The Churches of God…

Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (NASB)

The churches of God have no other practice.

What then, shall I conclude about the many–and varied–churches I have visited in which my wife was the only woman covered?

Morning Musings

I’ve been sitting up for a couple hours after giving up on trying to sleep at 5:30 this morning.

We are finally mostly moved in. I need to go cut the lawn, but it’s still too wet from dew.

We haven’t found a church yet–and I’ll be traveling the next two weeks, so it will be awhile.

But I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit. I was reading recently about the Christological dispute that separated the Coptic Church from Eastern Orthodoxy, and thinking about how minor it was compared to the many current denominations that are not even Christian in any sense of the word.

Since I’ll be travelling for a while, and not home to do the myriad of things that need doing, maybe I’ll have a few more chances to write.

The last several years I attended a church that had swallowed the progressive pill big time. I regarded it as a missionary endeavor, and made some progress. I befriended the pastor, and kept bringing things up. He switched from pussy-footing around issues to speaking to them directly, and started preaching straight from the Bible rather than preaching feel-good progressivism.

But I moved thousands of miles.

And now I have a kid on the way.

Is it wise to try to exorcise a church if it means bringing my wife and child to a place where demons and the devil are not only present, but lauded as Holy God and angels? I’d far rather find a church whose soul is intact, and then fight to keep it that way.

Is that laziness on my part? Fear? Or just a change in my calling?

I’m not willing to endanger the souls of those in my charge to fight for souls not in my charge.

But is that part of the problem?

Are the souls of so many churches demon-possessed because fathers of the faith are keeping their families away from their demonic influence rather than reclaiming them in Christ’s name?

I don’t know.

The birds are singing. It’s a beautiful morning. I’m going to put this computer down, smoke my pipe and pray.

Because I lack wisdom, but God doesn’t.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. —James 1:5 (NASB)