Clint,
Thank you for that link. I can't look at it now, but I will be in the future. I get on here in blurbs when I can get a second to sit down.
Pastor Bob,
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement and more than that understanding that when I say that this has absolutely not one ioda to do with salvation I mean it. Gosh, when I was saved I was a doing things that I am deeply ashamed of now. But, I know that the blood is enough to wash those away. The perfect blood of Jesus Christ washed a filthy sinner like me clean. And now I desire to live wholeheartedly for Him. I fail miserably most of the time but my heart is set there at pleasing Him.
Ok ladies, now to give the first part of my testimony. I did it kind of backwards sorry.
About seven years ago I began to read the Word and I was going through a trial in my life, one that I caused. And during that time I realized the foolishness of choosing my own way over the Lord's. I caused myself and others heartache mainly for being out of the will of God. So, I began to read the Word and I decided that I would begin trying to follow it as well.
Well, that is where my trouble began. I noticed that when I began to follow one area I was faced with opposition. But, then I learned how to handle the opposition. Then the Lord would show me another area and so on and on.
Then this issue of the veil came up about three years ago. I read it in 1 Corinthians 11 while stydying the Word. This verse kept jumping out at me 1 Corinthians 11:6, "For if a woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered." Then I kept seeing the verse at the bottom that says long hair is given as a covering. I kept trying to reconcile the two verses. Why would verse six clearly say that if she be not covered let her be shorn, (hair cut off,) but then verse 15 says that hair is a covering? Why would the Lord inspire Paul to spend all of this time with this chapter? I had never seen any Baptist woman with a covering on. The only ladies I ever saw with coverings on were nuns, I grew up Catholic and back then they still wore them. BTW, if you ask them why I was told they will answer 1 Corinthians 11.
Anyway, and I knew Amish women wore them too. But, I always thought they wore them because they were stuck in time. I did not know that there were women all over the world who were returning to this practice. Most of whom were alone in their churches as I am to this day.
Headcovering is not a fellowship issue either. I have friends who wear no covering and I have some that do in other churches. I do not see it as a litmus test for one's spirituality either. I would love to see more Christian women covered, yes but that is not the test that proves one more holier or having a better standing with the Lord.
Well, I dismissed the covering as I discussed the verses with a friend. She kept telling me that it was the hair. But, I could not get over verse six. Because if it were only the hair it would be saying, If she has short hair let her have short hair.
Then I began to do searches on the internet about a year after that and found that other women were doing this. They were not all Mennonite either. They were from literally many denominations. And one thing kept coming up over and over as I read more. Submission and God's order of creation.
Well, I ordered a booklet for free from Stephen Hulshizer called, "The Truth of Headship and It's Symbolic Practice." I took my time and read it very slowly. I could not believe what the Lord was showing me. This piece of cloth's meaning is more than submission it is about freedom in Christ.
When Eve sinned she was out of order. She usurped authority from her husband. She chose to get out of order.
But, with Christ we can be in order. We can be the way God intended it to be. God-Christ-Man-Woman. No, that does mean I go to a man for salvation. It means that God is a God of order and not chaos. This world is a chaotic place with women usurping authority left and right and even in the Church. God wants order and the covering stands for that order. It says I have chosen to follow God's order of creation. I have chosen against popular opinion to get under authority. Do I like being there, not always. But, there is peace in making the proclamation that God's ways are best and He is and orderly God.
Also in verse 9 it says that the woman was created for the man. This was a hard one for me to swallow. But, it was written in a different way in Genesis 2. I was ceated for my husband, not the other way around. Not an easy one to take in this culture that teaches women are to have their own identities and such.
I am not saying that the Lord never calls a woman to work outside of the home or remain single what I am saying is that woman was originally made as a helpmeet for man.
As far as wearing the veil all the time, after reading Hulshizer's book I approached my husband. I told him I had been studying this issue at length and felt the Holy Spirit ask me to do this. I asked him if he would not mind if I did this, because I told him that I did not want to cause any embarrassment to him, knowing that no others practiced this. He gave me his permission and later studied more himself.
Then I read some more online and found this site which I think is wonderful. I have met the author and she is a meek and gentle lady.
About protection, the other verse that helped convict me was verse ten. In that the Lord speaking through Paul says, "Because of the angels." now, what in the world does that mean? I still do not know exactly, but I do know that in the Moses was told to put blood on the doorposts as a sign for the angel of death to passover their homes. So, it seems that possibly the angels use this as a sign. Some even call the veiling a sign covering. I believe I have been protected spiritually and physically since wearing the veiling. I probably have no idea what I have been protected from but I do know that the Lord saw fit to include the words, "Because of the angels."
This made me know for sure that there was something very important about this practice. Why were the angels involved in this?
Another thing that helped me understand it was studying Vines Expository Dictionary. I do not know Greek so I must rely on these type of books. It says that the word for covering in verse six is dfferent than in verse fifteen. Also many other commentaries say that a fabric covering is in order, especially the ones from days gone by.
Then I looked at history. I heard about a day when all women wore hats to church. My Pastor told us he remembers those days. I do remember older women when I was a girl wearing scarves when they left the home.
I even have a book about First Ladies from Martha to Barbara Bush. I found it quite interesting that most women until the late 1800's had some type of covering on. Then all of a sudden, no veil and short hair.
Then I put all the pieces together. The removal of the veil is part of something very big: Feminism.
It all made sense now. Out of order, in charge, no veil, short hair, outside of the home, in pants.
I was raised this way, BTW.
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