Dear Faith Family,
"To the church of God ...those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ..."
(1 Corinthians 1:2)
Names have a power to them. At the mere mention of certain names, images awaken, stories are recounted, and emotions stir. The power manifests whether it is the name of a beloved relative, a person of fame or infamy, a childhood friend, someone deeply respected, or someone whose virtues are wanting.
Reputation and relation give names tremendous power, as the proverb affirms,
"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." (Proverbs 22:1)
Still, there is more to the power of names than the histories they carry. In times past, names were given as means of expectant identity. Names described the character of the person or at least the anticipated hope of the parent for the child; a name to grow into.
What has been true of our individual names is also true of the collective name of our faith. While "Christian" is the name we are most associated with today, in the first centuries our faith family went by another name: saints.
For example, the apostle Paul uses the name saint thirty-nine times in his letter, far more than any other descriptor of the women and men bound together in Jesus. Eugene Peterson contends that Paul's choice was not accidental. Rather,
"Paul deliberately chooses a word that identifies us by what God does in and for us, not what we do for God... a word that defines you primarily in terms of who God is for you and what God is doing in your life... a person who cannot be accurately identified apart from God's intents and persistent attention..."
As we discussed on Sunday, our family name is "both a gift and task." A name, as Paul says, which speaks of something already true of us and which we are to grow into, together as "the church...those sanctified [already made holy] in Christ Jesus, called to be saints [holy ones] together..." (1 Cor. 1:2).
Over the Fall, we will consider how we have and continue to grow into the fullness of our name together. But today, I simply invite you to contemplate the power of your name and mine. A title not of distinguished accomplishment but of received blessing that in turn gives shape to the identity and actions of the person so blessed.
Here is how.
(Re)Listen or Watch(!) the Sermon
Reflect & Share
First with the Lord and then with your GC or a faith-filled friend.
Process with the Lord any emotions, thoughts, doubts, or affirmations
that arise as you reflect on our family name,
reading Paul's greeting as to you:To the church of God that is [Christ City], to those sanctified [already made saintly] in Christ Jesus, called to be[come] saints together with all those in every place who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 1:2-3)
May we become who we are made to be in Christ, together.
Love you, faith family. God bless.