I am betting that at least one of us gathered here today got the gift of new clothing for Christmas. This is a safe assumption. How many of us, over the years, have torn open packages of argyle socks or paisley shirts? How many of us have gazed into a box to discover slacks and skirts, blouses and vests; sweatshirts and pajamas, all of a dizzying array of colors and styles? When I was a boy, clothing was a staple for Christmas gifts, because there was little available cash for frivolities like toys or games.

But new clothing is really great. Personally, I'm partial to L.L. Bean. But you tell me. What does it feel like to wear a new suit? Come on, level with me. It feels good, doesn't it? A new outfit or sweater always somehow makes us feel new. Though I spent a fair share of my young adulthood in raggedy blue jeans and a T-shirt, I have to confess that a jacket just feels good. I think it's safe to say that this clothing is a broad historic truth for human beings. Throughout the eons we have loved to adorn our bodies with togas and capes, with drapes and scarves, with headdresses and caps, with loincloths and ... well ... you get the picture.

Whether we want to admit it or not, clothing speaks about who we are. Maybe Adam and Eve's goof up in the Garden of Eden is the reason we all wear clothing now, but honestly, doesn't it make it more fun? Kings and queens, rock stars and prelates all deck themselves out to say something, to make a statement. I remember walking downtown with my son when he was much younger, and a young person all decked out in black leather, chains, and spiky, purple hair walked by us on the sidewalk. My son's eyes got as big as a saucer. That was a comment walking by for sure!

With this clothing thing taking up so much of our consciousness, is it any wonder then, that the biblical writers picked up on it? We shouldn't be surprised, of course, that clothing metaphors burst forth from the pages of Holy Scripture. Paul writes a lot about wearing the clothing of compassion and kindness (Colossians 3:12f), even about "putting on Christ," as though he were a new shirt from Gap. Here in Isaiah we hear the prophet rejoicing with his whole being because God has clothed him in the "garments of salvation."

The "garments of salvation." I can't help it but my irreverent side goes immediately to what size Isaiah may have worn. "Could I have the garments of salvation in a 42 long please?" Are these garments off the rack, or are they tailored, one-of-a-kind items? I wonder if they have anything from last season. Hmmm. All kidding aside, though, there are some issues that arise from this. What are the garments of salvation, anyway? Isaiah does mention "robes of righteousness," it's true. But he also describes bridal wear and gardening (Isaiah 61:10-11) as well.

Probably the question that comes before any of this is the one about salvation itself. Certainly Israel needed saving. We know this. But as we strive to read these words with relevance and context for our own lives, we need to ask about whether or not we believe that we ourselves need saving. What do you think? Would God have gone through all this if we didn't? Would God have bothered to come among us? To live, teach, to suffer and die on our behalf if ... we were just fine? I think not.

In our modern, or as some say "post-modern" world, it's not a question that arises. It's not even on the radar, especially for those of us who are educated, employed, housed, and well fed. For many of us, salvation has a distant, almost irrelevant ring. I have heard it before. "Saving? Me? Are you serious?" "Trust me. I don't need saving." "I'm just fine. I don't do guilt." The "garments of salvation," have little meaning to those who don't feel that they need saving, but in truth, we all need it. We all need to be saved. Perhaps not from the same thing, but in my experience I have never met anyone who would not have benefited from at least going into the fitting room and trying on the "garments of salvation."

Some of us need saved from the effects of an addictive culture. Addictive behavior is what we do to avoid feeling things. We have been raised up to believe that pain is bad. Discomfort is to be avoided. Well heck, no one likes pain. We all would rather not feel discomfort. But the hard truth is that pain and discomfort are part of living. If we slice out the unpleasant pieces, either through drugs or obsessive behavior, we become empty shells, incomplete, and broken. From this, we need to be saved.

There are the obvious addictions of course. Alcohol and drugs claim millions who need saving. Professionals call this "self-medicating." But there are many, many other areas of life that this addictive society touches. We overeat, we find ourselves addicted to gambling, to sex, and a host of other variables and behaviors. From this, in spite of our protestations, we need to be saved.

There are times, also, when we simply behave badly. We forget our interconnectedness to all life and we act as though we are all that matters. We put ourselves first and ignore the wants and needs of others. It's possible then to be mean. From elementary school play yards to corporate boardrooms, we see meanness growing, not shrinking. From this, we need to be saved.

And lest we miss the point, we must understand that to all this there is a deep spiritual dimension. Our physical lives and our spiritual lives are intertwined. We cannot neglect one without harming the other. If we engage in destructive behavior, our spirits suffer. If we shy from spiritual disciplines, from prayer and meditation; from study and disciplined discernment, it becomes possible to act as though spiritual things are unimportant or even non-existent. From a lack of balance, we need to be saved.

So let me ask you today what size you wear. Let me inquire into the color you would choose for your "garment of salvation." How would you drape your "robe of righteousness"? What would the wedding clothes look like that you would wear to the celebration of our salvation? For as surely as the sun rises, as surely as the "the earth brings forth its shoots, so will the Lord God cause righteous and praise to spring before all the nations!" (Isaiah 61:11).

The good news here is that salvation is at hand. It's available. It's not in short supply, but is overflowing and abundant in the wonder of God's redeeming love. What we need to do is head into that fitting room and try it all on for size. What we need is a change of wardrobe! Let us take off the "garments of our sorrow and affliction" (Baruch 5:1), and put on the garments of salvation. Let us remove our warriors' boots and put on our feet anything that will help us walk in the way of peace (Ephesians 6:15). Let us cover ourselves with "robes of righteousness," and let us celebrate our salvation with shouts of praise and knees bent in worship.

You see, a change of clothes does make a difference. And trust me, we need a change in wardrobe, you and I. We need a new attitude, you and I. We need to turn from the cynical, disrespectful behavior of our culture and face the God of our salvation. We need to rise up in thanksgiving for what God has done in that humble stable. We must refuse to be silent (Isaiah 62:1). We must shout and sing and raise the roof about the saving power of our God!

And we need to do whatever it takes, sisters and brothers, to put God at the center of our lives. Whatever else occupying that space now needs to be tossed out so that God can come in and make a home within us.

What better time could we pick to order up new clothes? What better time could we pick to change our style, our attitude, our lives, than this moment? Sisters and brothers, the choice is ours. The time is now. My prayer is that we will step together into a new life, a new style — a new wardrobe as we claim God's garments of salvation for our lives.

Amen.