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the freeing, supportive presence of God. So your experience of God may
become your experience of life. It is wonderful what God can do!
DISCOVER YOUR SPIRITUAL NAME AND CALLING
A WORKBOOK
Dr. Doug Wilson
CHAPTER 1
DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL NAME
Have you ever been with a group of people, perhaps in a retreat setting, and the retreat leader asked everyone to share his or her name? You may have felt a little nervous and self-conscious, but when it was your turn, you did as you were asked. And then, as if that wasn't enough, the retreat leader asked everyone to share a little about himself or herself including the origin of his or her name, if possible.
It was fascinating to hear the origins of people's names and why they received the names they have. You name and what it means to you is very important. There are, of course, names in the Bible, too -- names of persons and names of places. I like to call these spiritual names because they are based on the experience of God that a particular Bible character had. Jacob, for instance, in seeking to be reconciled with his brother Esau before crossing the Jabbok Stream, wrestled with an angel all night long. "Then he (the angel) said, 'Let me go for the day is breaking.' But Jacob said, 'I will not let you go, unless you bless me.' Then he said, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed' "(Genesis 32:26, 28). And if you check in your Bible footnote, you will notice that Jacob means "He who strives with God."
Or do you remember when Abram became Abraham? "No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of a multitude of nations" (Genesis 17:5). Check your Bible footnotes again. Abraham means "father of a multitude." In fact if you go through the Bible, name after name seems to be based on that person's experience of God. "Moses," means "drawn out of the water" (Exodus 2:10). "Jesus" means "God saves" " Peter" means "rock" (Matthew 16:18). Although this realization about spiritual names in the Bible did not come to my mind at first, teaching a Blessing Workshop with the members of the Portville United Methodist Church made me wonder if this spiritual name concept could be true today. To make a long story short, with the permission of the members of the Portville Church, I visited in their homes. When I visited, I asked, as part of our visit, if they would like to participate in a spiritual get-acquainted exercise. They all said yes. So I went ahead. Using this workbook, you may now participate in this spiritual get-acquainted exercise, too. Three options follow. If Plan A doesn't seem to work for you, use Plan B. If Plan B, doesn't work for you, use Plan C.
PLAN A
I would like to ask you four questions. They have no right or wrong answers. In fact, these questions may or may not apply to you. So don't worry if they don't seem to work for you.
Are you ready? Here is question number one.
Question 1: Is there anything in your life -- an event, a relationship, a situation -- that you feel was a spiritual experience? It may have been small or large. It may have happened recently or long ago. Does any experience fit that category for you? Take a few minutes to see what comes to mind and write it down.
If nothing comes to mind, go on to question 2.
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Question 2: Do you have any favorite hymns or spiritual music? If so, jot those down, particularly any words or phrases that you especially like in the hymns, choruses, contemporary or classical pieces you have chosen.
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Question 3: Do you have any favorite Bible verses, Bibles stories, Bible persons or favorite religious literature? If so, jot them down.
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Now before we move to question 4, take a moment to look at what you have written down. Comparing your answers to questions one, two and three, do you see any common threads, common themes, common denominators or even common words?
Before I go on, let me give examples of several individuals' descriptions of God that seem to fit their spiritual experience as a whole. I have found, quite by accident, not only that persons may have a spiritual name, but that some names are more traditional and others very unique. Sometimes the name is one word, sometimes a key word with a descriptive adjective, occasionally a phrase, occasionally two or three words, but always very real, personal and ongoing. It is fascinating and spiritually life-giving. At any rate, some examples of one word names or experiences of God have included strength, guidance, blessing, and protection. Some examples of unique words describing individuals' experience of God have included home, quiet, and touch. Some key words with a descriptive adjective have included positive guidance and unexpected providence. Some phrases have included "trusting someone will be there." What are the words that describe your experience of God? Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. Write them down.
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Finally, does any one common thread or theme seem stronger for you than any others? Write it down.
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IF THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS IS WORKING FOR YOU, YOU HAVE JUST DISCOVERED YOUR OPERATIVE EXPERIENCE OF GOD, YOUR SPIRITUAL NAME.
Usually when I am meeting with a small group or an individual and we reach this point, we have a brief prayer in which I simply thank God that you may experience God as:
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and that I may experience God as "blessing," my ongoing way to experience God, my spiritual name. You may now feel confirmed in your experience of God. Just as in the Bible, your experience of God is your spiritual name. Take a moment to thank God for your experience of God, your spiritual name.
Now you are ready for:
- Question 4: What words or phrases do you find yourself using most
frequently when you pray? Sometimes persons use a word or
phrase in personal prayers that names again their experience of God. If
any come to mind, write them down.
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PLAN B
Another way you can identify your experience of God is to pray over the next few days and journal your findings. You might pray like this: "Dear God, Help me discover my experience of You. In the Presence of Christ I pray, Amen." See if a clarified understanding of your experience of God surfaces in a word or a phrase.
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Your word or phrase that surfaced most often.
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You may use your word or phrase as your spiritual name, your experience of God.
PLAN C
Finally, you can also identify your spiritual name for this workbook by choosing a favorite word of God from the Bible such as shepherd, refuge, strength or love. Such words are sprinkled liberally in the Psalms and throughout the Bible. Also, in seeing which words attract you most, you may begin to identify your spiritual name. Use the word you choose as your spiritual name. It will work fine.
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The word you chose.
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You may use the above word you chose as your spiritual name, your experience of God.
A STUMBLING BLOCK
If you're like me, you may not trust your spiritual name, your experience of God, at first. You may want to overlook it, deny it, think someone else's experience of God is more valid, rationalize about God in general and lose touch with your own experience. I call this having a "second-class citizenship" feeling about our experience of God and it is very common. We will discuss second-class citizenship" more fully in the next chapter, but first let me give you an assignment. During the coming week, try out your spiritual name, your experience of God to see if it works. Here's how: When a situation comes up, when a problem comes up, when an issue comes up, ask God to help you discover your experience of God with whatever issue you are facing. Then let the problem go and see what happens. See what insight may come or what idea for an action you may take. In other words, report your results. See, and be honest, if this works for you. Here is a format you can use.
DEAR GOD,
HELP ME DISCOVER ___________________________________ (your spiritual name, your experience of God) WITH ___________________________________________ IN MY LIFE. (your concern / issue) IN THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST, I PRAY, AMEN.
Perhaps an example or two would be helpful.
Dear God, Help me discover blessing with my relationship with my son in my life. In the Presence of Christ, I pray. Amen.
Dear God, Help me discover strength with the anxiety I feel about my health in my life. In the Presence of Christ, I pray. Amen.
