February 8, 2013
“Creator God of Many Names” —an article and video, with singalong lyrics
Have you ever thought about God’s many names? If not, you probably will after you read this article by Jann Aldredge-Clanton and watch and listen to her video! With the article, she also provides a useful glossary of some of the many names that are used in the song, along with Scripture references on which the names are based. But even at that, she feels she has only scratched the surface. “Our Milky Way Galaxy contains more than a hundred billion stars,” says Jann “The Milky Way is only one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. How could we ever limit the Creator of so vast a universe to a few masculine images, e.g., ‘Father,’ ‘King,’ ‘Lord’? . . . .To suggest the vastness and all-inclusiveness of our Creator we can draw from a multiplicity of divine images in biblical revelation.”
Take some time over this weekend to learn and sing this new song about God’s many names and gain a new understanding of metaphors for God as well. Rev. Jann Aldredge-Clanton, who wrote the lyrics, teamed up with composer Rev. Larry E. Schultz, who set her words to music and together they have produced a powerful new hymn, sung and played here by the Chancel Choir, Orchestra, and Congregation of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can scroll down and watch and listen to the video directly with the article, or you can view just the video on YouTube.
For related reading on our Christian Feminism Today website, see Jann’s recently posted article, “Inclusive Language Is Still Important” in our basics section, which is linked to another of her videos and a commentary about it, also on our website. See also an interview with Jann about her book, Changing Church: Stories of Liberating Ministers, as well as a review of the book. For more about metaphors for God, you might wish to read “One God, Many Metaphors,” a profile of Rev. Carolyn Bohler and her ministry.
