Name is essential to marriage, self-discovery, life changes, or welcoming a new family member.
Each of us could share a name story. Perhaps it is a nickname we hold dear or the sense of acknowledgement we feel when we are addressed by a name which resonates with us. Maybe your name story reflects a change in the names you use or how names evoked a change in you. As people of God, I feel the latter is especially true. Names matter and names can bring change. The names which arise from being a follower of Jesus matter. Child of God. Disciple of the way. Bearer of peace. Body of Christ. The list is extensive. These names are declared to us, and they can change our world. As we go into the world, we bear the names God gives us and we too are invited to voice names which a hurting and broken world needs to hear. Names of peace. Names of hope. Names of acknowledgement. Names of reconciliation. What names will you speak into this day?
This message is excerpted from “Names that change” by Jeanette Bidne in the April 2023 Café online magazine.
Copyright © 2024 Women of the ELCA. Inquiries for permission to reproduce should be directed to [email protected].