Covering and Children. [Ps 127]

When I looked at today’s passages I found an ellipsis. The editors had started with I Cor 11:2, and then left out all the teaching until verse 19. As if it was not relevant. I also saw one of the Songs of Ascents which in my head is called “Quiverful” and noted who composed it.

Solomon. The wisest and richest of all the Kings. The builder of the temple, said that Children are a heritage, and the sons of your youth a squad. For your back will be covered in disputes: your enemies may dislike you, but they can count.

Then I thought of a bad reality TV show: the Block, which the son and I are watching, because it is our old suburb. WHen the competitors needed to choose their houses, the number of times the woman in the couple looked to their partner (most of them are unmarried: it is NZ, after all) was significant.

And I thought of my father, who adopted four children by the time he was 34, and my generation, where most of us did not have our first child until after that (but me). I finished my first degree before he was 50, and now in my 50s I still seek his wisdom. The children of your youth can support you in a way that those of middle age simply cannot do.

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

(Psalm 127 ESV)

Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

(1 Corinthians 11:2-22 ESV)

Now, all scripture is given to us for our instruction. Including the parts we don’t want to deal with. Neither of these passages are acceptable to the tyrants of this age: we now have to choose, at least in the full progressive moron states of the USA (Oregon is evil: it legalized euthanasia, showing the state loves death, not life) between our fortunes and our faith.

Well, the orthodox church follows this practice. This is an example of how they do it.

In our church, all women and girls are asked to wear headcoverings, in obedience to God’s command in Scripture, and out of respect for the holy traditions of the Orthodox Church. Just inside the front door of the church, we keep a basket of headcoverings, just in case a woman forgets hers at home and needs to borrow one for the day. Headcoverings are also worn at home, during family prayer time.

While honoring God’s direction is a reward unto itself, there are many other benefits as well. For example:

Headcoverings manifest a woman’s honor. As St. Paul points out in Scripture, a woman brings honor to herself by covering her head during prayer.

Headcoverings encourage humility. Godly women come to church to focus on worship, not to draw attention to themselves. A girl may be tempted to show off an attractive hairdo. When a woman wears a headcovering, this temptation is removed. She can focus on prayer, instead of on hair.

Headcoverings save time. In today’s culture, it can be tempting to spend a lot of time and energy on hairstyles. But headcoverings are quick and easy. It takes a lot less time to put on a headcovering, than it does to prepare a hairdo for display.

Headcoverings help us show love and consideration for our brothers. Godly men come to church to focus on worship. But the flowing locks of beautiful woman can be distracting. By veiling her hair, a woman can display her modesty, and remove an unnecessary distraction.

Many will rebel from this. They don’t want to stand out, and most of them like their hair. Which is not a sin: girls should be girls. But… one of the things one notices is that faithful women are (a) generally more happy (b) generally are unafraid of childbirth and children and the part of society that encourages this breeds.

The neon hued liberals breed late, or not at all.

There may also be benefits to women that are both practical and spiritual. The Orthodox take the comment in the passage of I Corinthians about this being because of the angels seriously, as the previous link discusses. (Go read it). Note: this author is Catholic, crunchily so.

As if women don’t tie their hair back or wear head bands frequently for practical reasons: you do not want your hair being caught in gym equipment. You either have it short or bound back. And, like most men, I think longer hair is better.

I put a wide headband or scarf on in the morning, and take it off in the evening. Now that I’ve had more experience with it, I’d like to offer a few impressions:

• I feel more reverent in church. I used to attend Mass bare-headed, and it always left me a bit unsettled. Now I am sure that I am showing proper reverence to the Eucharist, and that I am not distracting the men around me with my bouncing curls and hair-tossing.
• I feel more deferential outside of church. My headcovering is a constant reminder of my wifely submission and religious adherence, and it serves as a walking guilt-trip. I’m finding it more difficult to be rude or unkind, as my association is clearly marked and I worry about making a bad example. It also makes my prayer life more intense, somehow.
• Head coverings make having longer hair more convenient. I used to have my hair cropped quite close to my head, but now it’s nearly shoulder-length. As I possess a wild mess of curls, this was usually the length were I would give up growing it out and chop it all off again. This time I haven’t even noticed my hair growing, except when washing it at night (it doesn’t dry as quickly anymore).
• That might not seem like an important point to make, but it might help explain why shorter hairstyles became popular among women at the same time that head coverings went out of favor. My hair no longer seems like a time and energy consuming burden. I just wake up, brush it through, tie it up, and I’m done.
• I get stared at a bit more, but I have not received any negative feedback except from my mother (who says I look like an “Amish girl”). I have also not had any questions, which disappoints me.
• Head coverings are comfortable. I suspect the different styles will appeal to different people, but I find the Cecily style stays in place without pulling, pinching, or pinning. It keeps my hair out of my face and off my neck, covers my head, but allows a bit of my hair to peek out at the bottom, so it looks less severe than some other styles. On cooler days, I wear it open like a scarf. On really hot days, I wear it bunched up like a headband. Marvelous. I admit, I spent two month’s worth of my pin money on these coverings. One must be matching, you know.
• My husband likes them. At first he was a bit weirded-out by the whole thing (What’s my crazy wife up to again?), but he’s since gotten used to them. He’s surprised me by declaring that a rather old-fashioned brown crepe with lace is his favorite. He says it’s romantic. I came home from Easter Vigil with a beige pashmina shawl pulled up over my head, and when he opened the door he just stared for a moment, and then said, “You look like the Virgin Mary.”
• My hair has taken on a more sensual aspect than before. I have noticed that he’s more inclined to notice and touch my hair, now that he only sees it for a short period every day. He used to not notice it at all, even when it was longer, and now he takes my scarf off and plays with it.
• I don’t put any “gunk” in it anymore, since I don’t have to style it. I’m also more inclined to leave it curly, rather than tame it with my flat iron. Because it’s protected all day, there’s no frizz, no bleaching out, and no tangles, so it feels softer and smoother.
• I am treated with more respect by strangers. Men are more inclined to open doors for me, or to offer to help me with something heavy. Women are also more pleasant, and often even deferential. I am assumed to be more mature than I am, and my opinion carries a heavier weight than before. Paradoxically, my profession of submission grants me more authority.
• At the same time, I look younger than without a covering. I have long noticed that women in feminine headcoverings look more demure and sweet to me, and I appear to not be the only one who sees them that way. I’ll occasionally catch my husband looking at me, and he’ll smile and say, “You look cute.” Sometimes he caves completely and adds a kiss on the cheek.

All in all, covering my head has been a wonderful experience. I am going to continue to cover, and I heartily recommend it to my female readers.

There is treasure in the less read passages. Here is teaching that is specific to women in part, but consider the male side of this: keep your hair fairly short — and do not cover your head in prayer and hide under a shawl.

But above all, pray.