Headcoverings - Part II
I should wear a covering while praying and prophesying, but what about hypothesis 2? Should I wear a covering at all times? The answer is not as cut and dried as that to hypothesis 1, and there are likely a number of headcovering-wearing "protocols" that would fulfill the Scriptural injunctions.
Some are concerned that it would be adding to Scripture to wear a headcovering at all times when the Bible sets forth certain occasions when it should be done. Definitely, it would be wrong to state as Scripturally authoritative that women should wear headcoverings at all times. Paul made no such statement, and the church is not authoritative.
I do not, however, think it is wrong to wear the headcovering at all times. It would not be wrong for a man to go about bareheaded all the time, even though he is not praying all the time. He just should not state that it is scripturally necessary to always be hatless.
Let's take this a little deeper. We all (should) know it is important to consider more than one passage of Scripture before deciding on a matter. The absence of a principle (a principle to be found elsewhere in the Bible) in a chapter does not mean we should disregard it in relation to that chapter. I'm not advocating piecing unrelated parts of the Bible together to make some form of statement as one would make a card from sundry magazine cuttings. But be reasonable, and you'll be fine.
So, headcoverings are to be worn while praying and prophesying; for the purposes of demonstrating headship, having power "because of the angels," and concealing man's glory.
It would make more sense to wear a headcovering most of the time if prayer was to be frequently engaged in. Is it?
Prayer is communication with God. It is a really, really important part of our relationship with him. While the Bible does not require that a certain percentage of the day be spent in prayer, it seems that a vibrant relationship with God would involve frequent prayer. If my entire life is to be lived as holy before God ("For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Heb 4:10 - our entire lives are to be for God. Living for God requires communion with him - not just on Sunday, or during one's devotions, but always.), I will seek his guidance regarding interactions with others, I will have a heavenly focus that leads me to pray for the salvation of those around me, I will frequently thank God for what he has done for me, etc. Prayer should be very common in my life.
Some verses to support this concept:
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" Eph 6:18
"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thess 5:17 - I don't think it means to pray always, but prayer should be an integral part of my life.
"Be sober, be vigilant;" 1 Peter 5:8a - part of being watchful involves a mind frequently turned toward God.
"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Ps 119:97 - if we are meditating often on God's word, it would be natural to also seek his guidance for understanding it.
(Please don't think that I live up to the prayer ideals I have delineated here - they are good goals, though.)
Since prayer is to be so frequent, it would make sense to usually have a covering on. However, it is good to have more reasons for doing something than simple convenience.
I personally think I would be less prone to pray if I had to affix a covering to my head each individual time. I would have less of a tendency toward continual communion with God. If I was an ideal Christian, that wouldn't be an issue. But I'm not the ideal, and should be willing to facilitate communion with God by wearing a covering as much as is reasonable.
If I was in a college lecture and continually taking my covering out of my backpack to pray for the professor with a headache, or the classmate who lost their train of thought during a speech, or some friend way off across the US, it would be distracting (yeah, it would point out to the others the reason for my wearing a headcovering, but I don't think they would form a favorable opinion of it). I can imagine that they'd ask me why I didn't just wear it all the time. "Well, uh, because the Bible only said to wear it when I was praying and prophesying so I think it is therefore wrong to wear it any other time." Maybe that reasoning contains a bit of legalism, along with the concept that one must wear a covering at all times. Scripture neither commands women to wear coverings at all times, nor to not wear coverings when not praying.
Donning a covering upon praying could become similar to the Pharisee praying on the street corner. Obviously, I wouldn't be applying my headcovering so conspicuously to be thought well of, but it may look that way to others.
To be fair, if I doned my headcovering every time I prayed, it would help remind me of my position before God - but I still hold that I would pray less often and not be as close to God as I might be otherwise.
I think a proper operating standard would be to wear the headcovering as much as is reasonable - in other words, most of the time. Traditionally, it seems that men have so interpreted 1 Corinthians 11 with regard to not wearing headcoverings - they wear them sometimes, but remove them upon entering a house. Women similarly should feel okay about removing their coverings when a necessary activity requires it.
Let me reiterate that I think it is best to wear a headcovering the majority of the time. I am not saying that the Bible commands it, but rather that it should facilitate me in my Christian life and I think in the lives of others, too.
Again, if my logic is bad, let me know.
Some are concerned that it would be adding to Scripture to wear a headcovering at all times when the Bible sets forth certain occasions when it should be done. Definitely, it would be wrong to state as Scripturally authoritative that women should wear headcoverings at all times. Paul made no such statement, and the church is not authoritative.
I do not, however, think it is wrong to wear the headcovering at all times. It would not be wrong for a man to go about bareheaded all the time, even though he is not praying all the time. He just should not state that it is scripturally necessary to always be hatless.
Let's take this a little deeper. We all (should) know it is important to consider more than one passage of Scripture before deciding on a matter. The absence of a principle (a principle to be found elsewhere in the Bible) in a chapter does not mean we should disregard it in relation to that chapter. I'm not advocating piecing unrelated parts of the Bible together to make some form of statement as one would make a card from sundry magazine cuttings. But be reasonable, and you'll be fine.
So, headcoverings are to be worn while praying and prophesying; for the purposes of demonstrating headship, having power "because of the angels," and concealing man's glory.
It would make more sense to wear a headcovering most of the time if prayer was to be frequently engaged in. Is it?
Prayer is communication with God. It is a really, really important part of our relationship with him. While the Bible does not require that a certain percentage of the day be spent in prayer, it seems that a vibrant relationship with God would involve frequent prayer. If my entire life is to be lived as holy before God ("For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Heb 4:10 - our entire lives are to be for God. Living for God requires communion with him - not just on Sunday, or during one's devotions, but always.), I will seek his guidance regarding interactions with others, I will have a heavenly focus that leads me to pray for the salvation of those around me, I will frequently thank God for what he has done for me, etc. Prayer should be very common in my life.
Some verses to support this concept:
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" Eph 6:18
"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thess 5:17 - I don't think it means to pray always, but prayer should be an integral part of my life.
"Be sober, be vigilant;" 1 Peter 5:8a - part of being watchful involves a mind frequently turned toward God.
"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Ps 119:97 - if we are meditating often on God's word, it would be natural to also seek his guidance for understanding it.
(Please don't think that I live up to the prayer ideals I have delineated here - they are good goals, though.)
Since prayer is to be so frequent, it would make sense to usually have a covering on. However, it is good to have more reasons for doing something than simple convenience.
I personally think I would be less prone to pray if I had to affix a covering to my head each individual time. I would have less of a tendency toward continual communion with God. If I was an ideal Christian, that wouldn't be an issue. But I'm not the ideal, and should be willing to facilitate communion with God by wearing a covering as much as is reasonable.
If I was in a college lecture and continually taking my covering out of my backpack to pray for the professor with a headache, or the classmate who lost their train of thought during a speech, or some friend way off across the US, it would be distracting (yeah, it would point out to the others the reason for my wearing a headcovering, but I don't think they would form a favorable opinion of it). I can imagine that they'd ask me why I didn't just wear it all the time. "Well, uh, because the Bible only said to wear it when I was praying and prophesying so I think it is therefore wrong to wear it any other time." Maybe that reasoning contains a bit of legalism, along with the concept that one must wear a covering at all times. Scripture neither commands women to wear coverings at all times, nor to not wear coverings when not praying.
Donning a covering upon praying could become similar to the Pharisee praying on the street corner. Obviously, I wouldn't be applying my headcovering so conspicuously to be thought well of, but it may look that way to others.
To be fair, if I doned my headcovering every time I prayed, it would help remind me of my position before God - but I still hold that I would pray less often and not be as close to God as I might be otherwise.
I think a proper operating standard would be to wear the headcovering as much as is reasonable - in other words, most of the time. Traditionally, it seems that men have so interpreted 1 Corinthians 11 with regard to not wearing headcoverings - they wear them sometimes, but remove them upon entering a house. Women similarly should feel okay about removing their coverings when a necessary activity requires it.
Let me reiterate that I think it is best to wear a headcovering the majority of the time. I am not saying that the Bible commands it, but rather that it should facilitate me in my Christian life and I think in the lives of others, too.
Again, if my logic is bad, let me know.
posted by Claire at 20:40
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