Why do Lutheran Pastors wear a stole in Christian worship?
The stole is a liturgical vestment first mentioned in the fourth century. At Rome the stole was called the “oranum.” The Gailican Church called the vestment the stola,” and it was this term introduced to Italy in the eleventh century, which became normative. The origin of the stole is uncertain, although it most probably is a modification of the colored band which formed the hem of the toga. The toga was the official and ceremonial dress of the Roman nobility and the band indicated by color to which rank or office an individual belonged (much like insignia in the military!). As the Church gradually developed an ordered clergy in the first and second centuries (Consisting of Bishops, priests, and deacons), these “bands” were retained in such a way to indicate ecclesiastical rather than civilian office. Eventually, the bands evolved into a separate garment which was hung about the neck. Priests/pastors often “cross” or overlap the stole in the front (in the manner of SL Andrew’s cross).
