In my young age, I am sometimes ignorant. I am actually quite ashamed and embarrassed to admit that only recently, via the Pastor at Oak Grove, were my eyes opened to this passage of scripture.Prior to this enlightening event, if you would have asked me if I was a Mary or Martha, I would have replied “well I’m no Martha, that’s for sure – because I am not exceptional with a broom or a frying pan.” Silly me, I was missing the point! All I was thinking was that Martha would make a good housewife. (Eek!) Much to my chagrin, I Knew little of the different ideals between herself and her sister Mary. In fact, I'm not even certain I related this question this the following passage in scripture at all! I was so blind...
“As Jesus and His disciples were on their way (to Jerusalem), He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” LUKE 10:38-42 (NIV)
Mary and Martha represent two different kinds of christians. One is never settled. This person allows life to run them. They often -though not always- serve the Lord, they just don’t listen to His call for rest (Matthew 11:28). The other, has a firm assurance and knows both when to serve (John 12:1-8) and when to sit.
Trying to picture this scenario, we can gather that it was just before Sabbath and a good sized crowd would have collected at the feet of Yeshua inside of Mary and Martha’s large home. This was the village of Bethany, where Yeshua was raised, so many of the people He grew up around would have wanted to see and hear Him again, as He didn’t go home often. Martha was growing anxious about providing food for all of these visitors in her home, and Mary was figuring the people didn’t care about a free meal, they cared about sitting at Yeshua's feet and hearing Him teach. Still caught up in the moment, Martha felt the need to serve these people, when the better choice was not to serve, but to sit and rest in Yeshua's presence.
Still, the most shocking part of this passage is when Martha goes up to Yeshua and says “Lord, don’t you care.....?!?!?” The priority to Martha was serving these people, and she felt so strongly that she built up the nerve to approach Yeshua while He was teaching and state the Mary needed to leave the lesson and help her with meal preparations! Martha didn’t think she was out of line in asking this, she didn’t think it was unacceptable! An underlying lesson here is that we need to get our priorities straight, with important things before urgent things. I wonder though, how often we put our anxieties at the forefront of our talks with Yahweh, our urgent matters, BEFORE our important matters. Let’s go to Yahweh first and foremost in our good times and secondly in our rough times!
I couldn’t help myself from trying out this recipe for a special treat this Sabbath! I found it online and modified it just a bit to make it whole wheat and dairy free! My mouth hasn’t watered so much in quite some time! Try it out for your loved ones!
RECIPE:
1 pkg. dry active yeast or 2 1/4 tsps of loose granulated dry active yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup warm tap water
2 3/4 to 3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt 4 Tbsps sugar
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs – beaten 1/3 cup chocolate chips 1/3 cup raisins 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Topping: 1 small egg 1 Tbsp sesame, poppy or chia seeds
Directions: place yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 cup warm tap water in small container. Mix with fork and let sit for about 5 minutes to test if it is good yeast (it should get foamy). While that is sitting, mix the salt, sugar, oil and beaten eggs in medium bowl.
Add foamy yeast mixture. Add 1 cup of flour at a time until dough is easily turned out of bowl and then place your dough onto a lightly floured kneading surface.
Knead dough until it is no longer sticky, adding flour only as needed. Once dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers, and it is smooth and elastic, place it in a larger bowl and cover it with a dishtowel. Move your bowl to a warm area where there is no circulation (I put mine inside the microwave).
Let dough rise for two hours. It should about double in size.
To ensure your yeast worked, punch the middle of the dough while it is still in the bowl. If it has worked, you should see some gas build-up in the bread deflate.
Remove the dough from bowl and knead in cinnamon, raisins, and chocolate for 2-3 more minutes.
This recipe makes one large loaf!
For three stranded challah, cut the dough into 3 equal lumps. Roll each lump into a rope about a foot long. Braid like you would hair.
For six stranded challah, cut into 6 equal lumps. Roll each lump into a rope about a foot long. Braiding a six stranded challah is not like braiding hair, but it isn't too hard to grasp. Look up a how-to video online if you are not sure how. It is very pretty when finished! Transfer your braided loaf onto an oiled baking stone.
Cover and let braided loaf rise once more, for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Topping: in small bowl, beat one egg. Brush loaf with egg. Moisten finger with egg wash, then dip it into your seed topping. Press seeds into each section of the challah. This will make your challah very shiny and golden.
Cover with foil to prevent burning the top.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 45+ minutes until golden brown. Half way through, remove foil topping.
The entire world seems to view a new year as a new beginning. A fresh start. There is something about a fresh start that seems to invigorate the spirit. Many people take advantage of a new year and come up with a "resolution". Usually they consist of being healthier (losing weight/eating better) or some kind of schedule to read through The Bible or exercise. Undoubtedly, the majority of these resolutions end up fading away after just a short time.
I have come to the realization that most all resolutions are going to fail. Really, they are doomed from the beginning, having no foundation to stand on. Why is there no foundation? -Because we are trying to fit this new thing into our already busy lives. This same pattern seems to be prevalent in many peoples Christian walks with Yahweh. We get on a "spiritual low" and begin to feel a disconnect from our Lord and Savior. It only makes sense to say that this happens to us because we are trying to fit Yahweh into our lives rather than submitting and handing back the reigns of our daily lives to our Maker! He will handle with care!
In the past year, I feel as if my wife and I have learned so much. This blog has helped us clarify our thoughts and beliefs, as well as encouraged us to be more bold when approached about our lifestyle. We have made it a practice to look back on the last year of our lives and talk about how we have improved and changed from the previous year. I guess I picked this up from my adult leadership growing up!
In my youth group years, I remember learning about sanctification. It is a Christian’s never-ending process of being made holy and separating oneself from sin. This is one area of my Christian life that I don’t take lightly. My family and I will always review our lives to ensure that we are constantly in this process. You don’t get to old or grow out of your need to be discipled and grow in the Word of Yahweh.
I feel as if the last year of my family’s life is overflowing with growth and understanding. We have, without a doubt, progressed in our personal relationships with Yahweh, and our marriage is stronger than ever. Our relationships with Yahweh have improved both in our personal lives, as well as our life as a couple. My primary area of growth is my prayer life, and my wife’s is her yearning to read and understand more and more verses of Scripture. I pray this is something that we never regress in!
We are excited to see how this next year unfolds! It is so encouraging to see how our lives are constantly changing, it helps us persevere! Wonder what area(s) of our lives Yahweh is planning to mold over the next 12 months!
We have all heard or used the phrase: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. How true that is! While I was talking with my wife the other day, we made a parallel with this statement and how it makes so much sense when applied to the Biblical Festivals. More often than not, when we are trying to explain something to a friend, we realize that words alone are not enough. I believe that Yahweh placed the Festivals in our lives to give us a picture of His divine plan, rather than simply having us try to interpret the Scriptures through reading the text alone. It is for this same reason, that, we too, often take snapshots of important people and special events during our own lives! A picture is a visual prop, to help remind us, or show us the fine details of a thought. While the picture itself is not the real thing, that doesn’t mean the picture is any less important or mean that we should throw the picture out. For example, when my wife leaves the house, my daughter and I love looking around the house and pointing out all of the pictures of her. But when she returns I don’t go around and take all the photos down and throw them away! The pictures all have meaning to us and show us where we have been and what we have done. The same is true with our relationship with Yeshua. We will never forget what He has done for us by going and dying a horrible death on a cross. And to remember this event we keep His Passover followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread to remind us of His sinless body as an example for us to live by. Likewise, we believe that Pentecost points us to the time when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Yahweh’s people and that we too can have this supernatural power in our lives as well. While these Spring Festivals have already been fulfilled, we still keep them as a reminder.
There are also things that are still yet to happen. Everyone who is a follower of Yeshua knows that there will come a day when He will return. This is an important event to remember and look forward to, so you would think that Yahweh would have pictures/Festivals that look forward to this event…and He does! We are currently entering into the Fall Festivals, which represent what will happen when Yeshua returns! Today is the Feast of Trumpets and it represents the day in which Yeshua will return. In Leviticus 23:23-25 it says about this day: “The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of Sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the LORD.” It is interesting because Yahweh does not really say why we are to keep this day, but that we are to blow trumpets. However when we come to the New Testament we see that the blowing of trumpets is tied together with Yeshua's returning! You may also remember Yeshua telling us that the day and the hour of his return are not known to us. It says this in Matthew 24:36, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” What he says here is interesting because in Yeshua's day, the Feast of Trumpets became known as the day in which the day and hour were not known because it was the only biblical festival that fell on the first day of the month and was determined by the new moon and when it was seen. Therefore it was not a day that they could plan and know exactly on which day it would fall.
Another fall festival is the Day of Atonement. This day is considered by many to be the holiest day of the year. On this day we are to afflict our soul and fast and pray. It is a time to take a good look at who we are and who we need to be. Yeshua died to atone for our sins and He is also our High Priest in Heaven pleading our case to the Father. To sum it all up, the Day of Atonement is not only about the forgiveness of sin, but it is a picture of the removal of the primary cause of sin, Satan.
The last festival of the year is the week long Feast of Tabernacles ended with The Last Great Day. This is a time when we set up temporary dwellings that we eat, do devotions, and our daily activities in. This temporary dwelling is to remind us of our own body (physical dwelling place on earth) and that we should not get too comfortable here on earth, because we will receive glorified bodies after Yeshua returns. Concluding this festival, we are reminded that, in spite of our material possessions, we are still mortals in need of a literal transformation so we may possess eternal life. At the end of this festival is the final period of Judgment.
Yahweh knows that we as humans need many reminders such as pictures to show us what He is like. But as I stated before, He also wanted to give us a picture of what His divine plan in this world is; the blueprint of salvation. We believe this is exactly why Yahweh gave His people several festivals/Holy days to observe. These Holy days are spread out through the whole year, and each one has it’s own unique purpose for being celebrated and that purpose revolves around and is found in our Lord and Messiah Yeshua!
Reminders are used by everyone in the world today. Everything from sticky notes to alerts on phones are used day in and day out to help us remember what we need to remember and to do what we need to do. As believers in Yeshua, we constantly need reminders so that we can remember and do what Yahweh has called us to do. Yahweh knew that as humans we would forget things and make mistakes, so He has given us outward actions in His word so that we can be empowered to remember to do what He asks.An example of this that is done by every church today would be partaking of the bread and cup. Christians eat unleavened bread to represent Yeshua’s sinless body and drink the fruit of the vine to represent the blood that He poured out for our sins.This is simply not some ritual act that we do to gain Yahweh’s favor, but we do it so that we can remember what our Lord and Savior has done for us!Another reminder in Yahweh’s word, for me, is tassels.Maybe you’ve seen me wearing them and have wondered what they were. So let’s begin to dive into what tassels are and why I wear them.
Tassels are chain like or braided strings with loose threads tied to the four corners of a garment. The Hebrew word is Tzitzit and means, “fringe, tassel, lock.” Scripture tells us that there are to be four tassels, each with a single cord of blue, attatched to the bottom corners of our garments (Deuteromony 22:12). They are seen most often within orthodox Jewish communities, yet there are many Messianics and Hebrew Roots believers who wear them as well.
You may be asking, “If this is a “Jewish” thing, then why in the world would you choose to wear them?”This is a really good question that deserves a good answer, because if tassels truly are only for the Jews, then I really shouldn’t be wearing them.But they are not just for the Jewish community, but are for ALL of Yahweh's people to “look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD...” (Num. 15:39; NASB)This can be seen in Exodus 12:49 which says, “There is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” Yahweh does not have two different standards for different people groups. Yeshua himself said, “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be ONE flock with ONE shepherd.” (John 10:16)This same concept is all throughout scripture, but it would be an entire blog post if I mentioned every single one.However, here is a list of verses to check out! {Lev 18:26; Lev 24:22; Num 15:29-30; Ezek 47:22; Rom 2:11-13}
The command to wear tassels on our garments is found in Numbers 15:37-41, “The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.’”
It’s interesting because right before the command to wear tassels was given, Numbers 15:32-36 deals with a man breaking Sabbath because he was picking up sticks.The Sabbath commandment was clear and the man chose to rebel against Yahweh.Now I don’t think it’s a coincidence that tassels are commanded immediately after this incident took place.Yahweh, being the gracious and loving God that He is, knew that it would be beneficial for His people to have something to look upon and remember His commands.This concept of having something to look at to remind oneself is actually very popular.The WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets were very popular when I was a kid and I still see many who wear them today.Also there are many who wear cross necklaces to do the same.While I think it’s a good idea to have a reminder, I believe that replacing what God has given us with something of our own choosing is clearly condemned in scripture (Deut 12:32; Mk 7:9-13).Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things people use to help remind them to be the person Yahweh has called them to be, and that is perfectly fine.But when we think that our ways are better than Yahweh's and decide to throw out a specific command in favor of something of our own choosing, then that is sin.
In this verse Yahweh is very clear as to why he gave the command to wear tassels; “...so as to do them (the commands) and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot...”As human beings we are inclined toward sin.We tend to be prideful, selfish, and autonomous.But these are all things that Yahweh wants to rid us of, so that we can be humble, selfless, and dependant on Him! Yeshua condemned the Pharisees because “they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they...lengthen the tassels of their garments.” (Matt 23:5)Many like to point out this verse and say that Yeshua was against tassels, but that is simply not true; for Yeshua Himself wore tassels! Yeshua was actually against the way that the Pharisees used them as a symbol of authority and social status.These Pharisees were showing their status by having extra long elaborate tassels (some dragging on the ground) to show that they were more spiritual than others.The problem here is that they were misusing this command, because that is NOT why tassels were given!Tassels should make people more humble because they realize that they are wearing them because they need a reminder, NOT to show off.
So far we’ve looked at what tassels are, who they are for, and why they are worn; but you still may be wondering why I have chosen to wear them.While all the reasons listed so far are good reasons, the biggest and most important reason is because...our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wore them.Matthew 9:20-22 says, “And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His garment, I will get well.’ But Jesus turning and seeing her said, ‘Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.’ At once the woman was made well.”This verse tells us that the woman touched the “fringe” of his cloak.The Greek word is Kraspedon and has the meaning, “a fringe or tassel:--border, hem”.
The Friberg Greek Lexicon has:
“kraspedon ou to(1) as the outer limit of someth.; of a garment hem, border, edge; (2) in Jewish usage, the tassel or fringe on the four corners of the outer garment, worn as a reminder to observe the commandments (cf. NU 15.38ff; DT 22.12).”
This shows us that Yeshua wore tassels and even brought about healing through them.But this is no coincidence, for it was prophesied that the Messiah would rise with “healing in his wings” (Mal 4:2).From these verses we know that our Messiah wore tassels, and that as believers we are called to “walk as He walked” (1 John 2:6), so I have come to the conclusion that I too should wear tassels.I realize that this may be new and kind of odd to most people (it sure was for me at first!), but I hope that you consider these things before Yahweh and come to your own conclusion like the Bereans who examined “the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Putting on the Veil: A Personal Testimony of How I Came to Wear the Head Covering
My purpose in writing this blog post is simple...to allow my Christian family and friends “access” to this particular belief if/when they are feeling too shy to ask me in person. If you are one of the many who have inwardly wondered “WHAT is THAT on your head?” or “WHY do you ALWAYS wear that?” then this one is for you!
I think we can all agree that religious head coverings are much more uncommon (in America) than they used to be. Sure, we still see them worn by Amish, Mennonite, and some other women today, but why (for the most part) have they been abandoned by the vast majority of Christians? It didn’t take a large amount of research to determine that head coverings didn’t start getting abandoned until the Woman’s Liberation Movement starting in the year of 1968 and continuing into the 1970’s.
About 2 years ago, after quite a lot of research and discussion with my (now) husband, I was convicted to start wearing a head covering. I admit that it took me a while to warm up to the idea of always having a piece of cloth on my head. My wonderful husband was so supportive of me through the whole process. He grew up in a church where the women wore coverings, so he was a big encouragement to me. Looking back on this period in our lives, even though I am sure Jeremy would have loved to have seen me in a covering from the start, he never said a word about it and I respect that he was so patient with me. It was his gentle and loving heart that helped guide me through the following passages that led me to the life changing conviction that I now have, to wear a head covering.
1 Corinthians 11:2 says: “Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.”My first thought when reading this is probably similar to the first thought of many of you. The word ‘traditions’ tends to have a negative connotation and usually makes me think of something that is not actually commanded but is just “added on” or “in addition to” God’s word. However, that is not necessarily the case in this passage! After seeing how the same word “tradition” is used in other places in the Bible, I realized that the negative stigma this word carries isn’t always the way it is. A different passage where “tradition” is used positively is 2 Thessalonians 2:15 and it says: “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.”Now both of these verses use the same Greek word for “traditions” and we found that it can also mean “ordinance”. Both of these passages are written by Paul and both use the phrase “hold to the traditions that were taught/passed on to you” as if to “ordain” that this should be done.
Once I started researching God’s Word regarding the head covering, it was evident that a major reason behind women wearing the head covering is to signify God’s divine order. 1 Corinthians 11:3 says: “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Now, let me start off by stating that, while I am married, I do not think that a woman needs to be married in order to wear a covering. This passage says the man is the head of a woman, IT DOES NOT SAY the husband is the head of a woman! Therefore, it makes sense to say that this is not only referring to married women, but to single, courting, engaged, and widowed women too! For me, this conviction arose during a time in my life when I was already reaffirming my beliefs because I was engaged to be married and wanted to “start out right”. I knew that in order to show submission to God and to all other men (especially to my husband) that I needed to follow this faithfully. To continue with divine order, 1 Corinthians 11:4-5 says: “Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved.” The “head” refers either to the heads on our neck, or to our heads in reference to divine order depending on the placement. To clarify my point, Verse 4 would read like this: Every man who has something his head (the head on his neck) while praying or prophesying disgraces his head (divine order: man’s head is Christ).
The history in the Bible teaches us that women are to keep their hair long (without actually giving us a clear length) and that it is shameful to have it cut off or shaved because our hair is our god-given glory as well as natural covering for us. 1 Corinthians 11:6 says: “For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.” At first glance, this verse can be taken two different ways. I have heard many people say that a woman’s covering is her hair and only her hair; therefore women do not need to wear an additional cloth covering. But in my opinion, this belief is very flawed. This line of thinking comes from a verse later on in this passage (1 Corinthians 11:15) which I will get into later. But with this thought (that the only covering is our hair), let’s read through the verse again: “For if a woman does not cover her head [with her hair], let her also have her hair cut off...” The word ALSO is key here! Under the thinking that the hair is the only covering discussed, this passage does NOT make sense! Think about it like this: if a woman does not cover her head [with her hair], then that would mean she is bald! So if we keep reading forward, HOW could she then “let her hair be cut off” if she is already bald?
Now we will RE-read this verse with the belief that an additional separate veil/piece of cloth is our covering. “For if a woman does not cover her head [with a separate piece of cloth as a covering], let her also have her hair cut off...” The passage DOES make sense under this line of thinking! Now, this passage is saying that if a woman refuses to wear an additional cloth covering (over her natural hair covering), then that woman should cut off her natural hair covering because it is such a shameful decision she is making to choose not to follow this command!
1 Corinthians 11:7 says: “For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. After reading this verse, I couldn’t help but to think: “why do men still take off their hats for prayer, but women don’t cover their heads”? I have heard many arguments against head coverings, but if coverings are done away with or are only a cultural thing, than why do we even bother with having the men uncover their heads? This is an inconsistency that many Christians (including myself) fell, and continue to fall prey to.
1 Corinthians 11:8-12 says:“For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.” What stood out to me in this passage is the statement “Because of the angels”. For the longest time, I did not fully understand what this meant, however, now this simple statement is a huge encouragement to me in my choice to wear a covering. Angels are not omniscient (all-knowing) as God is. The angels do not necessarily just know who is or isn’t submitted to God’s authority. I believe God has left it up to the woman herself to show the angels that she is under the authority of God and man by means of wearing a head covering! Let’s remember that there are fallen angels (like Satan and other demonic spirits) and also un-fallen angels (God’s messengers). I believe the head covering is a sign to BOTH spiritual realms. When the un-fallen angels see a woman’s head covering, they see that this woman knows her place and is committed to God. They are like our guardian angels – sent to minister to and protect women who testify by wearing a covering. When fallen angels, on the other hand, see a woman wearing a covering, they will be more apt to leave her alone because they realize that this woman is divinely protected. Fallen angels are less likely to try to deceive a woman wearing a covering because they know that she is under the power and authority of God so she will not be easily deceived by them. They will instead seek out a woman who is acting independently and not in submission to God’s divine order – just as Eve was so easily deceived in the garden when she acted out (alone/independently) by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
1 Corinthians 11:13-15 says: “Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.”
Up until this point, when talking about the covering, Paul has used the Greek word katakalupto. When breaking down this word we find the prefix kata meaning “down”and then kalupto meaning “cover”; and when combined together this translates as “to come down and cover”. This clearly represents what a cloth head covering does. However, in this verse, Paul uses a different Greek word peribolaion which uses the prefix peri meaning “around”. Rather than a cloth covering, this word better describes a woman’s hair (or natural covering) as our hair is like a mantle framing the perimeter of our face. The question is: WHY did Paul introduce a new word (peribolaion) which is completely unrelated to the first (katakalupto)? It is clear that he wanted this new word to stand out, and that he didn’t want to confuse the peribolaion natural covering (long hair) with the katakalupto cloth covering (piece of tangible cloth). Paul differentiates between the two so his readers see that both the hair covering AND the cloth covering are being discussed here. This teaches us that the hair as a covering is not the same as a cloth as a covering because if it was (and if hair was the only covering we needed) than he would have just used the same word, and not made it a point to show the differentiation!
Also in these last three verses, Paul asks the Corinthians to “Judge for yourselves”, which he intended rhetorically. He believed his audience would understand that a woman should wear a covering when praying to God. He then concludes his teaching with the reminder that there is no other option than wearing a head covering among the churches of God (believers), so there is no grounds for a controversy to arise.
I also want to mention that throughout his entire teaching here, Paul is trying to motivate women! Now, if hair was our only covering, how can we motivate it to grow? How could women be expected to DO something that we have little control over? I mean, being that we are indeed supposed to DO something (perform an action which Paul is motivating us to do), it makes a lot more sense to say that putting on a cloth covering would be that action! It shows an effort on our part, just as following any scripture takes some kind of effort.
Lastly, I found it interesting that at the end of this very same Corinthians 11 chapter, Paul brings up the Lord’s Supper. This leads his audience to wonder why we (the believers) hold on to such practices as communion and even baptism, but we steer away from the wearing of the head covering. It seems inconsistent that we would hold on to (and in many cases insist on) keeping those practices mentioned by Paul, but yet refuse the practice of wearing a head covering. I had to remind myself not to pick and choose which practices to keep, and to try my hardest to just keep them all!
I have decided to cover my head pretty much all the time instead of just while praying or prophesying. This decision is based on three things. Firstly, to be an example and represent God’s divine order to other christians. Secondly, because by me wearing a covering, it shows the angels that I am one they can minister to. And thirdly, out of convenience; In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 the Bible commands all christians to “Pray continually, without ceasing” or at least to be ready to pray with just a moment’s notice! Since, I don’t want to be scrambling around for my head covering (many times a day) when I want to pray or prophesy (which is interpreted to mean reading, studying, having thoughts on, or talking about anything of God), it is simply more convenient for me to just always have my covering on! Wearing a head covering is a very humbling experience – reminding me of my God given role as a woman. It is also my daily reminder to follow scripture and act in accordance to God’s will for me. Through wearing a covering, my personal walk with God has been and continues to be strengthened greatly!
