You’ve
heard it been said before, “What’s in a name?” Here in the south we take the names seriously
especially the names of our ancestors.
A
good friend of mine and college roommate has the name Mose Wadsworth Stuart,
V. While he doesn’t
have any children yet, I am not sure how he can get around naming his first son
Mose Wadsworth Stuart, VI. You are of
course familiar with the old names of Selma.
I’ve
lost count of the number of Roger ap Catesby or Catesby ap Rogers there
are.
After
we found out Jamie was pregnant with Mary Katherine, we literally had a 9 month
“conversation” about what her name would be. We even signed on to ancestory.com to see if
there were any old family names that might work.
I
discovered a Yeldard Alvey from the 1600s in England and suggested we call her “Mary
Yeldard.” Obviously, that didn’t
work out. We ended up giving her the
name that is connected to all four of her great-grandmothers—Mary Katherine
Campbell Alvey. Our daughter is really
going to appreciate that when taking standardized tests!
Names
in scripture are also carefully chosen and usually describe a defining
attribute of the person. Moses’ name
in Egyptian name literally means to “draw out.”
Moses was of course drawn out of water after his mother sent him down
the Nile in hopes he would be rescued because the Pharaoh announced he would
kill all new born sons because the Hebrew population was getting too big.
Note: In original sermon, I said Moses' Hebrew name means "to draw out." Thankfully, a parishioner corrected me saying that his Hebrew name means "to deliver." His Egyptian name means "to draw out. This makes perfect sense because Moses was drawn out of the water by the Egyptians and drew them out to their eventual death after the parting of the Red Sea.
Jacob
was given the name Israel after his struggle with an angel of the Lord. Israel in Hebrew means “one who struggled
with God and lived.” And we know very
well the struggle of Israel and their dogged determination to live against all
odds.
I
could of course go on, but I think you get the picture. Names are important. They say a lot about who we are. Names go a long in way in helping us claim
our identity.
Take
it from me there is something demoralizing by being called by the wrong
name. I often get Jack Alvery. I don’t know why but
people just think my last name needs an “r.”
I also grow
tired of having to sound out the “v” in Alvey because it often comes across as
a “b” sound. I’ve
grown used to spelling my name A-L-V as in Victor-E-Y.
I remember one
time I used this formula when I called the pro-shop for a tee-time. When I arrived, the pro couldn’t
find an Alvey on the list. When I asked
who had the 10:10 tee-time, he looked down and said, “Al Victory.” So if I ever decide to get into Hollywood, I
have my screen name!
But at least I
can laugh about it. Some aren’t
so lucky. Some don’t
even go by a name at all. Prisoners are
given a number across their chest. There
are too many babies that go unborn every day that are never even given a name. Some go for years or even lifetimes without
anyone ever bothering to ask their name.
Others are
reduced to the name of the sin that they are most known for committing. The drunk.
The adulterer. The murderer. The gossip.
The thief. The jerk. The idiot.
I know this because I, too, have been on both sides of these
dehumanizing ways of looking at people.
Lord, have mercy on us all.
Others are given
more distinguished names. Kind.
Generous. Intelligent. Loving.
Some get to be known by the title of an award. The Nobel Laureate. The Heisman Trophy winner. Most Likely to Succeed. The Best Lawyer.
And generally
speaking people call us by the tasks or job that we are known for doing. The teacher.
The banker. The golfer. The artists.
The comedian. The judge. And most of these titles are well deserved.
But at the end
of the day, none of these names, not our given name, not our nickname, not our
sin name, not even our distinguished name can adequately describe who we really
are.
Our lesson from
Isaiah reminds us of who we really are.
The same God who created us and formed us calls out to us and says, “Do
not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” YOU ARE MINE.
Ultimately, this
statement from God reminds us of who we are by reminding us to whom we
belong. We belong to God. Our identity doesn’t
come from how the world sees us—for better, for worse—our identity is wholly
and completely wrapped up in who God says we are.
As Christians,
we find the fullness of our identity in the name given to Jesus Christ in
baptism. After Jesus is baptized the
heavens part and a voice from heaven declares, “You are my Son, the beloved,
with you I am well pleased.”
The baptism of
Jesus tells us that God was willing to enter into a flesh that is named and
defined by sin and death and make us a people who are named and defined by the
eternal love and goodness of God.
The baptism of
Jesus tells us that God was willing to enter the tragic nature of our world and
redeem our world with love incarnate.
And God invites us to learn and claim our new name through a baptism
with water and the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is the
Church’s
central act in acknowledging the mark and claim that God has made on us all in
Christ. When we are baptized, we are
sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s
own forever. Period.
Nothing can take
away the identity we are given by God in Christ. Nothing.
No amount of sin. No amount of
stumbling. No amount of suffering. No amount of name calling. Nothing can take
away your identity as God’s beloved.
So the pressing
question for us this morning asks, “Can you accept your name in Christ?” Do you really believe deep in your heart and
soul that your name is beloved of God?
Or will you continue to let yourself be defined by the temporary names
of this world?
Will you
continue to let the world define you with attributes that you may or may not
deserve, with words that may or may not capture who you real are? Will you continue to let others define you by
a name that you can never outrun no matter how hard you try?
Will you continue
to let the world define you by names that can be taken away in a second with
one wrong move or one unfortunate event?
Or can you accept that the only name that can truly free you from the
names of sin and death is the name “beloved of God”?
I’ll
ask again. What’s
in a name? A lot. In fact, your life depends on it. Beloved, I invite you to take seriously the
name you are given through God in Christ.
Believe in your belovedness to the point where you start to believe in
the belovedness of the other. Believe in
your new name and watch with joy as God’s beloved Son
transforms our broken and sinful world in the name of love. Amen.
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