Luke
2:15-21
Today
we read the end of the Christmas Eve story, with the shepherds visiting Mary,
Joseph, and new-born Jesus. Eight days later, the baby is circumcised, as is
customary for Jews then and now. The day of circumcision is also the day the
child is officially named. The circumcision marks male babies as belonging to
YHWH, to God.
It
is interesting to me to learn that in recent years, there is a naming ceremony
for Jewish baby girls as well, a day in which girls are recognized as gifts
from God.
So,
on this day, Jesus is circumcised and named. Jesus is the Anglicized version of
the Latin and Greek version of the Jewish name Yeshua or Joshua. Names carry
meaning. The name Joshua, or Jesus, means God saves. The angel says to Mary and
Joseph that Jesus is coming to save the people. He will save us as a whole community
– as Jews and Christians – all who believe. And, he will save us as individuals
– each of us who believes and lives in relationship with Jesus. 
I
love the Gospel of John, which underlines the meaning of eternal life as a
relationship with God now, today, every minute of our lives, as well as a life
with God after death – whatever that means.
Salvation
is for us – giving us life, a relationship, with Jesus – and for all whom we
touch throughout our lives and ministry. When we tell someone Jesus loves them,
we offer them salvation. When we offer a hungry person some food in Jesus’ name,
we offer them salvation, too. When we give clothes or a quilt to a cold person
in Jesus’ name, we offer them salvation.
Jesus’
name has power. When we pray “In Jesus’ name” we expect our prayer to be effective
because we add Jesus’ name and his power to it. When he walked the earth, Jesus
healed, and cast out demons, and raised the dead. We expect him to do the same
today. So we pray in his name to add his power to our prayer.
Our
names have power as well. When someone calls us by name, it feels better than
when they call us, “ma’am” or “sir.” For Mike and me, it is important to know
the name of the people who serve us. We like to call the restaurant server by
name, especially when we return the next time. The other day we read the name
of the person who helped us at Lowes by reading his nametag. “Thanks, Ed, for
getting those lamp shades off the top shelf for us.”
Our
names have meaning, too. My name, Lynn, is a shortened form of the name Linda,
which means “beautiful” in about 15 different languages. There are 1.6 million
people in the US with the name Linda, mostly because of a song by Buddy Clark
in 1946. Even though I am not movie-star beautiful, I remember that my parents
gave me that name because they believed I am beautiful. And I remember God
thinks I am beautiful.
Have
you ever researched your name? Do you know why your parents gave you that name?
Have you lived up to the power and meaning in your name?
We
have many different names: Lynn, Steve, Phyllis, Edith, David, Rodger, etc. In
some cases, there are two or more people with the same first name here. But we
all have one name in common. We all bear the name of Christian – Christ-believer.
This
name has meaning and power. The name of Christian means that we carry Jesus
within and all around us. Jesus fills our hearts and reaches out to others
through everything we do. When we bear the name of Jesus we have his power to
heal and feed and clothe the people he cares about.
The
name of Christian means we are part of a huge community – 2.2 billion – with a
B billion – people in the world – all members of the body of Christ. Wherever
we live, we belong to the body of Christ. If we moved to China or Tanzania or
Chile, we would still be part of the body of Christ.
We
commonly identify ourselves as members of a particular congregation. For eight
years, I was the pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Citrus Springs. I said, “We
do this or that.” Now, I am a retired pastor, a member of Our Saviour Lutheran
Church in Marion Oaks. I say, “We do this or that.” And I am the pastor of
Incarnation Lutheran Church. And I say, “We do this or that.” Wherever I am, I say, “We do this or that,” because
I see myself as belonging to that community of believers.
Next
week is the last service for this congregation, The Church of the Incarnation.
But it is not the last Sunday for us, for you, to bear the name of Jesus, to be
Christians. Because you bear the name of Jesus, he will go with you, wherever
you choose to go.
I
pray that you will discover that when you are part of a larger congregation,
you can participate in ministry to and with those who are hungry, or cold, or
ill. You will be able to focus on things other than mere survival as a
congregation and be the Christian whom God has called you to be.
When
a congregation closes, it is natural to grieve its death. Grief involves the
hard work of recognizing a new reality, that someone or something we loved is
gone. In the case of closing a congregation, it is like allowing the doctors to
remove the life-supporting equipment from someone we love and accepting that it
is time for them to die. It is hard work, this kind of decision-making. And we/you
have had the courage to make this decision.
Even
as you grieve this week and over the next few weeks or months, I pray that you
will remember that you bear the powerful name of Jesus. He will not leave you,
and I can assure you Jesus grieves with you at the death of Incarnation. But he
also will fill you with his healing Spirit and give you renewed hope. You will
learn that just as many of you relocated from another place, and found Jesus
here, you will find Jesus in another congregation.
Please
pray with me. Lord Jesus, we bear your name. Fill us with your Spirit this week
and always. Help us to live out our names, our given names so carefully chosen
by our parents, and your name, given to us at our baptism. Show us the way to
be your hands and feet and heart, bearing your name to all we meet. In your
holy name, we pray. Amen
