The Power of Names

I just reached 1 Chronicles in my Bible reading plan. If Leviticus is a good place to get confused, then 1 Chronicles is a good place to get bored. The first nine chapters are all names! Literally, it’s just name after name after name after name. Why would the author of Chronicles do this? The answer comes from the context out of which it was written. In the Hebrew ordering of the Old Testament, Chronicles is the last book, and this is because it was addressed to Jewish exiles returning home after decades in a foreign land.

This generation of God’s people had never known anything but exile, so the author of Chronicles needed to remind them of their rich history with the Lord. To do so, he provides long lists of names in extensive genealogies. Each name and family and tribe was a reminder of their spiritual history with God, and an encouragement to trust in God for their future. Attached to each name was a lifetime of experiences with the Lord, and each of those experiences happened within the community of God’s people.

One of my favorite pastoral activities has become praying through long lists of names. Every year Tim creates a document with every member organized by shepherding group. It’s on a huge 11x17 piece of paper that I refer to as the “Grace Church Scroll.” It’s our own little version of the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles. While some may get bored reading through such a list, I absolutely love it! Every name reminds me of past conversations and experiences, as well as current seasons and situations that various individuals are walking through.

Furthermore, the “Grace Church Scroll” is a reminder that God has been and continues to be at work in every aspect of each person’s life. The beauty of congregational life is the privilege of walking through all the various twists and turns of life TOGETHER. Just as the returning exiles needed to be reminded of God’s history with them and their ancestors, I am reminded of God’s presence with us and among us every time I read through the one-of-a-kind list of names that is Grace Church.

Ben