What's in a name?

In one sense there's not much interesting to be said about names, I mean everyone has one, or two or five. But in another sense names tell us about a person. For instance, my name is Nathan. 'Nathan' goes back to the Old Testament when the prophet Nathan delivers a message to king David. We know his message better as the Davidic Covenant. But 'Nathan' also has a meaning. The root word natan (נתן) means "to give." Thus my name essentially means, gift.

For me personally, or should I say my parents, this name has some irony, because as I understand it I was an unplanned pregnancy. Yet instead of complaining of the burden that another child might cause them, my parents decided to see my life as a gift. However, if they really thought I was a gift from God they would have added the Hebrew word El to my name calling me 'Nathaniel' (meaning "gift from God").

So in one way, knowing the meaning of my name tells others a small tidbit about me. Now it doesn't explain my personality, or profession, or my talents to anyone, but it does say something. There was a time when names served as a means to define someone or something. For instance the ancient Egyptian gods held names which defined their particular specialty. To know a god's name was to know that god's role in the realm of god-ness.

For example, Horus the Egyptian sun god stood each day high above the earth providing light and heat. The name Horus means "high above" or "the one who is high above." Many names back in Egypt had this kind of connection between role and meaning.

The only character in the Bible who had the gumption to ask God , straight up, "What is your name?" was Moses (Ex. 3:13). Most of our English translations render God's answer as something like, "I am who I am." The funny thing is that God didn't really answer Moses straight up...hmmm.

It may be that Moses didn't wish to return to Egypt and lead a revolt against the super power Egypt. He was scared. So he took a moment to ask this God for a name. And by asking for a name Moses was asking, "just who are you?" Moses wanted to know God's specialty, which would be revealed in God's name. The problem with trying to define God is...you can't. By defining God we would also be confining God. And we all know you can't put God in a box.

So God was saying to Moses, "I can't just give you one name, because one name doesn't cut it." God was unable to adequately describe himself using any of our primitive languages. So he did the next best (or perhaps better) thing. He said, "I am who I am."

Now the problem with just leaving it like that in English is "I am who I am" just doesn't say it either. And here is why. Biblical Hebrew does not have a verb for "to be." To say, "God is good" in Hebrew would read "God good." Hebrew does have a verb haya (hyh), which is similar to the verb "to be." However, haya conveys the state of being, or how things are, or the way things are set up. It would be used to say, "It came to pass that the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms." It is not used to say God is good. The KJV translates this verb, "and it came to pass."

This is the verb that most translations of the Bible render as "I am" when God answers Moses. It sounds to me that God is saying much more than, "I am," or simply "I exist." It sounds like God is saying, "I am how it is," or "I am the way things are," or for all the KJVers out there "I am the one who has come to pass." God used a powerful, large, all-encompassing verb to describe himself, thus telling Moses his specialty: everything. God is the one who can do it all, and the one who did it all. He can be anything and has every specialty needed for Godhood.

For some reason, this helps me to see God as bigger than I normally understand him. What does the state of the world look like? Answer, God. He is the being on which the rest of us base our existence.

That is what's in a name.

New Religion in the Old South

Don Matthews wrote a book titled, Religion in the Old South in which he describes the plight of African American Christians in the 19th century. Many whites were preaching sermons that endorsed the institution of slavery; however, the sermons were generally rejected. Evangelism was emphasized. The aspect of community building, as well as the opportunity for leadership in the church were appealing to African Americans. The book as a whole "offers a full, sympathetic treatment of evangelical Protestantism in the Old South," said one reviewer.

It is interesting to look at the ways in which religion has changed over the years. We might do well to look at how things are now when concerning Religion in the New South. Especially during the month of March, religion in the modern day south can be adequately described with four letters: N-C-A-A.

Being an alumni of the esteemed UNC-Chapel Hill, I fully understand the psychosis that it is to place basketball above all other priorities. When Matt Doherty was the coach of the Tar Heels it was common place to see t-shirts that read "Doherty's Disciples." Now under coach Roy Williams the shirts read, "In Roy we trust." I wouldn't be surprised to see a bumper sticker that reads, "Roy is my co-pilot."

It's enough that we treat our student athletes like demi-Gods providing them with note-takers, personal tutors, the occasional grade adjustment, fancy cars and every other material possession needed to survive the treacherous waters of college. But why must we the people become such raging fanatics (obviously where the term "fan" is derived) who would gladly pay awful amounts of money just to get next year's high-prospect recruit?

A Duke-Carolina basketball ticket will literally sell for over one thousand dollars on Ebay. This ticket will provide a person with a tiny, uncomfortable seat for two hours to watch two rival teams from the stuffy, hot, nose bleed section of the Dean Smith Center. People spend thousands just for a ticket to the Final Four for the chance to say one thing: "I was at that game." I, personally, have had the opportunity to attend three Duke-Carolina games. I traveled with the band to the Sweet-16/Elite-8 and to the Final Four in 2005 to watch the Tar Heels bring home the championship. I've been there, and I've done that.

Take it from someone who has been to it all...there is more to life! What if we began wearing t-shirts that actually read, "Jesus' Disciples"? What if we meant it when we recited, "In God we trust"? Imagine the impact it would make if Christians gave as much money to the poor and hungry as they did to the box office? What if we told others about our favorite savior instead of our favorite player or team? What if we devoted as much energy to reading and knowing the Bible as we do learning game stats and tidbits of basketball history?

Lord, forgive our "basketballatry."

Too many times have I been to a football or basketball game that actually felt like a worship service. We sing hymns with dull faces, but the school fight song after a big score is sung with utmost excitement.

Working at a church in Chapel Hill, in staff meeting, we actually have to plan our events, worship, Bible studies around the campus athletic schedule. This is not because the town will be a mess and over run with people (though it certainly will be). This is because we would have to compete for the attention of our own members. At least during the month of March, this truly is our Religion in the New South.

I'm not saying don't watch basketball, that would just be silly. If the Tar Heels make it to the Final Four I will surely be watching. I would say that as Christians we would do well to check our priorities. If we can determine what makes us such big fans of sports, perhaps we can unlock that part of our hearts that might make us equally or larger fans of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying we need to become over zealous super-Christians either, but might we simply decide to whom are we truly devoted?

Of course, to any sports fan I will sound like a crack-pot Bible thumper. The Christian sports fan would respond, "when it comes down to it, of course my faith is more important." But the truth is, it "comes down to it" every single day when our prayer life lulls, or our Bible collects more dust that in does finger prints. It comes down to it when Jesus is calling us to serve him, and we respectfully ask him to wait until half-time.

A needed message

Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911), a Philadelphian Quaker, wrote an intriguing little book called, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. Richard Foster says about the book, it "continues to inspire men and women to a more joyful life with Christ." I can think of a few other contemporary books that are written to inspire people to a joyful Christian life; however, there is something qualitatively different between Smith and other modern writers such as those writing from a certain mega-church in Texas.

Part of the focus of Smith's book, from the excerpts I have read, is to find the joy that is to be had through acts of service. And she makes several good points as to how that is done.

One Christian recounted the struggle that it is to continue daily service. At first it was a joy to serve, and zeal was abundant; but eventually the excitement faded, and service became work and burdensome. "Have you never gone to work as a slave to his daily task," Smith writes, "but rebounding like an Indian-rubber ball back into your real interests and pleaseures the moment your work was over?"

We tend to love the idea of Christian service, at least in the abstract. But I have found that when the rubber meets the road reality strikes, and all of the sudden service feels like work. Smith points out that when it comes to serving others we too quickly focus on the hardship we might be enduring, but when it comes to our own interests we have all the zeal needed to conquer any obstacle. What's wrong with that?

In the movie The Great Debaters, there is a phrase taught to a Christian boy by his father: "We do what we have to do so that we can do what we want to do." This is good advice when teaching a child to do his or her homework. However, for the Christian servant this can be detrimental. If Christian service is something that we must do in order to do what we want to do, then we've got it all wrong!

Service is not done out of obligation.

These are hard words, but I cannot put them any better than Hannah Whitall Smith put them herself. "I am ashamed to think that any Christian should ever put on a long face and shed tears over doing a thing for Christ which a worldly person would be only too glad to do for money. What we need in the Christian life is to get believers to want to do God's will as much as other people want to do their own will."

If acts of service can become consistently what we wish to do, then we will have discovered what it is so "serve one another in love." When we can say to God, as Jesus did, "not my will but thine," only then will we recover the joy of Christian service.

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
-Matthew 20:26-28

Born in the wrong generation

It is impossible to know me without knowing my wife. Heather and I were married on a beautiful Saturday afternoon May, 20th 2006. Since then, we have lived in Chapel Hill while she attends pharmacy school at Carolina and I seminary at Campbell. Ironically, Heather did her undergrad at Campbell and I at Carolina.

Heather is a smart cookie. (Did somebody say cookies!!!) As far as I can tell she can do just about anything she puts her mind to. Anything, that is, that doesn't require a computer. In our technologically advanced generation with computers in every dorm room, college professors often integrate class requirements with the internet. The problem is, Heather doesn't play nice with computers. Whether assignments are sent via email or posted on Black Board, Heather does not like the over dependence on technology that our schools have developed. In short, she hates it.

I cannot talk about my wife without mentioning her car. She rides around in a 1966, tan, 8-cylinder with a 283 engine, Chevy, Malibu. We both love that car. Some say I married her so I could claim ownership of it. It's just not too often one sees a cute 22 year old girl cruis'n down the road in something like that.

I also can't talk about her without mentioning the Eagles. My generation has some limited knowledge of this aged, legnedary, country/rock band from the 70s, 80s and 90s. If the Malibu had a CD player, instead of its AM radio, the only thing it would ever play would be the Eagles: Heather's favorite band. She knows their lyrics better than half the people who grew up in the 70s. And that's fine by me.

I say all this to make one simple point. It occurred to me not too long ago that perhaps my wife was born in the wrong generation. My parents are "baby boomers," and Wikipedia says we are "generation Y." But something tells me that she should have been one of those "generation Xers" (born in 60s & 70s). It makes sense: she doesn't do well with computers, she drives a '66 Malibu, and loves the Eagles.

Eerie as it may be, I am grateful to God that he has allowed her to be a part of my life for over seven years, even if she wasn't born on time.

"The Word of the Lord Came to Nathan "

If you've read 2 Samuel recently you might notice from where the title of this post comes, 2 Sam. 7:4. God commanded the prophet Nathan to return to David and deliver him a message, which we know as the Davidic Covenant.

The reason I quote this seemingly unimportant verse comes from the title of the blog: Nate's Davar. Of course, all of you Hebrew scholars out there will quickly note that Davar is Hebrew for "word." Better if Blogger.com supported a Hebrew font, alas I'll have to wait until they catch up with the ever-progressing Microsoft Word.

Nate's Davar doesn't role off the tongue quite like three finely crafted alliterated sermon points on Sunday morning, but it does get the point across with a bit of personality, (I hope). "A Word from Nathan" just wasn't going to cut it. I considered trying to incorporate alliteration along with a Greek word beginning with "N," but when I perused a greek dictionary I found most words beginning with "N" had to do with newness, youngness, or death and misery. Not quite what I'm going for.

At this point I am somewhat unsure as to the content of this blog, only because this is my first. What I am going for are thoughtful reflections on life, divinity school, marriage, and what God is teaching me and all of us. Whatever it turns out to be, I hope it will have just the right amount of humor, interesting information, and theological reflection that might provide food for the ruach (Hebrew for "soul").