Cane got me thinking about this again.
Headcoverings, that is. I have a fairly liberal interpretation, where I require my wife to wear a covering in church, but do not require it outside of church. (Although I’ve been re-evaluating that recently.)
Anyhow, in the comments at Cane’s place, I shared the following:
Before we wed, I made it clear to my wife that this verse would be followed. So far, every week, every church, she has been the only woman covered–but many women have come up to her to ask why she covers, giving many chances to share God’s instructions on family structure.
Cane replied with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek:
But, but, but…head coverings aren’t relevant in this day and age! What’s important are creating opportunities for women to minister to one another…
The head covering is an attention-getter in virtually any US church, giving the wearer many opportunities to share with other curious women what it symbolizes–commitment to Biblical roles and submission to the authority of God and husband.
Let me rephrase that. The prayer veil gives the wearer countless opportunities to minister to other women.
Think about that.
Many–if not most–churches today attempt to justify the heresy of women “pastors” because “women should be ministering to people too.” But the experience across the board is that woman-pastor abominations do not minister to anyone, but tear down the body of Christ with their own hands.
Yet, the answer is as beautifully simple as all of God’s answers: a simple piece of cloth.
A piece of cloth that allows a woman to minister by example. A piece of cloth that allows a woman to share Biblical family structure. A piece of cloth that allows a woman to demonstrate a gentle and quiet spirit. A piece of cloth that preaches the gospel louder, more clearly, and more effectively than any number of sermons from any number of women pretending to be shepherds of the flock.
Remember this: whether the goal be empowering women to share the gospel, or something completely unrelated, God’s way works. Every other way will fail.