The pastor was both excited and stressed about officiating at his first wedding. So, he took a Pastoral Ministry class at the Bible College to learn how to do it. The prof even shared a sample ceremony that he could use.
The couple were both new Christians. Each of them had lived with the pastor and his wife for a time, to be mentored in the faith. Both were as precious to him as his own children.
The church was packed. Everyone loved Jack and Dean – his beautiful bride to be. Dean was the boy named Sue, except in this case the girl named Dean.
The music began and the bridal party processed. Then Dean debuted. She was a bit of a tomboy who was transformed into a radiant bride. The pastor and the groom waited for them at the altar. One of the two was trembling and it wasn’t Jack.
He was thinking, “Everyone knows what happens at a wedding. They can probably recite the words. There is no wingin’ it here.” He had a specific script to follow and he was concerned about blowing it.
There at the altar, he welcomed the guests and thanked them for being present to witness the marriage of Tom and Susan. The congregation snickered. Evidently the stress of the moment caused him to forget their names.
But he didn’t catch it – didn’t even hear the laughter. He carried on. A minute later, he again referred to them as Tom and Susan. More laughter – still no response on his part.
Finally, he started in with the vows. He was about to marry Tom and Susan when his wife stood up and shouted from mid-congregation, “Their names are Jack and Dean.”
The church erupted!
He had been using the sample ceremony his prof had given him, complete with the fictitious filler names of Tom and Susan. He was just too stressed to realize it.
Stress can do that! It may be happening to you at the moment.
Psalm 119 is the longest of the Psalms in the Bible. Forget a three-point sermon. This Psalmist has 22 points to his message – all alliterated according to the Hebrew alphabet.
The Psalmist longed to be a righteous man amid the complexities of life. He longed for a nation that honored God and was governed by His Word.
Instead, he experienced arrogant people who scoffed at him and the values that he represented (vs 51). Wickedness was overrunning the nation and it enraged the author. (vs 53)
He was a songwriter. What could he do about it except sing the blues? Possibly but instead he wrote, “I remember your name during the night, O Lord.” (vs 55) NET Bible ®
Yes, He was stressed, but He did not forget that all important name – His name. He remembered it in the night. Did he have the darkness of his circumstances in mind, or the nights he lay on his bed stressing about life – or both?
Either way, he chose to think on the name of the Lord.
So, what does this mean? It’s been a perpetual custom over time, in most cultures to give a person a name that befits them. The child was a fuzz ball. He was given the name Esau which meant hairy.
Jacob was born hanging on to his twin brother’s heel. He was out to overtake him from the start. He was named Jacob which meant to unseat someone.
So, God, being God, named Himself. He told Moses that His name was Yahweh – four Hebrew consonants that form the phrase, “I am.” God said, “My name is, “I am.”
The name He chose communicated that He was, is and ever will be – a rock that never rolls.
Half of us are going to be very upset by the results of this election. The day after, we will need to remember that, “He is.”
He will endure even if our political ambitions should not. He will continue to save, even if things should appear to be hopeless. He will sovereignly manage this world and our nation even if it all appears to us to be spinning out of control.
“He is.” This is the name that needs to be remembered in the night.
A PRAYER: Lord, even as we grope in the darkness, remind us that “You are”
Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson 