I wanted to write out a long discertation on why and how I cover my head, but I find myself pressed for time. I promise I will write it soon, because I get lots of questions about it and I have been feeling the need to write it out. For today though, to keep my promise to Roxie, I have listed links to 2 articles I’ve written about it and 6 other resources that are comprehensive and educational.
Christian women covered their heads for at least 1,950 years. It’s only in the last 50 years that American Women have stopped. One of the links below has a pictorial essay that I found quite interesting. Enjoy!
Introduction to headcovering by Miss Maggie
Beginner’s Tips by Miss Maggie
An Indepth Study of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
Headcovering Through the Centuries–Pictorial
Scarf of Hidden Power (free ebook download)
Let Her Be Veiled by Tom Shank
Tapes & Online Sermons from Charity Ministries
Free E-Book & Several other Resources
11 responses so far ↓
Roxanna Meiske // April 25, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Thank you. I will be reading and studing these. Roxie
Mom of 4 // April 25, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I’m curious as to your perspective on how head covering fits in with our Lord’s admonitions in Matthew 6 not to draw attention to ourselves. I’m on the fence myself because I can see it from two perspectives: one is that we shouldn’t make a show of ourselves, but OTOH we’re supposed to be salt and light. I’d be interested in your reflections on this, as well as hearing more about your experiences in the secular world since you started covering.
Mrs. Gunning // April 26, 2008 at 4:45 am
I am loving these encouraging posts! Thank you!
Mom of 4, for me, personally, Matthew 6 is speaking of making a spectacle of acts done for the Lord (which actually makes them acts for self, not the Lord). Obviously, if I were wearing a covering over my head as a symbol, jumping up and down in the street proclaiming why I am wearing it, it is making a spectacle. Simply running errands is not an act of attention-grabbing in itself. Granted, people will look, especially if a covering is something other than a bandanna, however, this is not staring at a spectacle, it is taking note of someone that looks just a little different - something quiet and subtle, but obvious.
Personally, I don’t see wearing a covering relating to Matthew 6 in a true sense of drawing attention to ourselves.
I’ve seen far more women with cleavage hanging out that are Christians drawing “that kind” of attention to themselves than women with head coverings being spectacles.
*shrugs* To each his own on this matter, I guess.
frugalabundance // April 26, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Hi Mom of 4. I think that when I wear the covering I point to Christ, not to myself. It’s humbling to wear a covering. I become less important and God becomes more important.
We know that women prayed and prophesied in public back then because of 1 Corinthians 11:5–But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to–Pray without ceasing.
Matthew 6 is about Giving Alms (Matthew 1-4), Praying (Matthew 6:5-13–the Lord’s Prayer specifically), Fasting (16-18), Greed (19-24) & Worldly Worries (25-34).
We know the Bible does’t contradict itself. When I read Matthew 6:5-13, it doesn’t seem to me to contradict 1 Corinthians 11:5 . They seem complimentary to me.
I feel like I should be doing a better job of answering your question, but I’m not sure exactly what you want to know. Ask any other questions you have and I’ll answer them the best I can.
Appz-N-Warez // April 27, 2008 at 7:27 am
Thank you very much for the article.
Mamalade // April 28, 2008 at 9:41 am
I would like to thank you for even opening the door for us to converse on this very timely subject. I think ” women of God” has become a slogan that we throw around very carlessly. I don’t think we take enough time to study and to show ourselves approved and in doing so or not doing so we allow ourselves to judge our selves by ourselves instead of the standard of the bible. I love the fact that this is challenging us as “Women” to seek, search and hunger after the truth which will inturn lead us to HIM. Ladies I am encouraged by the challenge that I have recieved by the LORD to continue seeking him in this area that I may continue to RENEW MY MIND IN HIM.
I have been covering my head with BANDANAS for 2 years maybe He is challenging me to change and go even deeper undercover. How exciting!!
Thank You
Mom of 4 // April 28, 2008 at 10:04 am
Good answers, all! I hope it didn’t seem like I was putting anyone on the spot with the question I asked; it’s just that if I were to cover my head, I’m pretty sure I’d feel self-conscious, and as if I were drawing attention to myself, instead of making myself less so that God can be more, KWIM? Maybe one adapts?
OTOH, it doesn’t bother me a bit to swim upstream of the dominant culture in other ways, so I guess I’m inconsistent! (*chuckle*) Anyhow, thanks for a thought-provoking subject.
frugalabundance // April 28, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Excellent point Mamalade, thanks for sharing.
Mom of 4, this subject is weird, it’s outside of our comfort zone, at least it was for me when I first heard of it. I felt humongously self-conscious. When you start doing it as an adult instead of doing it your whole life, and when you don’t have a community to support you in doing it, it’s especially challenging. People looked at me when I first started, mostly because I was still self-conscious about it. Now days I don’t get so many looks, for several reasons I think. For one, it feels natural to me. To be honest that took a couple of years. I mean it felt more natural after a couple of months, but it took me a couple of years to really get completely used to it. While I was adjusting it was awkward. That awkwardness, that discomfort on my side, put me in touch with the Lord on a moment by moment basis that changed me, inside out. It was good for me to feel out of my element for a while. I had a lot of worldly baggage that God needed to shave off of me. I still have worldly baggage, but far less than before I started covering.
Another thing it did was make me change my expectations, of my family, and of the world. I came to expect far better public behavior from my children, which was especially difficult for us because of ADHD (youngest son and husband), mild agoraphobia (oldest son and husband) and Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism (oldest son). It was incredibly challenging to me to teach them how to use manners, how to look people in the eye, how to stay with the cart, how to keep one’s hands to oneself, how to behave respectfully to others, how to be kind to mommy at the check-out counter when stress is at it’s highest–it was hard. But I taught them how to do it and now they can all go out in public, and behave just like everyone else. It weren’t always so though, and I can honestly say that my headcovering gave me patience, love and an ability to disciple them in these areas.
The changes that God was able to make in me after I went “undercover” were enormous. Before I covered I fought God a lot more. After covering, I was more compliant to Him. It made me more receptive to God’s will for me and more willing to follow Him than my own way. Like I said, it made my life more about Him and less about myself.
Wearing a covering is weird in our society. It was normal for 2000 years, but now it’s weird. I don’t mind being weird. I’m eccentric. My extended family is eccentric. I think I would have stood out no matter what I did. I would rather stand out for Godly-ness than for Worldly-ness. I’ve stood up (and out) for both and doing it for God is much better for me.
kristinsdottir // June 3, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Love this paragraph, Frugal Abundance:
>>Wearing a covering is weird in our society. It was normal for 2000 years, but now it’s weird. I don’t mind being weird. I’m eccentric. My extended family is eccentric. I think I would have stood out no matter what I did. I would rather stand out for Godly-ness than for Worldly-ness. I’ve stood up (and out) for both and doing it for God is much better for me.
I feel I could’ve written the same words (but probably not as well).
THANK YOU for blogging on this!
Raven // June 8, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Hi Maggie,
Sorry to be leaving comments on your old posts, but they are all good and I thought you might be interested in this:
Before my daughter was born I worked as an RN, and there is actually an ongoing debate in nursing over whether or not to go back to wearing nurse’s caps. I am a pro-cap person, actually. The advantages of caps are 1) they show identity, like rank and years of education 2) they make nurses stand out from everyone else in scrubs and 3) they look professional. When you look professional, you act more professional. Of course with male nurses things are more complicated, but the profession is still 94% female and we could work something out for the guys.
The opponents thought that caps signified too much subservience to the physician. I’m not sure that that’s really the case. I know I always got more respect in my whites than in colored scrubs (go figure), but I wasn’t allowed to wear a cap at work because nobody else did and they felt it made them look bad, like I was “special”. Or I got confused with the nuns.
So, from a secular viewpoint, head coverings can have a lot of significance as well. Which makes you wonder if there’s something universal about head coverings and females, huh?
You’ve got me thinking about this. Thank you!
Raven
akhomeschoolfun // July 10, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I agree that headcoverings are a symbol. Cowboys are instantly recognized and old-fashioned nurses (I do think that they have lost some of their authority when they gave up their cap and blended into the rest of the hospitals’ staffs). Even different gangs recognize each other by their headcoverings. There is no doubt of what they stand for. Christian women’s headcoverings should be like that too.
Yes, it is awkward at first. I’m still not quite use to it, but use the challenge is a chance to better evaluate my relationship with God and share my faith. I feel a bit like the old Nike commercial, Just Do It! I’m glad I have obeyed.
Since I’ve been enjoying your articles so much lately, I’ve added you to my blogroll. Thanks for the good reading.
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