This one’s personal, y’all, and it’s long. A year ago, on Good Friday, I decided to start wearing a head covering every day. I’d like to share what led me to this decision and what I’ve learned.

You may not be aware, as I was only peripherally, that there are a number of Christian denominations and sects in which the women wear some form of head covering—Amish, Mennonite, Catholic, even some Reformed, to name a few.

I’ve always enjoyed wearing scarves and bandanas in my hair, but what brought head covering as a Christian woman to my attention was this episode of Sheologians. Now, head covering wasn’t the topic of the entire show, but it piqued my interest, so I decided to start researching. I read 1 Corinthians 11 a number of times and Googled ‘head covering Christian women,’ trying to find a wide variety of results because, to my surprise, there’s a lot of contention and disagreement about the subject. I’m not going to go into all of the arguments. If you’re interested in head covering, look at 1 Corinthians 11.1-16 and the articles linked and do some research of your own.

 1 Corinthians 11.1-16:

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God. – NASB 

This is the one passage in Scripture that speaks of head covering. I know it’s a big chunk of text, but it’s important we not rip a passage out of context and say, ‘This is how it should be,’ because this is the only passage in the New Testament where head covering is mentioned as a practice in the church. Jewish women covered their heads, as do and have many cultures throughout history, including American women. In fact, up until the 1960s, most women in the United States wore hats of some kind any time they were in public. It was with the feminist movement that many stopped the practice.

I found a number of articles and websites regarding head covering. The Head Covering Movement is a group that is trying to bring head covering back as a regular practice in the Christian church. Some articles gave reasons why we need not wear head coverings today, while others presented myths about Christian head covering. This article concludes that head covering should be done only if one feels the personal conviction to do so. And this one, which I found particularly helpful, breaks down many of the different views on head covering–views both for and against. This article had the greatest impact on me, though. Because I wasn’t one hundred percent certain about head covering, an experiment seemed like the best way to approach it.

So, on Good Friday 2017, I donned a scarf as a deliberate head cover for the first time, for the entire day, work and all. I was in the process of growing out my hair from a pixie cut (separate decision), so I didn’t have a lot of hair to attach the scarf to and I had a lot of struggle keeping them in place. You can buy velvet headbands and shapers to wear under your cover, but I wasn’t sure enough to spend the money. I still haven’t bought any and I often have to fix my head cover partway through the day.


This was Easter Sunday, the first Sunday I wore a cover. I used a scarf I’d gotten in Latvia on the Singing ChurchWomen mission trip the previous year.

I have acquired a number of tube scarves and more regular scarves and have experimented with them. I also wear bandanas and small chiffon scarves. 

 From church: (This scarf was given to me by a friend. She got it in Israel.)

 To dog bathing:

Fun scarves:

When I’d been covering for a few weeks, a lady at my church approached me and asked about it. It turned out that she’d been covering for years. I had noticed her scarves, but hadn’t worked myself up to approach her. It’s been a blessing knowing I’m not the only one in the church who chooses to cover.


I joined a couple of Christian head covering groups on Facebook to learn more and fellowship with like-minded women. I left one of those groups, though, because I found some of the views overly dogmatic and legalistic, as well as some of the ladies were being pushy and contentious about her view of things. The possibility of becoming legalistic about head covering was one of my greatest concerns. Not being able to say a quick prayer because you don’t have a cover on was frequently mentioned. What about all of the women who choose not to cover? Does God just not hear or ignore their prayers? It made me wary and I’ve tried to be careful of allowing legalism to influence my faith and practice.

I found I really enjoyed wearing a covering every day. The only days I don’t are usually when I’m staying home alone all day. More than the enjoyment though, I did learn some things. Many women say they feel a particular calling from God to cover their heads, some full-time and others only in corporate worship or prayer time. I can’t say I experienced such a calling, other than just the desire to do so. Could that be God’s calling? I guess, maybe.

I found myself praying more. I’ve never been good at setting aside a particular prayer time, and I still don’t, but as I scroll through Facebook, or text with friends, I pray for people who express concerns or praises. Especially my non-Christian friends and in non-Christian groups.

I’ve become more aware of my thoughts and how I think of others. I can be a critical person. I usually don’t express criticisms aloud, but I definitely think them, and it’s still wrong and very much hypocritical.

I’m also better about reading my Bible every day. 

To base a doctrine on a single passage of Scripture, one that is not essential to salvation, is a dangerous road to tread and one reason that I will not say that a Christian woman is required to wear a head covering. There are many good arguments on both sides of the debate, and at this point I’m not prepared to come down hard on one side or the other. 

What I will do is continue to wear head covers for the foreseeable future until, or if, I ever believe I need to stop. I will support other women who choose to cover and I will support those who don’t.