Did you know that according to some branches of Judaism, there are 72 names for God found in the Old Testament? They even have a very long name, Shemhamphorasch, each letter of which reminds them of God’s names. And Christians, of course, have even more names for God when we consider those given to Jesus in the New Testament.
When I was a teenager, I saw a poster that fascinated me. It had names of Jesus in rainbow colors with biblical references under each name. In the center were the words, “I AM.” I had a copy of it in my bedroom and would often fall asleep while meditating on it. As I thought about each of those names and the attributes of God that each described, I realized that my understanding of God’s limitlessness is very, well...limited! God is so much bigger than our imaginations can conceive and yet wants to be deeply known by us. It’s a wonderful paradox!
This summer, I’ll be preaching a sermon series on the Names of God. We’ll start with the very beginning verses of the Bible. It is my hope that exploring God’s names together will challenge us and broaden our understanding both of God’s greatness and how much God loves us. If there’s a particular name you’d like to hear about, let me know!
God go with you! ~April
