Continued Ponderings on 1 Cor 11

I've continued throughout these past 24 hours to ponder what I wrote for yesterday's devotions. You can find those here.

Anyways, as my tired mind has thought about this passage, I kept being drawn back to the opening verse of Chapter 11: Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

This verse says alot.

It makes me ask the question: do I live my life in such a say to show that I am of Christ? And if so, would my words cause people to ponder what they are doing?

If I am acting in an argumentative manner, am I showing that I imitate Christ?

I'm sure that some churches decided that some of the traditions that Paul was encouraging to maintain thought there was no point to it. I think that based on the reading of these verses.

13Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

People did need to think about these things. To weigh out the merits. BUT they weren't to be contentious about it. (as in argumentative) If they judged it immaterial (unimportant despite teaching to the contrary) that was fine, but it was not what the church of God taught.

But according to some of the commentaries I found, the reason people wanted to make changes in how things were done was based on the misreading of scripture. God created us all equal so therefore what one does we all should be able to do in whatever method WE deem appropriate. Not exactly a God-centered approach is it? Not exactly an approach that shows one imitating Christ does it?

So that leaves me thinking..... Paul doesn't want contention to fill the church. If people judge (for whatever reason) that God-honouring traditions are not to be followed, then perhaps then they should leave. The act of leaving would end being argumentative. Staying would require silence, which of course would also be an option. :) I tend to think that the latter option needs to be exercised more in the church today. Too many unnecessary divisions in the visible church of God already today.

When it comes down to it, tradition or not, this just might be a God-honouring thing to do (to wear a covering on my head). Query though..... for wherever i.e. at home when praying or reading scripture/doing devotions/praying with our son at night, or just at church?