Between Sundays for Week of January 2, 2023
Throughout the season of Advent, we lifted up the many names that our ancient ancestors used to describe the long-expected Messiah. In the church, January 1, is designated Name of Jesus. It marks the eighth day after we celebrate the birth of Christ (the eighth day of Christmas). In Jewish law every baby boy was circumcised and named on the eighth day of life. In remembering this event in Jesus’ life, we lift up the names of Jesus that are revealed in scripture – Savior, Christ, and Lord.
When we honor the name of Jesus, we confess its power in our lives. When we call on his name, we are acknowledging the relationship we have with him and we celebrate the privilege of calling God by name as well as being known by God, through Jesus, God’s son.
By honoring the name of Jesus, we also saying that all our human names matter. The names given to us by our parents, and, sometimes, the names chosen by us. When we learn the names of our neighbors – names that we might find hard to pronounce or remember, or names we might not understand – we are honoring the name of Jesus!
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P.S. The start of a New Year often marks new beginnings in our lives. Please take a look at The Word and Ponderings below for a resource and reflection for you!
Happy New Year! Christmas continues (12 days and all!) and we are excited to share this gift with our listeners. This week we welcome friend of The Word, Cass McCrory, to share some of her wisdom on setting intentions as a new year begins. You can view her full TEDxRochester talk here!
Ponderings
Each year, Pastor Nadia Bolz Weber posts a yearly reminder on social media: “There is not resolution that, if kept, will make you more worthy of love. You, as your actual self and not some made up ideal, are already worthy.” In a world that continually reminds us of all we lack – money, determination, discipline, status, etc — it’s an essential word proclaiming that God’s grace is sufficient!
Go ahead and set goals, make resolutions, create new habits, all the while, remembering that you are already enough in the eyes of your Creator!
