The Power Of A Name
Who We Are Depends On Whose We Are
Dear Friends,
Let me tell you, I have really been sitting with this weekend’s lectionary even more than I usually do. That’s because this Sunday I’ll be delivering my first homily to my congregation, having taken our Diocesan preaching class in the fall (and for those of you who will be there, there are definitely some previews of that message in this newsletter). But I also got to choose what Sunday in Lent I would preach, and these were the readings that resonated most with me. And I’m thinking, in particular, about the reading from the Old Testament, in which God gives Abram and Sarai new names, claiming them as God’s own and as ancestors of the faith.
Names mean a lot to me, and for those of you who don’t know me in real life, it may seem a little funny to get an email from someone named “Bird.” I still sometimes feel a bit foolish introducing myself by this nickname, picked up about a decade ago in college, but it also feels much more true, much more like an identity, than my legal name. It doesn’t hurt any that one of my college professors used to make me introduce myself with a primer for the class on the feminist power of self-naming – the point being that what we call ourselves and are called by others matters.
As for Sarah and Abraham, their new names are, in their way, not so different from my beloved nickname – they are given in covenant, as a marker of a relationship. Abraham receives a name that describes his future: father of many nations. And Sarah, though her change is more subtle, is lifted up as a noblewoman or princess, and is given a blessing. Every moment of this passage is a promise, a bond for generations.
Of course, everyone has a name and our relationships to these names vary, but as Christians we also share some common names: Child of God. Beloved.
Say them. To yourself. To your children. To the people you love. Because who we are – our names – are a reminder of whose we are.
In the midst of Lent and its darker tones, it is easy to think only of our worst selves, of our sinfulness and need for redemption. And those things are still true. They are always true, in Lent or Easter or Ordinary Time. But we live lives that are both/and. We are sinful and our sin is redeemed. We are sinful and beloved. That is the powerful message at the heart of our faith.
As your journey through these next several days of Lent, a few ideas that may help you go deeper:
The Faces of Easter part 2: This week, we hear about the child Jesus who confidently speaks with the priests in the temple. Like the man he will grow to be, the young Jesus is already something of an enigma to those around him, including his parents. I wonder, who are the teachers in your/your child’s life? I wonder ,what we can learn from those who are older or younger than we are? I wonder how we might all learn to listen more closely?
(I hope you enjoy the cats who insisted on helping with this week’s video.)Does this week’s Old Testament reading resonate with you? This may be a good week to talk about how people in your family got their names. Does anyone have a Biblical name? Are you named after an ancestor? What do your names mean? For example, while I carry a nickname, my youngest sister is named after our great-grandmother. The men in my wife’s family almost all share the middle name Leo. Our names help us know who we are and who we are connected to.
Are you following along with Lent Madness? This program is so much fun and a great way for adults and youth to learn more about the communion of saints. I’d say this year is heavy on the lesser known names, so it will certainly be a deep dive!
I shared Lauren Daigle’s Salt and Light on Twitter the other day, and it’s definitely at the core of my Lent soundtrack this year. Though the song praises God for being salt and light, as the light returns to the world in the coming weeks, we also need to find our own way to manifest those strange qualities.
That’s enough for one week, I think! And, taking a cue from the brilliant Traci Smith, remember that it’s all about finding what feels right for your family, how much, how deep, how often. And don’t forget, the background of our lives is a powerful space; you’ll often find me playing Sacred Ordinary Days’ Lent playlist while I work, allowing praise and reflection to permeate my days.
I hope the sun is returning where you are. It’s still icy here, snowing intermittently and sending gusts through our old house. Still, there are moments of salt and light, melting the cold away.
In God’s Name, As God’s Own,
Bird
Hope this week goes smoothly for you Bird!