Believe it or not, the subject of wearing head coverings in church is more practical than you think. Understand that the head covering for a woman, be it a shawl or some kind of a kerchief meant that the woman was submitting to the headship or covering of her husband. It meant that she was living in submission to the God-ordained order that was brought into existence in the creation account of Genesis. So while there was indeed a cultural symbol and recognition of headship that may differ from what you and I in the western culture are familiar with, the principle of living in submission to God-ordained headship and authority is timeless.
As we work our way through the passages in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 this morning, we will see how important it is for us to know and embrace God-ordained order in the church and in our homes as it is laid out before us in Scripture. We will also see that from the very beginning, God made the clear cut distinctions between male and female. Each gender is of great value before God and equal positionally in Christ. But when it comes to the day-to-day carrying out of gender roles in the home and the church, God has clear distinctions for functional purposes. To blur those distinctions gives way to chaos and the disruption of society. May God give to us the grace to embrace His order and live in willing submission to it.
