My recent meditations

Psalm 27 (NIV)

 ¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation—
       whom shall I fear?
       The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
       of whom shall I be afraid?   
² When evil men advance against me
       to devour my flesh,
       when my enemies and my foes attack me,
       they will stumble and fall.
 ³ Though an army besiege me,
       my heart will not fear;
       though war break out against me,
       even then will I be confident.
 ⁴ One thing I ask of the LORD,
       this is what I seek:
       that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
       all the days of my life,
       to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
       and to seek him in his temple.
 ⁵ For in the day of trouble
       he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
       he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
       and set me high upon a rock.
 ⁶ Then my head will be exalted
       above the enemies who surround me;
       at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
       I will sing and make music to the LORD.
 ⁷ Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
       be merciful to me and answer me.
 ⁸ My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
       Your face, LORD, I will seek.
 ⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
       do not turn your servant away in anger;
       you have been my helper.
       Do not reject me or forsake me,

       O God my Savior.

 ¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
       the LORD will receive me.
 ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD;
       lead me in a straight path
       because of my oppressors.
 ¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
       for false witnesses rise up against me,
       breathing out violence.
 ¹³ I am still confident of this:
       I will see the goodness of the LORD

       in the land of the living.

 ¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;

       be strong and take heart

       and wait for the LORD.

1 Corinthians 11 (NIV)

 ¹Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Propriety in Worship

 ²I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.  ³Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ⁴Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. ⁵And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. ⁶If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. ⁷A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; ⁹neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. ¹⁰For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

 ¹¹In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹²For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. ¹³Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. ¹⁶If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.