Friday, March 28, 2008

Still Here!

BUSY lately. I blame daylight savings time. I could use 26 hours a day, but they gave me 23. I have been pedaling uphill into the wind ever since.

Haven't had time to blog or to lurk for very long at my usual favorites. Hope to catch up with everyone this weekend, but right now it is 12:15 a.m. and I need to be up at 6. (yawning)

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Peace

I am happy to hear Candy and the VTC ladies have come to a truce. I'm not certain that either side accomplished what they set out to, but then again...maybe they did...I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Their dispute proved to be good exercise for my brain. As much as I enjoy Bible study at my Lutheran church no one ever says infant baptism is meaningless or calls a communion wafer a "cracker". Nor does anyone talk about when they got "saved." Also, I've never heard anyone challenge the Pastor on sola scriptura, sola fide nor any other "sola". I know of no one questioning him about what version of the Bible we use, or state that our version of the 10 commandments is deficient.

Yes, it was good to use the old noggin for some higher thinkin'.

Yes, I will continue to blog -- I DO have other interests! :-)

VERY busy this weekend. Have a very blessed Holy Week.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Veiled References?

Candy has successfully blocked the IP addresses of most of the RC sisterhood at VTC and disabled her RSS feed making it difficult if not impossible for them to read her blog. (Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.) I guess that is why they missed her comment on their blog post.

Tracy at VTC wrote in her post "Head covering and Catholic Women": The moral law requires all women to wear the veil on their hearts. A woman should not wear the veil on her head, until she is wearing it first on her heart. A woman who wears the veil on her heart accepts the place that God gives to women in the Church, the family, and society. Women who wear the veil on their hearts are imitating the Virgin Mary in her humility, submissiveness, and obedience to Christ.

Candy at KTH blogs "Are you being tossed in the wind?": I am saddened at the fact that many of those blogs teach that "women must have a veil over their hearts, before the veil on their heads will mean anything." Now that disturbs me. Why? Because 2 Corinthians 3 specifically speaks of a veil over our hearts, and it says that if our hearts are veiled, then we are not in the Lord, but when we truly turn to the Lord, then the veil is removed from our hearts:"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it [he or she] shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." -2 Corinthians 3:16

When I read Tracy's phrase "veil on her heart" it did raise my eyebrows. There are 4 definitions of the word veiled (from dictionary.com):
1. having a veil: a veiled hat.
2.covered or concealed by, or as if by, a veil: a veiled woman.
3.not openly or directly expressed; masked; disguised; hidden; obscure: a veiled threat.
4.lacking clarity or distinctness: veiled sounds; a veiled image.

None of those is particularly descriptive of a Christian's heart. But, I think what Tracy is trying to say is that the inner workings need to be sufficiently humble for the outer symbolism to be meaningful.

Candy replies with what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:16. I'd like to expand on this a little because I think it is applicable.

2 Corinthians 3:14b-18: For to this day, when they read the old covenant, [the law] that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.[the gospel] Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read [the law] a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, [the gospel] the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [from the law] And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.[process of sanctification]

In a nutshell: veiled=Moses & law & old covenant; unveiled=Jesus & gospel & new covenant.

and had it not three corners...

Candy blogged this week about 1 Corinthians 11 and Christian women wearing headcovering. I'm generally in agreement with her and with the comments made by KH. It's audiaphora.

When I was a little kid the oldest old ladies wore hats to church every Sunday. I liked that. I wanted to grow up and wear pretty hats too. A hat to match every outfit. I definitely did not associate their "headcovering" with submission. It was fashion.

And there lies my problem with headcovering. I think Amish/Mennonite prayer caps are adorable. I'd love LOVE to wear one of those black bonnets. I'd look so darn cute! And no bad hair days. And no my-roots-need-touching-up days! Woo-hoo! If I wore a scarf, veil or hijab I'd have dozens of colors, styles and patterns to coordinate with my blouses and sweaters. Accessories!! Yes, my heart races at the thought of it!!

Obviously my heart nor head is in the "right place" on this headcovering issue. I can't get passed the aesthetic feelings. And besides that, my husband would think I'm loony.

My headcovering is this: a knit stocking cap. It is 7 degrees below zero on my thermometer. At my age practicality trumps fashion.

Last thought -- we should not be looking in the mirror for holiness. It isn't in long hair, dresses or headcoverings.

We should look to the cross on Golgatha.

...There is only one who is good....
Have a blessed day.