If you need a haircut...

I admit there are certain passages of scripture that seem really puzzling to me. Maybe it’s just a difference in culture and history. 1 Corinthians 11 is one of those. The verses spend what feels like an inordinate amount of time on hair and head coverings. This is the kind of thing that leads to all kinds of weird human behaviors and rules. When my mom was a college student...she literally felt compelled to get permission from her pastor to get a haircut! Wow...just wow!

This is also the kind of passage that can lead women and men to challenge each other about who is in charge and who has the right to lead and who is expected to submit. Another lovely subject area in present day terms...not.

I strongly doubt that the pastor is going to talk this week about the length of your hair or whether you wear a head covering or not. If you need a haircut...go get one! I think the point is far more about respecting authority and honoring God.

What does that look like in 2019? That’s what we need to ponder. 

Submission is not a word that any of us probably feel wonderful about. But the reality is...sometimes we lead and sometimes we submit, and we need to understand and accept the reality of how that process works.

Growing up in the church...I’m sure I developed a bit of a negative response to this whole thing because of the man-made rules that were made to keep certain people in their place. We have to be able to recognize what matters to God and what doesn’t. From everything I read and have experienced in my own life I know the heart issue of surrendering to Jesus and making Him the Lord of my life is what matters. 

Get that right and everything else will fall into place just fine.

-Ruth Spencer