The Pastor's Soul Volume 1: The Power of Loving Your Church

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HESED IS MY FAVORITE WORD in the Bible. I prefer it over every Hebrew or Greek word in the Scriptures. Hesed isn't more important or more inspired than other words. I just like the word. I like the way it sounds, and I like what it means.

I like the sound of hesed. The opening consonant is like the English "h," with its smoothness enhanced by a delicate guttural. Unlike like some gutturals that sound as if you're hacking up phlegm, hesed's guttural is more like the sound of distant, rushing water. To pronounce hesed, the tongue constricts a little to the back of the throat, adding some friction to the airy "h" sound. The sound moves forward over the tip of the tongue, which arches up just behind the teeth to form the "s" sound, stopping briefly as the tongue quickly touches the top of the mouth to create the "d." The word proceeds easily with a nice rhythm.

They say that colors are hot or cold; words can be hot or cold too: Hesed is a cool word. It sounds refreshing, and it is about the ever-refreshing loving-kindness of God.

Hesed has many uses within the constellation of Hebrew words for love. You might call it a "flexi-lexi word." Some of its meanings are straightforward. Hesed can mean "love, kindness, mercy, and loyalty." However, just like the beginning consonant of hesed is an "h" sound augmented with a guttural, hesed is a word for love augmented with the meaning "keeping covenant."

This adds some friction to hesed's basic meaning. Hesed means love, but it is the kind of love we show when we keep a promise or remain loyal to a friend. It isn't about promise-keeping in a legal or shrill way: "I'll keep my promise but I'm going to scratch my fingernails against this chalkboard the whole time." Hesed is about keeping our ...

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