Day 6, Tuesday, Book of Faith – Lenten Journey
There is power given when one gives a name. If a person knows our name that person can call that name across a crowded room and has in their possession our attention. Today our minds drift to identity theft, where people can do terrible things to us when they possess our name. Today we try to be more careful as to who has access to our name.
God gives us God’s name. Why would God do that? The act is reflected in what is expressed within the Lord’s prayer with the intimacy of “Father” combined with the glory and holiness of “who art in heaven.” In love God wants to give of God’s self and does so by giving us the assurance that we have God’s attention. And yet the name, Yahweh, declares God’s otherness, God’s unfathomablness, God’s transcendence, God’s holiness.
How do we keep this name holy? I was challenged by this question in the reading: “How might a community of faith promote a sense of sacredness of God’s name?” I look forward to reading your thoughts about it.
Years ago I decided I simply would not be saying “Oh my god” anymore. (It was a hard habit to break just as most bad habits are!) It really bothers me when I hear people using God’s name in that context. I often tell my grand-daughters that it hurts God’s ears when they use his name in that way when they obviously are not praying.
For me one of the first things we as Christians should do to promote the sacredness of God’s name is to refrain from using the Lord’s name in vain. I’ve been told, I’m using a small “g” not a capital “G” but really how would I know that. And then there are those who say “Jesus Christ” this and that and I can tell they are not praying!! Certainly there has to be other ways to verbalize surprise, annoyance, whatever. I feel sacredness comes with respect for the name; how we use it, what is in our heart and mind. If hearing God’s name used in this way offends me, a sinner, I can’t imagine what our heavenly father must feel when he hears it.