I don’t really have a favorite word, but it set me thinking about words. Is the question about the words themselves or what they represent? And some words, such as Jesus, are so embedded in my life that I don’t think of them as words.
I asked Microsoft Copilot about favourite words, and it gave me this list.
- Serenity
- Mellifluous
- Ephemeral
- Ethereal
- Elixir
- Quintessential
- Resilience
- Luminous
- Enigma
- Wanderlust
None of these were particularly special, so I asked for 10 more:
- Aurora
- Celestial
- Symphony
- Tranquility
- Sublime
- Euphoria
- Felicity
- Kerfuffle
- Defenestration
- Flibbertigibbet
I am positively disposed to Celestial, Symphony, and Tranquility. But then, out of the blue, Nocturne popped into my head.
It’s the title of the 1995 Eurovision winner for Norway. I looked up the meaning of the word. I thought that it might just be another word for night. Think of nocturnal animals. But it’s related to music or art. A nocturne is a short, romantic composition—usually for piano—that evokes the mood of the night.
Sometimes night can seem like a sinister thing. We welcome the dawn. But night can also evoke peace and tranquility. Maybe I like the song more than the word itself, but there’s something about it that strikes a deep chord within me.
Getting back to the name of Jesus, one of the reasons why I didn’t choose that is that if I wanted to get to know a group of people in a new church, I’d want to know what they were interested in apart from Jesus. For example, when I was younger, and more sociable, if I went to someone’s house, I’d want to browse through their record collection or photo album.
I wouldn’t want to be in a church full of generic Ned Flanders characters. Then, again, when I was a Catholic, hardly anyone owned up to loving Jesus. You might get some older women lighting candles to statues etc., but younger people generally portrayed themselves as agnostic.
It was a real joy to discover and be among evangelical Christians, because they showed enthusiasm for Jesus and the New Testament. But you do get some who are a little too quick to show off and parade their spirituality. When I chat to people in church, I like a balance. So, in my blog, I try to balance spiritual issues with other interests. Some Christians might think I’m a bit too worldly, and some non-religious people might think than I’m too religious 😀.
Anyway, let’s get to the spiritual section. It set me thinking about all the hymns that celebrate the name of Jesus. I like to create lists, so here it comes – another list.
- How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds – John Newton
- All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – Edward Perronet
- What a Beautiful Name – Hillsong Worship
- At the Name of Jesus – Caroline Noel
- His Name Is Wonderful – Audrey Mieir
- Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee – Bernard of Clairvaux
- Jesus, Lover of My Soul – Charles Wesley
- In the Name of Jesus – Anonymous
- At the Name of Jesus – Caroline M. Noel
- Jesus the Name High Over All – Charles Wesley
- There is a Name I Love to Hear – Frederick Whitfield
- Your Name – Paul Baloche
There’s actually a lot more. I just added the ones that I’m most familiar with. I won’t attempt to embed too many, but I’ll choose two, an older one that I used to sing in church around 40 years ago and a new one that I only recently discovered.
Acts 4:12
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Philippians 2:10-11
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Hibernia Gospel 