"Is that a nose-ring?"

"Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose-ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, 'Thus the man spoke to me,' he went to the man..."

(Genesis 24:29-30)

It's not often that you come across the word "nose-ring" in the Bible. But I did today. Abraham sends his servant out to find a wife for his son, Isaac. The servant travels back to Abe's relatives to find a suitable spouse. When he meets Rebekah, he bestows various gifts upon her (including a nose-ring).

(NOTE: The verse I chose surrounds her brother, Laban... who is sizing her up by her newfound gifts and is beginning to show sings of being the materialistic trickster that we'll come to know him to be (ala the Jacob Saga). But I'm not really focusing on that aspect today. Back to the nose-ring...)

Last week I was in Boise, ID for a conference at Cathedral of the Rockies UMC. One of the keynote speakers was Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, founding pastor of The House for All Sinners & Saints church in Denver. She was great! Very down-to-earth, transparent, and raw. She doesn't have the typical "clergy look" (go ahead and Google her) - as she sports many tats and piercings. But she is who she is, and that's exactly who her congregation needs her to be.

Whether we admit it or not, image is still so important to us. In some Christian circles, one must look "clean-cut and wholesome." In others, they value the "casual & relaxed" look (ie. 'come as you are'). Both still value appearance, but in different ways. Some congregations still have the conversation about wha't "appropriate attire" to worship God. But in a world where less and less people are growing up 'churched,' this is becoming less and less relevant.

Back to the nose-ring. In many mainland churches today, someone with a nose-ring might very well seem "out of place." And yet, it's quite a common site in our culture. That's why I loved seeing it in today's Genesis story. In Abraham's time, it was very appropriate adornment. So it's all relative.

Maybe we should be less concerned with other people's appearances, and more focused on the state of our own hearts. I know there's still a ton of work I have in my "heart department."