As followers of Jesus, each of us has many names. Child of God. A sheep of Christ’s flock. Disciple of the way.
Our baptismal promises call us to “work for justice and peace.” Do we think of ourselves as peace bearers? How about followers of the way? In this Easter season, I invite you to wonder about the names God declares to you. Perhaps it is your baptismal name and its meaning. Maybe it is a name related to an image of God, like a sheep to a shepherd. What if we lived into the names God calls us?
As a child of God, what actions do you want to emulate so others recognize God’s presence in you?
The use of names in scripture is rich and deep. So too, are the ways God names us. Those names matter. Names change our circumstances and can shift our world.
What names have you had in your life? What names do you believe God has for you?
This message is excerpted from “God names us” by Jeanette Bidne in the April 2023 Café online magazine. Today we commemorate Catherine of Siena, theologian, 1380.
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