Today’s ONE THING: “When to wear a suit”

Tonight was a very special evening for me, both on a personal and professional level.  You see, tonight my son, D. Lee Kemp II, was officially ordained in the Church of God, Cleveland TN, as an Ordained Bishop.  This is the highest ministerial rank in our denomination and Lee is now the third generation Kemp to reach this level of credentials.

Also, two additional colleagues and staff members, David Savage and Jonathan Sawyer were also ordained.  So as you can see, tonight was a very special night for me.  I congratulate these men and their families!

In addition, there were several other young men that have a special place in my heart that were ordained.  One of those men was Kris Kilgore.  Kris is one of our brightest young men and I am very high on him.  However, the reason I mention him this evening has nothing to do with his abilities or the special anointing that is on his life.  I mention Kris because of what he wore this evening; that’s right I mention him because of his wardrobe.

If you know Kris you know he is not one to wear suits, he’s a very…how can I put this…“causal dresser”.   I have no problem with this.  I realize that times have changed and a suit and tie is not necessarily “standard issue” for soldiers of the Cross.  Matter of fact, a suit and tie can even be a hindrance in certain situations.

So why did Kris wear a suit?  Answer: Out of respect.

Kris and all those other young men were following in the footsteps of a long line of godly men.  These men considered their ordination one of the highlights of their lives and ministry.  To not acknowledge that by adding as much dignity as possible would have been dishonorable and dishonoring.

I understand and practice this myself.  I have been honored to serve on our State Council, which is the highest board a minister can serve on at a state level.  My dad and several other godly men who I respect greatly have also served on that board in years past.  To them, serving on the State Council was an extremely great honor and not to be taken lightly.  Stepping into the council chamber as a councilman was a significant event to them and they took it seriously; it was strictly a coat and tie affair.

For me, there is no special merit in dressing up in a suit and tie, driving two hours up the road and sitting in a boardroom all day.  However, out of respect to my dad I’ve never done otherwise; it’s still a coat and tie affair for me.  Like Kris and the other young men tonight, I understand that life is not always about me: my comfort and my preferences.  There is a time to make a statement and there is a time to challenge conventional thinking and traditions; there is even times to try and be “cool” if that matters to you (at my age those days have passed, but that’s another subject for another time).  However, there are also those sacred times when we honor our elders and those that have paved the way for us.  There are times that we toe the line and give honor to our sacred institutions and traditions.  There are times that humility is required; where we say that our generation and our preferences is not the final word.  There are times when we reach out and join hands with our elders and sit at their feet and remember their stories and sacrifices and we say, “thank you”.

Tonight was one of those nights and I was extremely proud of Kris and all the men that gave that honor to our elders and our sacred traditions.  Considering the quality and character of the men that joined our ranks this evening, I am feeling rather optimistic about the future of the Church of God – suit or no suit.

Side note: To our State Bishop, Bishop M. Thomas Propes – thanks for adding such dignity and intentionally to our ordination services.  You do it as well as anyone; and it was especially meaningful for me this evening.  God bless, Sir.