Tag Archives: head coverings

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by Moira Cairns

I think I gave this two stars on Good Reads.

I am hungry for books on head coverings by women, for women and this book is one of the  very few.

However...

In some places, she takes metaphors farther than the Bible seems to in this passage:

Every Christian woman is a symbol of the glory of the church (...)The woman is a symbol of the glory that has been given to the church from God.

A woman's uncovered head while praying for prophesying symbolized a church that goes between God and man in its own strength.

I'm just not seeing that in the passage.  Perhaps if the thought had been fleshed out a bit more.

In other places, she...well, read:

The covered head of a woman also reminds the church that every Christian has the Spirit of God within them -- giving each one glory, power over their enemies, and a Guide to follow.

Say again?

She goes on:

When a woman covers her own had, she reminds herself that she needs to function in whatever capacity God has gifted her in a manner that reflects the authority she is under and that honors the love and humility of Christ.  

The author seems to be saying that a woman can be in any office in the church (pastor, elder) as long as she's wearing a head covering.   

The last part of the paragraph I agree with, but it's not in the passage.  It may be read into the passage from other verses...those should have been cited.

When the men in the church see the covering, they are reminded to be in authority in a manner that reflects and honors the love and humility of Christ.

All in all, this book used too many words to say not very much.

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Head coverings? Really? That is so 1900's. Or 1700's, or maybe 100's. How did I get here?

My husband, Phil, and I attend a small group Bible study and we’ve been working through 1 Corinthians.  The men take turns leading and we thought head coverings would be a quick study with some invigorating conversations. Phil took that chapter to lead.

The process begins

I had read through 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, on my own as well as in a women’s group but this time it caught my attention.   There are books! The process of listening to sermons, reading websites, getting another book...or three began.  There are tangents and then the tangents found tangents.  Since I process better when I write, I began to type my notes and add the questions I asked myself.

About a week into all this I decided to wear a hat to church for the purpose of a head covering.  The next week I wore a wide headband with my hair in a bun. If it’s in the Bible, I have a duty to obey.  Phil told me that since I would be affected more than he would, he would stand back and let the study take its course and he would honor whatever conviction I came to.

Facebook started showing me memes that pointed me straight at Scripture and I was reminded of my own thoughts on Sola Scriptura.

What are we afraid of?

I shifted "if this is a command I have to do it" to "this is a symbol of my joyful submission to God's created order"

Moving from wide head bands to a more traditional cover, I discovered "Garlands of Grace"

The study of this passage took a couple of months, so I did due diligence. It's been a process for sure, and it's brought joy and frustration and tears of joy "because of the angels"