Sermon Tone Analysis

*Knows me by name*

When I began work over 40 years ago and opened a bank account for that highly memorable first pay cheque I remember receiving a very personal service when I was usually referred to by my name.

Since that time in many aspects of life, my name has seemed less important to others and instead, a reference number has been included or indeed replaced my name altogether.

This mode of practice has been increasingly adopted by many other agencies and services so that nowadays I am probably known by dozens of reference numbers.

These can range from debit cards, national insurance, insurance policies, driving licence, National Trust and library membership to marriage certificate, income tax, car breakdown membership, NHS and passport.

Even my recently acquired bus pass bears my own reference number!

\\ \\ I fully realise that reference numbers are now very much part and parcel of life in the technological 21st century and the question of security and scam is a very important aspect of their inclusion in our lives today.

Like me, however, you will probably be pleased and grateful that we don’t have to commit them all to memory!

\\ \\ We should also be heartened in the knowledge that as far as God is concerned we are not a number.

We are each an individual, a person whom He has created, a person He loves and knows by name.

A person He knows intimately, even to the extent He knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30)!

\\ \\ As we step out into this new day, Isaiah exhorts us not to be afraid; God has redeemed us by the supreme sacrifice made by His Son; He has called us by our name to Himself and we are His - for eternity.

What more could we possibly want?