Daily Devotion for Lent 2021 - Day 22

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11 (NRSV)

Here Paul tries to answer questions the Corinthians have about worship practices.  Likely conflict and dissension have arisen because of these issues, namely, appropriate appearance in worship and conduct for the Lord's Supper.

Hair length would not be
an issue for people going
to worship today as it
was in Paul's day.

In answering these, Paul is trying to restore order in the church so that they can keep their eye on the larger prize - the return of Christ.

Paul's answer of head coverings and hair length remind us that these cultural adaptions change through the centuries as well as over geography.  We can see this in Paul's use of veils which the majority of Americans do not observe today.

The real difficulty we see in this is that Paul has been arguing against Judaizers that were requiring observance of the Law for Gentile Christians.  Here we see custom and practice that might have come from Paul's Jewish roots that Paul is setting forth.  Paul states earlier (1 Corinthians 8:8) that "Food will not bring us close to God" but here seems to say that our hair length does?

It allows us to see how difficult it is to allow the Gospel to change the way we interact.  This first part of chapter 11 seems to refute his earlier words to the Galatians (3:28) where he states "there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."  

Paul may recognize the digression of his own solution to their question as he states in verse 16: 

But if anyone is disposed to be contentious—we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

He seems to be saying that this portion is not to be taken as doctrine of the church.  

Then we see Paul address practices of Holy Communion.  We have a unique insight into early Christian practice and this is the earliest writing we have of sacramental liturgy in verses 23-26.  Unfortunately, some often take out of context verse 27 which states: 

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.

John Wesley in his sermon, "The Duty Of Constant Communion" addresses this by stating that Paul was clearly talking about partaking with allowing people to go hungry or partaking too much wine and becoming drunk.   

The "unworthy manner" does not speak to the condition of our souls but rather our behavior while we partake.  

As we finish this chapter, we ask ourselves in our practice of worship, is my behavior building up the body of Christ or becoming a distraction?  Am I encouraging others in the faith or detracting from their growth?

Prayer for the day:

Blessed God, we find ourselves coming to you in this specific time and place in history and the world.  It is unique, just as you have made each of us unique.  Help us to separate those things that are temporal from the things that are eternal.  As we grasp the things that transcend culture, help us to apply them to our setting today.  We pray these things in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Photo by jessica mullen via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.