Say my name, say my name! Why the sudden change? You know my name, right so why the sudden change in calling my name? (Destiny's Child, (1999). Song: “Say my name, say my name”. I had been confronted about using the name of Jesus in a “we” voice to much in my very 1st year (2016-2017), Clinical Pastoral Care Education (CPE) final evaluation review. I couldn’t believe what I had read:
“Jacqueline's evangelical spirit and style as a teacher and church leader can often move into the “we” voice, the voice of a community in agreement about truth, rather than speaking for herself alone. I challenged her about the use of “we” which I know she did not appreciate, but I think I made my point and was able to invite her to consider leaving the table more open. Jacqueline was challenged in dealing with patients from other faith traditions. There was sometimes a tension between her need to proclaim Jesus and the need of the patient to stay in another belief system. Jacqueline grew some in her sensitivity to interfaith encounters.”
Are you kidding me who wouldn’t want me or you to call on the all and only powerful name of Jesus? His name is sacred and above every name. I was royally offended when I was addressed in group about the over usage, “we” in reference to the inclusiveness of Jesus’s name. Wow, but don’t you know that healing and deliverance is only through the name of Jesus?
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him (James 5:14-15, KJV)
Everybody knows that, right? Wrong, I learned that everybody doesn’t know that, even though they need it. When I was confronted about using the name of Jesus, it hurt my heart to my very core, riding home on the bus I even cried. As I pondered my thoughts of that CPE encounter that day, God wouldn’t have sent me into something like this, now would He? Well, yes, He absolutely did! Because when I prayed about what to do, and my thoughts about quitting once again was so strong. And then it happened, His still soft, sweet angelic voice answered and rested upon my heart and mind. The Lord said, “I have many names, what’s the problem use them if you have too," of which He repeated twice! I was shocked, at His response, although I shouldn’t have been, God’s only love and concern for us, is about a soul not perishing. And whatever it takes to win them so that one makes heaven is the most important aspect for the hospital chaplain, healing for the sin sick soul at all cost.
Win a lost soul at all cost, I say that all the time, it’s even a part of my ministries mission statement. But again, when faced with and confronted about an interfaith challenge, that challenged my faith tradition’s belief system, then I resisted bending my approach to presenting the gospel. Yet, He was saying to me, bend precious, bend, learn some of my other names to reach them, so they can hear Me, through you. I have studied the names of Jesus many times through my Christian walk. But this time, I would be studying His name to reach a soul through using other names of Jesus just to reach them. So, I started using Tony Evan’s list of other names and meanings of Jesus's names. I started studying 10 names per week, and I would use them in patient and/or staff pastoral care moments. I started learning about His names with a fresh new perspective and meaning. It started becoming fun planning the names of Jesus that I was going to use that week. I even learned about some flaws in my own understanding of His names. For example, “Jehovah Jireh’ (The Lord Will Provide)” Only occurs once in Genesis 22:14:
Jehovah is actually YHWH (see Yahweh) and it means Lord and Master. It is the
promised and proper name of God. Jireh means to see or provide. When Isaac asked
Abraham where the lamb was for the sacrifice, Abraham replied that the Lord would
provide. After God provided the ram for the sacrifice Abraham named that place on
Mount Moriah Jehovah Jireh, meaning The Lord Will Provide. God is quietly arranging things behind the scenes so that they will be in just the right place exactly when we need them.
My ideas and revelations about using or not using the name of Jesus as it related to an interfaith approach really hit home. I want to reach souls that I have been assigned, so learning new names to bring them closer to salvation and the love of Jesus is just fine with me. In the end after I got over being royally insulted/offended, I started doing the work that Jesus wanted from me in the 1st place. He wanted to enlarge my spiritual territory He wanted me to grow more in grace & knowledge, so that I would be able to provide pastoral care in other faith tradition arenas. My suffering over the names of Jesus wasn’t about offending me, it was about growing me. The Lord wants to make us all more usable for His glory.
Reflection/Lesson Learned: I wanted to be better and more effective in spiritual care in spite of already experiencing so many disheartening/losses in my life. The last chapter of a book that I was also reading during this 1st CPE year that my supervisor/instructor let me borrow introduced the concept of, “the art of suffering well and becoming successful at it.” And, accepting the changed identity through losses. “Who Am I, now?” This will have to be continually revealed and developed more from a divine spiritual perspective. Our entire life is basically one great big transition through losses and then gaining strength for the win of something new. I have had to let go of a huge part of who I was, but I must admit, I may have never taken this amazing Hospital Chaplaincy (CPE) journey if I had not experienced the losses through injury. I close with something for you to ponder, learning to be successful through embracing one's suffering. What a concept, and a RareFit!
Here a sneak preview: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep! Until next time,
For the sake of the Chaplain’s healing Call!
Chaplain Jacqueline M. Pressey, Ed.D.
References:
New Creations.org, (2013-2020). “How to See Many Amazing Names of God,” Retrieved April 18,
2020 from https://newcreeations.org/names-of-god/?
"Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with becoming EXTRAORDINARY, through pursing excellence!"
(Copyright: 10/2/20)
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