Faith in Focus #18
A reflection from Connection Church and other spiritual events from the week
Faith in Focus is a weekly reflection on what God has been teaching me throughout the week regarding my faith. Whether it’s personal interactions, reading, or the Sunday sermon, God speaks through it all, and I hope this helps you focus on His mission.
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Sermon Reflection:
Based on the sermon by Jonathan Land, Connection Church Sioux Falls, March 8, 2026.
Before the Table: Why Paul Talks About Glory Before the Lord’s Supper
March arrives quietly but carries weight in the church calendar. The season of Lent has begun, the slow march toward Easter already underway. At Connection Church this week, Jonathan walked us through the entirety of 1 Corinthians 11, though our focus lingered primarily on verses 2–16.
That might sound surprising given how the chapter concludes with Paul’s famous teaching on the Lord’s Supper. Yet the reason for pausing before those verses was simple. Communion has been part of our weekly rhythm throughout Lent. Those words echo regularly in our liturgy. Instead, we turned our attention to a section of Scripture that many modern readers find more confusing, if not uncomfortable as Paul discusses head coverings, honor, and gender distinctions in the church.
At first glance, the passage seems worlds away from life in 2026. But as with much of Scripture, the cultural details are not the final destination. They are the doorway to something deeper. Paul is ultimately asking a question that every generation must answer. How do we reflect the glory of God in the way we live and worship?
The World Behind the Text
To understand Paul’s words, we have to step briefly into the world of Corinth, a thriving and chaotic port city in the first century Roman Empire. The church there was young, diverse, and frequently struggling to reconcile the gospel with the surrounding culture.
Public symbols mattered in that world.
Head coverings, especially for women, communicated modesty, honor, and marital faithfulness. A woman appearing in public worship without one could be interpreted as rejecting social norms or even signaling sexual availability. Likewise, men covering their heads in certain contexts could blur cultural expectations about masculine honor. So when Paul addresses these practices, he isn’t issuing an arbitrary dress code. He’s addressing how believers present themselves in worship and how their behavior reflects, or distorts, the gospel.
His argument begins with a statement about order:
“But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” — 1 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)
This verse has sparked centuries of debate. Yet Paul quickly grounds the conversation in something deeper than cultural expectations. Creation itself.
He reaches all the way back to the opening chapter of the Bible:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” — Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
From the beginning, both men and women bear God’s image. Both reflect His glory. Both are essential to His design.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Walking the Passage
Paul’s reasoning in this passage flows through three major ideas: creation, the fall, and redemption.
1. Creation: God’s Good Design
Genesis tells us humanity was created intentionally. Male and female together reflect God’s image and glory. Paul echoes this reality when he writes:
“For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” — 1 Corinthians 11:8–9 (ESV)
In our cultural moment, words like these can feel jarring. Yet Paul’s point is not about value or superiority. The same chapter later emphasizes mutual dependence:
“Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman.” — 1 Corinthians 11:11 (ESV)
The message is clear that distinction does not mean inequality. Instead, it reveals a purposeful design meant to display God’s glory.
2. The Fall: Sin Distorts Everything
Paul’s teaching only makes sense within the broader biblical story. In Genesis 3, humanity’s rebellion against God fractures the harmony of creation. Sin twists relationships, distorts authority, and replaces worship with self-centeredness.
God confronts Adam and Eve after their disobedience:
“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” — Genesis 3:11 (ESV)
From that moment forward, the image of God in humanity is still real but marred by sin.
The confusion surrounding identity, authority, and honor isn’t new. It’s part of the broken world we inhabit. Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians are therefore not merely about clothing. They are about restoring visible signs of God’s good order in a fallen world.
3. Redemption: The Cross Changes Everything
Yet Paul’s argument does not stop at creation or the fall. The entire letter to Corinth revolves around the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. At the cross, every human distinction that might elevate one person over another collapses.
Rich or poor. Influential or forgotten. Male or female. All stand equally in need of grace. As Paul wrote earlier in this letter:
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” — 1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV)
The cross levels us. It reminds us that we bring nothing to God except our brokenness and still receive everything from Him in return.
A Fair Counter-Reading
Some interpreters argue that Paul’s instructions about head coverings are entirely cultural and therefore irrelevant today. According to this perspective, the passage simply reflects ancient social customs and carries no ongoing application beyond a general call to respect cultural norms.
There is truth here. Few churches today require literal head coverings during worship. The cultural signals have changed dramatically since the first century. Yet many theologians caution against dismissing the passage altogether. Paul repeatedly grounds his reasoning not merely in culture but in creation order and theology.
In other words, while the symbol may change, the principle remains. Worship should visibly reflect humility before God and respect for His design.
The Turn
Jonathan framed the passage in a way that cut through much of the cultural distance. The distinctions Paul describes are not burdens. They are gifts. God gives each person unique roles, opportunities, and identities. Not so we can boast in them, but so we can reflect His glory through them.
The danger Paul warns against is not merely breaking cultural norms. It is something deeper. Turning God’s gifts into personal trophies.
We can misuse what God has given us by flaunting it for attention. But we can also dishonor God by ignoring those gifts entirely by burying them out of fear, comfort, or apathy.
Both responses miss the point.
The purpose of our lives is not self-expression for its own sake. It is worship. And worship means pointing beyond ourselves.
“There is no rich or poor on the cross. There is only God taking the place we deserve.”
When we remember that truth, the question shifts. Instead of asking, “What do I want to do with my life?” We begin asking, “How can my life point to the glory of God?”
Song of the week: No Matter What - Jordan St. Cyr
Jordan St. Cyr’s “No Matter What” is the kind of song that quietly builds its strength through a simple but deeply resonant message. God’s presence is not conditional. It remains steady through every high and low that life brings.
The song functions as both testimony and reassurance. St. Cyr’s lyrics revolve around a central promise. That regardless of circumstance, success, failure, doubt, or fear, God’s faithfulness does not waver. The phrasing is straightforward and accessible, but that simplicity is what allows the message to land with clarity.
For me, that message isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.
Life has a way of shifting quickly. Plans change, unexpected problems appear, and moments that seem frustrating or disappointing can arrive without warning. In those moments, it’s easy to feel as though things are spiraling beyond control. Yet the theme at the heart of “No Matter What” reflects something I’ve experienced repeatedly. God’s presence doesn’t disappear when life becomes unpredictable.
The lyrics echo a truth that many believers recognize but often need to be reminded of. God isn’t present only during the victories or the easy seasons. He’s there in the setbacks, the quiet frustrations, and the moments when the path forward feels unclear. Listening to the song, I’m reminded of how often I’ve seen that play out in my own life. Situations that initially looked like problems later revealed themselves as moments of grace. Unexpected obstacles became reminders that God was still guiding my story, even when I couldn’t immediately see the purpose.
That’s where St. Cyr’s songwriting stands out. Rather than presenting faith as a guarantee that life will always go smoothly, the song frames faith as the assurance that God remains present regardless of how circumstances unfold. Ultimately, “No Matter What” lands not as a dramatic declaration but as a steady reminder that God’s faithfulness isn’t dependent on how well life is going. His presence doesn’t fade when circumstances change.
For listeners who have walked through seasons of uncertainty, and for anyone who has seen God quietly working through the unexpected, the message feels less like a lyric and more like truth.
And that’s what makes the song resonate. It doesn’t just speak about faith. It reflects the moments where faith becomes visible in hindsight, revealing that through every turn, planned or unplanned, God was there all along.
Carry It Into the Week
As Lent continues, we are intentionally slowing down to remember what leads us to Easter.
The cross.
The suffering of Christ. The staggering grace that meets us in our failure. Paul’s difficult passage in 1 Corinthians ultimately pushes us toward the same reflection.
If we truly bear God’s image, then our lives should reflect Him. That means regularly repenting of two common temptations:
Abusing the gifts God has given us for our own recognition.
Ignoring those gifts because comfort feels easier than obedience.
The Christian life is not designed for coasting. It is designed for worship. And worship happens everywhere. At work, in relationships, in church gatherings, and in quiet moments when no one else is watching.
Our lives become mirrors.
The question is simply what they reflect.
“We are not here to coast through life. We are here to reflect the glory of God.”
As Easter approaches, Paul’s words invite us to examine ourselves. Are we living in a way that points to Christ or merely to ourselves? I hope this week you reflect on this question and act upon it with the glory of God in mind.
Week in Reflection
As March settles in and the annual loss of an hour of sleep from the start of Daylight Savings Time still lingering, the rhythm of the week became a reminder that even small disruptions can invite reflection. Rather than simply feeling the fatigue of the time change, the moment offered an opportunity to slow down, rest, and seek renewed strength in God while pressing forward into the week ahead.
This week included another stretch of highway miles, this time traveling to Omaha for a photography contract. The trip carried more than just professional expectations. It also held the hope of a meaningful conversation. An opportunity to speak with a friend and his wife about attending my Bible study and joining me for Sunday service.
But as often happens, carefully laid plans shifted.
Workplace injuries and a sick child meant the trip ultimately became a solo journey. The missed opportunity for conversation was initially discouraging. Yet the change also served as a quiet reminder of the familiar truth that while we can plan each detail with intention, circumstances often unfold differently.
Moments like this highlight a tension many people of faith recognize. Plans are made with purpose, but outcomes do not always align with our own expectations. The reasons behind those shifts are rarely clear in the moment. What remains, however, is the belief that God’s plans extend beyond the limits of what any single plan we make might accomplish.
The week also marked a significant step forward professionally with the launch of a new business page for my photography and writing work. It felt like a leap of faith to put my work out into the world and to trust the process that follows.
Then something unexpected happened during the contract shoot. Someone asked if I photograph weddings!
For someone just beginning to build a photography profile, the question alone carried a surprising sense of excitement. Whether the inquiry leads anywhere remains to be seen, but the moment itself felt like an early affirmation that the journey God has me on is moving in the right direction.
For now, the next step is simple: continue the work, keep the faith, and see where the road leads next.
And remember, God loves you, and so do I.
