Jesus Speaks of God by Many Names

“Throughout the gospels Jesus speaks of God by many names, inviting us to do the same: Wisdom who is justified by her deeds and her children, the male farmer who plants the mustard seed, the baker-woman who kneads yeast into her loaf, the male shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost sheep; the woman house-holder who sweeps her house looking for her precious lost coin; the Advocate and the Comforter and many, many more.” - Wilda Gafney, from “Naming & Numbering: God of Many Names on Trinity Sunday” [bolding added]

We embraced Rev. Dr. Gafney’s invitation on Sunday, each person gathered considering a name they might experiment with using to move toward and imagine God in a different way. Our reflections merged together into this word cloud:

One of the words that jumps out to me (Brenna) is Comforter. Let’s spend a few minutes together in one of the passages naming the Spirit of God as παράκλητος (paraklētos), sometimes translated Advocate, sometimes Helper, sometimes Comforter. Jesus told his friends:

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees the Spirit nor knows the Spirit. You know the Spirit because the Spirit abides with you, and the Spirit will be in you… 25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

If you connected with God as Comforter - Advocate - Helper today, how do you think God would speak to you or engage with you? What might you want to say to God?