Radiance

. . . the radiance of your holy Name . . . 

 - From Canticle 13

From the on-line Yahoo dictionary, the word "radiance" is defined as "light or heat as emitted or reflected by something:"

 Just the name of the Lord gives off radiance. You don't even have to say it . . . there is light and heat proceeding from it. And yet, there was a period of time in ancient Hebrew history, that they did not even attempt to say the Name of God. First, they really didn't actually know His name. Next, even if they did, they did not believe they could pronounce it. And if they could pronounce it, they did not believe they should pronounce it.

J.K. Rowling had it all wrong. They made Lord Voldemort into one whose name could not be spoken. That is an honor reserved for only the Lord of Hosts, the Master of the Universe. The name of highest Good is the thing we cannot attain on our own. Evil is easy . . . "Voldemort" should be said with gleeful aplomb.

But . . . what if we did say God's name? We would have a miraculous result - - - heat and light would burst through the cold and darkness, simply because we spoke the Name of God . . . if we knew what it was . . . or could pronounce it.

I wonder if we could devote an entire series of thirteen blogs to the Name of God? Could a sermon series focus only on that? Would it be good for us to do so?

I think, yes. There is wealth enough of material for our well-being, our growth, or edification, our transformation, in the Name of God. We know His titles, albeit not His name(s), per se. But it's enough just to talk about His Name.

That could be the only words in your prayer: "The Name of the Lord."