The Cosmic Significance of a Local Church
It’s a small comment, and a puzzling one in an already challenging passage. “That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels,” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:10.
Where does one even begin with a verse like this?
In the larger context, Paul addresses how Christians should surrender their rights for the good of the church. This particular section deals with a mix of issues: gender identity, class distinctions, whether or not a church gathering is a public or private event when held in someone’s home, as well as how to deal with the perceptions of others.
I won’t untangle all of that here, even though I may be preaching on it early next year. I believe this text may be more important for today’s church than may seem obvious at first as we deal with similar issues today.
A Puzzling Statement
I just want to focus on that one sentence: that one of the motivations for dealing with this issue is because of the angels.
We can’t be sure what Paul means. Gordon Fee calls this “one of the truly difficult texts in this letter.” I can’t be dogmatic, but it’s possible that he’s saying that angels are present — perhaps even involved — at the worship services of a local church. Even if that’s not what Paul is saying here, Paul makes a similar point elsewhere in Ephesians 3:10.
However you interpret this puzzling statement, Paul points us to a reality: there’s more going on as we gather to worship than we realize. Our local churches have cosmic significance.
A Staggering Reality
Angels, it seems, observe the worship services of ordinary church gatherings. What we do in our regular, run-of-the-mill churches shows God’s wisdom to spiritual beings.
Think about that for a moment.
This Sunday, we’ll go to our church’s storage locker, get our gear, and take it over to the studio we rent a couple of blocks away. We’ll assemble wearing masks and staying six feet apart. We’ll sing, open God’s Word, celebrate communion using those prepackaged communion kits, clean the space, and then leave.
All of it will seem small and humble. A lot of it will seem unsatisfying. I, for one, miss hugs, handshakes, maskless faces, fresh baked communion bread, and wine.
Our community will take little notice of what we’ll do. Most of us will go home on Sunday night and begin our preparations for the coming week, quickly moving past the humble hour and a bit that we spent together.
But angels will have noticed. They’ll have watched even the small details: how we dressed, and how we interacted with each other — particularly with those who are culturally and socially different from us.
Sometimes it feels like the regular gathering of the local church doesn’t matter, that it’s far too humble to count to anyone. It matters more than you could know. Angels are watching. So, by the way, is God.
The local church matters more than you can know. Even when it goes unnoticed and unappreciated by most, it’s noticed by angels and by God himself.
Let that encourage you and sober you. The regular gatherings of local churches have cosmic significance.
