I would be remiss, if I let Colossians pass by without sharing a few words of wisdom that were passed on to Michael and me during our wedding ceremony.  Most of these thoughts are taken from Burt Burleson's homily at our wedding. 

If you haven't read it lately, reread Colossians 3:12-17.  It begins, "As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience."

Paul is telling us that what we wear matters (i.e. what we choose to wear at a wedding says something.  We are entering something special, holy matrimony, so we rent tuxes and spend time choosing the right dress.)  Paul says put on the best stuff.

We have decisions to make about what we wear. .. We go into the wardrobe every day and we choose what we are going to wear that day.  There are lots of outfits to choose from:  comfortable ones, tight ones, dressy, casual...  But we usually reach for what is well-worn, what is comfortable.  This is our default.  Sometimes this is our selfishness and pride.

But Paul says, "Wake up!  Wake up!  This is what holy people wear...compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."  If we make our spiritual practice to "put on humility," over time we will become humble.  It will work its way down to the heart until imitation becomes reality.  The ultimate message here is that if we practice putting on the right clothes, what we put on on the outside will change us on the inside. 

Burt concluded by saying this, "In church, we're all playing dressup. Children trying to look like Jesus, to be like Jesus, children of God. And we do this until there's no mistaking the family resemblance."

Providence, let us put on these virtues, sewing on garments of compassion, kindness, humility...as Burt says, "until it is worn well and well worn.  And then others will get dressed up too."

We truly are what we wear.