Graham Morbey wrote:
> I think that George may be underestimating the name of Jesus. Names still
> mean a lot to people ( the name of a loved one eg. can cause remarkable
> sensations, motivations, overcomings, changes for the better, etc.) and
> they certainly had tremendous meaning for ancient peoples. Reflection on
> John 14:12-14 and contexts suggests that Jesus' name is a source of power
> for the Christian community. In this particularly intimate discussion with
> his disciples we see Jesus as the One who brings to pass in the lives of
> his people the love that activates, perhaps even in its very reflecting,
> that love demonstrated in the mutuality, interdependence, deference,
> hospitality and generosity of the triune God. Hallowed be that Name! It
> struck me that George may have treated a bit too cavalierly the propriety
> and use of Jesus' name in Christian prayer and life. I agree that there is
> also the abhorrent magical and manipulative use of Jesus' name by those
> who take it in vain.
Apparently in my attempt to be brief (& to be honest because
I got kind of
swamped with this list yesterday) I didn't make my point well. The
names YHWH and
Jesus and - for that matter - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - are very important.
This is not just because of the sound of the words or anything like that but
because they point to God as God has distinctively revealed Godself
in history. &
in that sense they are quite different from the word "God" which can
designate all
sorts of beliefs that various people may have about what is of
ultimate concern,
or from words like "creator" which designates what God does.
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
"The Science-Theology Interface"
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