This week, I continue my reflection on the latter part of this sacred petition: Hallowed be “your name.”
Across cultures and throughout history, names have carried more than just phonetic weight—they bear identity, purpose, and meaning. Take, for instance, the name Chiedza, shortened to Chi-Chi, which means sunrise in Shona. It evokes the image of hope, light, and new beginnings.
In the Jewish tradition, names carried similar weight . To name someone was to speak into their identity and, in many cases, their destiny. This understanding may apply to humans, but always to the divine. The name of God was not casually spoken or lightly handled.
The name Yahweh was considered so holy that it became unpronounceable. Scholars have noted that the very structure of YHWH—four Hebrew consonants without vowels—renders it a breath-like, ineffable sound. It is less a name and more a sacred exhale, reminding us that God’s identity is hidden in mystery and majesty (Did you know that Jehovah is the same as YHWH?). But how about God’s destiny? Who can comprehend it? So instead of naming God, the Hebrew people turned to titles that described Divine attributes: Elyon (Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty), Elohim (God, used both in the singular and plural to point to divine majesty), and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—rooting God’s identity in the history of divine-human encounters. These were not attempts to define God, but to testify to how God revealed Godself in humanity.
As Rev. Norm shared during our Bible study, Jesus revealed yet another name for God—Abba, a deeply intimate and relational term that means Father. If we accept this as the name Jesus used for God, it does not so much identify God’s essence as it reveals God’s character–a parent whose love knows no bounds, whose embrace welcomes prodigals home, and whose authority is tempered by mercy and love.
This insight is critical. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus does not begin with a doctrinal declaration or a theological thesis. He begins with a family relationship: “Our Father…” Is it not surprising that the word “God” was never used in the prayer? The prayer teaches us to speak to the Holy One who draws near—not as a distant deity but as a loving parent. “Hallowed be your name” is not just a praise; it’s an invitation to live in awe of the One who makes all things holy.
God’s name is not a magical incantation—it is a sanctuary for all. It offers security to God’s people, a shelter and strong tower, as Proverbs 18:10 reminds us: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” To bear God’s name is to belong—to be known as children of the Most High. It is this name that binds us together across divisions, cultures, and histories. We are one people, not because of who we are, but because of whose name we all bear.
So when we pray “Hallowed be your name,” we are not simply reciting ancient words. We are stepping into a sacred relationship. We are declaring our readiness to live as witnesses to, and bearers of that name—to reflect God’s holiness in a broken world.
The Church is not holy because of its buildings or traditions, but because it gathers in the hallowed name of the Living Abba. It is the hallowed name that makes sinners into saints, that breaks the chains of oppression, that sets the captives free.
To pray this prayer is to surrender to the mystery, majesty, and mercy of the One whose name is too holy to fully grasp, yet close enough to call Abba. May we honor this hallowed name not just with our lips, but with our lives.
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From the E-Crier of June 12, 2025. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter.