an afternoon working on one of my bikes so that I could get back in the saddle and start riding to work again in earnest. I was pumped. I’d gotten distracted from what I really love to do, but now I could get back in the saddle. Here's where reality came in. Monday started out great on the way in but finished in dampness. Tuesday was an all out deluge, as if Mother Nature was trying to do all she could to test my resolve. Then today, I’ve had to move about the office as inconspicuous as possible even though I’m well aware my pants are split in two! It’s been a bit of bumpy start to the cycling season.

Jesus once shared a story about a wardrobe malfunction. Matthew 22, he talks about a wedding feast where someone showed up to the ceremony without the wedding clothes provided to them by the bridegroom. Not only was this person embarrassed publicly, but he was tossed out of the place entirely. I’m sure the same would have happened to me today had I attempted to attend a wedding as I am right now. Jesus teaches that we will always be improperly dressed before a Holy God outside of the heavenly garments purchased for me by Christ on the cross.

We should live our lives each day with this in mind. Scripture puts it this way: “Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!” Romans 13:14 MSG

Last week's sermon I invited you to engage your heart in fearlessly following Christ.  Today I want you engage your head. Putting on the garment of Christ assumes that we have given serious thought to what that looks like! We are called to engage our whole mind is integrating our faith and our world. Let us no longer have spiritual wardrobe malfunctions!

- Pastor Milo