What's in a Name?

Subtitle: The Impression of Light

I was recently asked what the title of this blog means. When I originally came up with it, it was pretty abstract. I was really going for "looking at heaven" or something like that. I pulled up thesaurus.com and went crazy looking for the right descriptors.

Eventually, I came back to a phrase I heard many times in my worship class - to be "born in Zion". In other words, to be dipped in the river of God's presence. To meet the presence of the Living God in a worship setting; something that holds special relevance for me. It was in the place of worship I can truly say "God changed my life". So there was "Zion".

"Looking at" was a little more challenging.

Nothing I ran across really struck me as relevant or cool. Coincidentally, I was really getting into photography about the same time. As it relates to a camera, an aperture is a camera's iris, so to speak. It is the opening through which light passes to be imprinted on the film (or CCD image sensor for digital) in the form of an image.

Initially, I liked the two together - Zion and aperture. There was something poetic about it, but it took me a long time to really come to grips with all of the implications. Z & A. The end and beginning of the Latin alphabet. Kind of like Alpha and Omega - the beginning and end of the Greek alphabet. So there was that, which was completely accidental, but still pretty cool.

But also, when you look deeper at the words, and how they relate to one another. Zion is the Mountain of God. More or less a physical representation of the Lord's power on earth, under the old covenant. So really, all together, the name is "the opening through which we see the Mountain of God's Worship". For me, the logical extension of that is to ask - on what is that light of God's Worship being imprinted? Well, my soul.

A soul is defined as - the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.

Essentially, the human part of us.

Romans 12:2 says "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

(FYI - mind is a synonym of soul, hit the link)

For me, Worship is the perfect method to be transformed and renewed.  Psalms 97:5 says "The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD."  If the mountains themselves melt, how can my flesh withstand Him?  When I expose (ha ha, a pun) my soul to him through the aperture that is Worship, I can only expect to be transformed.  The presence of the Living God is the most amazing thing there is!!

--Andy