Allright…I’m one of those rare commissioned elders who hasn’t worn a stole during my probationary period. I simply feel that it is a mark of full ordination, and I want my ordination service to be special. It seems to me that wearing a stole on the Sunday following my ordination will carry a lot of deep symbolism and meaning both for me and my congregation. Some people argue that the congregation “deserves” to have someone who wears a stole, thereby not feeling short-changed by not having a “real” elder, but I haven’t bought that argument.
However, I am already collecting stoles to wear once I am ordained next year (unless something weird derails the process). The first two are gifts from my mother-in-law, and I’m trying to decide which green stole to start out with. Right now, I’m stuck between two really nice plain green stoles. So what could be more fun than an interactive informal blog vote. Pick your favorite and tell me in a comment. I’ll try to post something a little more intellectually stimulating some other time!
#1. 
#2.
mattjudkins.com 
I like the stateliness of #2.
I agree with John. Go with # 2.
I own #2, and happily recommend it.
I vote for #1.
Sitting in the pews, I would be sore pressed to see the pretty crosses on stole #2. The color contrast on stole #1 makes it easy for me to see what there.
Ooohh…it’s heating up! haha
I have thought about what John M. is saying too. The Celtic design is attractive to me too even though it isn’t as elegant and understated as the first.
I appreciate the comments so far – it’s fun to read your thoughts!
For some reason, robes without stoles have always seemed more academic than clerical to me. Is there something inherent in a robe that makes it church related? Sorry to introduce another question…
Back on subject… I would go with #2. I like its subtlety.
OK…I ordered #2 yesterday. Sorry Meunier – so much for the voice of the laity, eh?! 🙂
Hmm. John is speaking sensibly. #1 would be better.
Well, I’m not too late to give my opinion, since you ordered the one I would have recommended.
by the way–I share your regard for the tradition of saving the stole for ordination. Grayson would be proud, eh? My parents bought me all the colors except for red (which they know will be given to us on ordination day) in the vine and wheat stalks motif (gold and green embroidery–couldn’t find a pic). And it looks like if all goes well we’ll be ordained together at Boston Ave. next year.
Lord willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…I’ll see you at Boston Avenue in ’08.
Yep, I do like the wheat stalky stoles. Those are nice.
By the way, I’ve been really interested in the responses to this post. I think it might be really illustrative of the whole Web 2.0 phenomenon of participatory networks.
Often, I’ll place a question at the end of my posts, which get lukewarm responses at best (of course, this could be due to the primarily innocuous posts that are my forte at this stage in my life & blogging). However, when i put the word vote in the title, I’ve had a huge response.
There’s something to this whole participatory thing…