St. Paul’s Church in
Bergen, Jersey City NJ
January 1, 2015
The Feast of the Holy
Name
Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm 8
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:15-21
Putting on the Name
of Jesus
Happy
New Year!
I’d
like to begin with a story. A few years ago I was in San Francisco on a kind of
vacation-retreat.
And,
as you might guess, part of my retreat involved going to church. As I’m sure
Laurie will agree, for us that’s a treat. To just go to church. Sit in the pew.
Look around. Pray. Pay attention to the sermon. Or not.
Well,
when I was out there I decided I would attend daily Eucharist at one of the
most prominent churches in the city, which will remain nameless.
The
first day, after the service, I must have been feeling unusually warm and outgoing
so I decided I would introduce myself to the priest who was the celebrant and
preacher at the little daily Eucharist.
So,
when it was my turn in the short receiving line, I reached out my hand and
said, “Hi, I’m Tom Murphy. I’m a priest visiting from the Diocese of Newark.
Thanks for the service.”
The
priest shook my hand and said something like, “Welcome. Hope you enjoy your
stay.”
As
I walked away I realized that I had told him my name but he hadn’t told me his
name.
I
didn’t think too much about it until the next day when I returned for the
service, led by a different priest.
Once
again after the service, when it was my turn in the receiving line, this time
more as a little test, I reached out my hand and said, “Hi, I’m Tom Murphy. I’m
a priest visiting from the Diocese of Newark. Thanks for the service.”
Again,
the same thing. The second priest smiled, said a few words but no name.
This
time it really bugged me and on the third day I was determined and so after I
introduced myself to yet a third priest who didn’t tell me his name, I finally
just asked, “And what’s your name?”
Has
this ever happened to you?
I
try to remember that experience when people introduce themselves to me here at
St. Paul’s – to not assume that people know my name because it’s listed in the
bulletin.
Setting
aside good manners, the experience in San Francisco bugged me. I had shared my
name and they hadn’t. It irritated because our names are important, aren’t
they?
Often
our names carry a lot of meaning – lots of times they were carefully chosen by
our parents maybe to honor a beloved family member or friend, or to express the
excitement they felt at bringing new life into the world, the joy of creation.
And,
especially today, our names certainly carry a lot of power, don’t they?
Just
having my name and knowing one fact about me – priest from the Diocese of
Newark – would have given those San Francisco priests the opportunity to learn
all kinds of things about me through the miracle and curse of Google, Facebook,
and the rest.
Finally,
our names are wrapped up very tightly with our sense of self.
Even
with a very common name like mine (believe me, there are a million Tom Murphys
out there) it’s hard for me and I’m guessing everybody who knows me to imagine
a “me” apart from that name.
That’s
why it’s so jarring when people change their names.
We
kind of take our names for granted but they carry a lot of meaning and contain a
lot of power.
That’s
true today and it was at least as true in the biblical world.
So,
that’s why it was a really, really big deal when God revealed the divine name
to Moses: “I Am Who I Am” or “I Will Be What I Will Be.”
And
that’s why it’s so important when the priests of ancient Israel blessed the
people in the name of the Lord as we heard in today’s lesson from the Book of
Numbers.
The
blessing is even described as putting on the name of the Lord.
God
says, “So the priests shall put my name on the Israelites and I will bless
them.”
Putting
on the name of the Lord gives us God’s blessing, gives us some of God’s power.
Which
brings us finally to Jesus.
The
Holy Name of Jesus.
Luke
tells us that when the angel first appeared to Mary he told her that she would
name her child Jesus. And, just in case we’ve forgotten, Luke reminds us in the
story of the circumcision.
“And
he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the
womb.”
Jesus
– Joshua – meaning, “Yahweh is salvation.”
And
from the earliest days, followers of Jesus have believed that the name of Jesus
is worthy of reverence and carries great power.
In
his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul is probably quoting a very early hymn
when he writes, “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth.”
And,
we acknowledge this great power each time we are bold enough to pray in the
name of Jesus, each time we do our work in the name of Jesus.
When
we put on the name of Jesus we receive his blessing. We receive some of his
power.
So,
especially as we start a new year, ytou and I are invited – privileged - to put
on the holy and powerful name of Jesus and continue the work of Jesus in the
world.
We
are invited to put on the holy name of Jesus and feed the hungry who form
ever-longer lines at our food pantries and community meals.
We
are privileged to put on the powerful name of Jesus when we pray for the people
of all backgrounds whose blood is shed on our city streets – and when we take
stand against all forms of violence and work for peace.
We
are invited to put on the holy name of Jesus and welcome absolutely everybody
into our churches – to welcome every stranger as if she or he were Jesus
himself.
And
we are privileged to put on the holy name of Jesus and continue spreading the
Good News that God loves us enough to be born, to live, to die and rise again
among us – the best news of all that God pours out overflowing grace on
everybody, even you and me.
Names
are important – they’re meaningful and powerful and wrapped up in our sense of
self.
Unlike
those priests in California, God is willing to share God’s name with us.
More
than that, in and through Jesus, God shares God’s very Self with us.
And
we are invited – we are privileged – to put on the holy and powerful name of
Jesus and continue the work of Christ right here and now in Jersey City.
Amen.
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