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I don't want to sound like I'm throwing stones at the Corinthian church, because if it were for their missteps we would have nothing to learn from.
This passage has brought a lot of controversy in the church and the issue of women in leadership and ministry. Everything I've learned Paul was speaking specifically at the Corinthian church not the church as a whole. Paul acknowledge women in ministry and for a lack of a better word gave them "kudos" for their work.
There's also the issue of the Lord's Supper which unlike my church was a full meal. Again the people of Corinth are looking out for their own needs before the needs of others. This morning in our Adult Bible Fellowship (AKA Sunday School for adults) our Pastor's wife, Lisa, was sharing about talking with other leaders this week who are doing church self-evaluations and they are seeing a similar thing. The people in their churches are more concerned about what's in it for me and forgetting the lost and dying world outside their doorsteps. As Christians we already have the most important thing we could have, salvation. But as we talked we all felt the same thing, we get thrown at us daily the "you deserve it" mentality that it's in our churches as well. I want to go to church and be fed the Word of God and encouraged in my walk, but it's bigger than that, people are dying every day without knowing Jesus. That should break my heart, but honestly, I don't always think about it.
Paul's writing to a church in trouble, but am I really that different!?!?
Be Blessed
I've thought a lot lately about these first few verses because I am in contact with a good many Mennonites. The conservative Mennonites practice head covering and believe the women should all wear long hair. They take these verses literally, even today.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm coming to realize, is these verses to me mean that I should worship in a way that doesn't call attention to myself. Worship is about God and we shouldn't be a distraction. Back in those days in Corinth, that probably meant men cutting their hair and women wearing long hair and a head covering. If I wore a head covering in my church today, I would be a distraction, so I wouldn't do it. If I visited a conservative Mennonite church, I'd wear a head covering. I think the key is to "blend in" and not stand out because of what I am wearing. I am in the choir and this is one reason I really like that we wear choir robes. It is about the words and the worship in song. We don't want people distracted by our clothing. That's just my take on the matter.
And, Holly, I agree that we have to be careful about the mentality of churches these days and how we are serving God and the community around us. We really ARE in trouble in a lot of ways. This is a very humbling reminder that we are here to serve, not to be served.
1 Corinthians 11
ReplyDelete1-3 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
19 The best that can be said for it is that the testing process will bring truth into the open and confirm it.
Man can only see outward appearances. God can see the heart of man. Remembering Who we worship. We honor Him.
24-25 Having given thanks, He broke it and said, This is My body, broken for you. Do this to remember Me. After supper, He did the same thing with the cup: This cup is My blood, My new covenant with you. Each time you drink this cup, remember Me.
28 Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.