What does it feel like to have someone you love call you by name?

How does it feel to have someone call you by the wrong name, especially after you have tried to correct them? Or to call you by a nasty name?

According to our faith, God, our Holy Creator, calls each of us by our true name, our truest name, a name that is deeper and truer and more enduring than any human labels we can have for ourselves. God calls each of us “Beloved.” God calls to each of us: “You Belong.” “You Matter.”

By what names do we call on God? What words help us to open our hearts in relationship with our Holy Creator?

The truth is that none of us can know God’s true name. “God” itself – the word G-o-d – can’t express the reality of the Great and Holy Mystery Beyond Name. The name disclosed to Moses – YHWH – is unpronounceable, like wind or breath or the vastness of the cosmos. For this reason Jews often speak of HaShem, “the Name,” or write “G-d”, to prevent the complacency of thinking a little human word can name and contain the infinite reaches of the Eternal One.

Yet “God” by grace is not only infinite beyond reach, but also near to us, in relation with creatures and creation. Different words for evoking the Divine can help us to express fundamental postures of how we relate to G-d and how G-d relates to us. These postures are gratitude, awe, reverence, humility, uplift, dependence, love, trust … 

Jesus often used the word “Abba,” which is Aramaic for Papa. Given that he spoke Aramaic, he also probably would have used the word “Allaha.” That is akin to the Arabic word for G-d, “Allah” (which is the word that Arab Christians use, as well as of course Muslims). Some of the Hebrew words for the Divine are “Elohim,” “Adonai,” “El,” “El Shaddai,” “Ehyey-Asher-Ehyeh” (“I Am That I Am”) The Bahá’is use the word “Bahá.” The Sikhs the words “Ik Onkar” or “Satnam” (“The Name”). For the Zoroastrians, arguably the oldest monotheistic religion, the One God is called “Ahura Mazda.” The Lenape, who had a concept of the One Great Creator Spirit long before the missionaries arrived, use the word “Kishelëmúkónk.” The Lakota say “Wakan Tanka.” This is just a small sampling of the ways that people across cultures and eras have sung out to evoke the Divine.

There are many ways to try to render all the words used to evoke G-d in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures and tradition. We are of course familiar with the familiar ones. What would it be like to try using some different ones? Here is a list of a fresh take on translating these Divine Names. Most of these are from the Biblical Scholar Dr. Wilda Gafney; a few I pulled from devotional hymns and music:

“Ageless God;” “All-Knowing One;” “Almighty;” “Ancient of Days;” “Ancient One;” “Ark of Safety;” “Author of All;” “Author of Life;” “Blessed Radiance;” “Compassionate God;” “Creator;” “Creator of All;” “Deepest Mystery;’ “Dread God;” “Eternal One;” “Eternal Spirit;” “Ever-Living God;” “Ever-Present Power;” “Exalted One;” “Faithful One;” “Fount of Every Blessing;” “Fount of Justice;” “Fount of Life;” “Fount of Wisdom;”  “Generous One;” “Giver of All;” “Glorious One;” “God Beyond Name;” “God of Awe;” “God our Peace;” “God Who Hears;” “God Who Is Majesty;” “God Who Is Mystery;” “God Who Is Salvation;” “God Who Saves;” “God Who Sees;” “God Whose Name Is Holy;” “Gracious God;” “Healing One;” “Holy Being Beyond Being;” “Holy God;” “Holy Holy Holy;” “Holy Liberator;’ “Holy Majesty;” “Holy Mystery ;” “Holy One;” “Holy One of Old;” “Holy One Who Provides;”  “Immortal Good;” “Inscrutable God;” “Just God;” “Living God;” “Love Supreme;” “Loving God;” “Majestic One;” “Majesty of the Heavens;” “Merciful God;” “Mighty One;” “Most High;” “Mother and Father of All;” “Mother of Creation;” “One Who Is;” “Redeemer;” “Ruler of All;” “She Who Is Delight;” “She Who Is Peace;” “She Who Speaks Life;” “Sheltering God;” “Sinai’s Fire;” “Source of Life;” “Sovereign God;” “Sovereign of All;” “Spirit of Life;” “Supreme One;” “The All Merciful;” “The All Powerful;” “The Divine;” “The Holy;” “The I Am;” “The Infinite;” “The One;” “The One Who Is;” “The Timeless One;” “The Word;” “Too Holy to be Pronounced;” “Wellspring of Life;” “Wisdom of the Ages;” “Womb of Creation;” “Wonder of Wonders;” “You Who Are” …

            Which call to you? Which challenge you? Which could you use in prayer?

            For all this I give thanks … to God beyond “God”