Covering

Covering

If you hang around Christian leadership long enough you will hear the term “covering”. I myself did not come to grips with this term until well past my biblical language and systematic theology classes. This is not to imply that the term is to be marginalized, but maybe it is to be more openly discussed.

It tends to come up in the context of leadership and control. So its use and misuse often are found in the arena of making decisions, ruling and controlling. We have numerous churches in our city with a variety of pastors and leadership. Each one of them is a “covering” for those who follow them (those who they lead). Yet in Pastor dominated church life, we seldom give authority to the teacher, the evangelist, the prophet or the Apostle. By saying the above, I am not in any way trying to promote title authority. What I desire to reveal is how little respect we have for others in ministry and how we neglect the priesthood of all believers to the point of “pragmatic disbelief” in that doctrine.

I believe in the Priesthood of all believers and that the function of the Eph. 4 gifts is not to do or dominate ministry but to equip the servant of the Lord for ministry. So for me it is more than “a person” that requires covering. In fact I would say a person cannot be someone’s covering any more than one person can be the body of Christ. I don’t think we should take what is meant to be “us” and make it a “me”.

Genesis 8:13 Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground was dried up.

This is a verse that helps start to unfold covering – right. (You may not think so, but I think so. ) Covering was over the ark (the protective housing that carried the life over the death of destruction). The covering is not the ark. The covering is removed to release the life to go forth. The covering was needed for a time. The covering was a servant to the whole and the whole did not serve the covering.

Rod – ology If you want to be someone’s covering (or a part of that covering) you will need to conceal them during the storms of life, providing shelter and safety. Not just words of advice but they will need to use your wealth, strength, provision, wisdom and whatever else you have for their well being. The one who covers is a slave to the one they are giving their life for. Then in time, at some point of maturity and will of God, the one covering is peeled away and removed so that life may come out from the one covered into the world. Go get em “lifers”!

If I am unwilling to give all I am and all I have for you I am not your covering. I may be in authority over you or I may be responsible for your life. I may be called to rule and I may be required to sustain, but I am not covering. I may be pretending to cover though. I have pretended to do this. I thought it made me look good. In the end it just made me look selfish and stupid.

So Rod, why are you saying all this? The real covering you have is most likely coming from someone who is very close to you and never demands or seldom even ask that you are aware of their service and love. Like a Mom and Dad, they are giving their life and strength for you and you do not even need to notice it. It is nice when you do, but it is not required for in their decision to “parent” or “cover” you they accepted the good and bad, honored and un-honored, loved and unloved. They chose to cover you and it was without condition of response or approval. Like the Father above, they just cover you to cover you. Free are you to choose and live because of this unconditional service.

Part 1