What’s in a Name?

A Sermon/Address given Sunday, May 20, 2012 Easter 7 B 2012

by the Rev. Frances A. Hills, Rector and Vicar

  

In the name of the One who longs for us to be one, Amen.

Yesterday our St. George Executive Committee and St. James Vestry met in a prayerful retreat. We took care of the monthly business, and had a good discussion about Stewardship. We were glad to learn that our thoughts on stewardship really dovetail with the work the Ad Hoc Committee is doing right now to try to balance our budget. Then we turned our attention and prayer to the suggestions we received for our new name.

‘Just for our information, Rick Gore had gone on-line and gotten a list of the most widely used names of Episcopal Churches in the U.S. (in order of popularity). He gave all of us a copy, which we skimmed, mostly out of curiosity, then pretty much set aside. 

Many had come to the discussion with some clear preferences, but over the course of our conversations together, several changed their minds. . . Not because they were pressured, but because the Holy Spirit was working among us as we faithfully tried to discern the best choices. Some came to the meeting with several favorite choices, and I can honestly say, we all left with a strong confidence in the final list of names.  Not unlike the Bishop Search Committee, everyone had the sense that they could support any of the choices. 

As we talked, it came clear we want a name that told a story about who we are, and a name that somehow captures something about the congregation we hope to become—something we can grow into over time. Perhaps a name that’s more about what we do and how we act than what we believe theologically. It should be a name that’s appealing to the ear. It shouldn’t need an explanation; however, it would be a name that could be explained in depth.   

We also talked about the importance of a name that would be inviting and inclusive of other Episcopalians in South County, if in the future they decide to join us. The name should also be inviting and not a mystery to the many people in South County who are non-religious (So, we’d avoid a theological name like “Atonement,” which requires knowledge of Christian theology; and we’d avoid names of saints, which require some Biblical or church history training to have any meaning.)

We talked about the importance of using the word “Community” because it refers to relationship, something all people want and need. It indicates both our congregation as a community and also our mindfulness and concern for the community we live in. Someone had suggested, “Community of Grace,” but we realized that could too easily sound like a monastic order.

We talked about using “Episcopal” in the title or not.  It’s important to attract Episcopalians who may be new to the area or just visiting—People who are specifically looking for an Episcopal church. However for some people, a main-line denomination’s name is a “turn-off”. . .  ‘Sounds like grandma’s church”.

With all these things in our hearts and minds, we initially settled on two names…“Church of the Holy Spirit” and “Grace Church”.

Holy Spirit—

Although this is the third person of the Trinity, so very “theological” the word “spirit” is something non-religious people know about; and “holy” is something we may all long (at least subconsciously) to experience more of in this increasingly secular world. The Holy Spirit has brought us together, guided us through this incredible time, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide our mission and work. It acknowledges how we have been learning to trust the movement of the Spirit more and more in our lives, and how we hope that will be even more true in the future.

Grace Church—

Grace is a pure gift from God. It’s not earned or deserved. It’s just showered upon us. So it is by grace that we are here today, together. Through these many, sometimes really difficult, years for both Sts. James and George, both congregations (separately and together) have experienced showers of grace. It is grace that has kept us going and hopeful. It is grace that has kept us together.  It is grace that will lead us into the future. Grace is a word that’s clearly meaningful to Christians, but it’s also freely used in the secular world; so it holds the promise of something most people (churched or unchurched) would like to experience. It’s not something they would avoid.  When we got to “Grace,” we had quite a discussion about finding a name that’s unique to the region. We decided it was not essential. (There is Grace Episcopal Church in Dalton, and other Grace churches in the diocese.) 

So after we got the two names, then we decided to add the “tag line” or “subtitle” of: “An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires”.

Although we’d not pre-determined how many names to present to you,

We discovered yesterday we really wanted at least three names. So we went back into discussion and prayer, but nothing seemed to come clear. We “tried on” several others, but they just “didn’t fit”.

Maybe it’s just these two?

Then Lee Cheek suggested we just take a time of silence. After awhile in silence, I asked God to show us the way: Are these two it/or is there another?  Then Doug Happ spontaneously said he would read aloud the top 50 names on the list that Rick brought, excluding the saints’ names, just to see if anything “jumped out” for us. 

All Angels—

With this reading, “All Angels” surfaced for many in the group. (Remember “All Angels” was on the list you suggested initially, but we’d not even discussed it yesterday until this point.)  Then I shared a couple of stories about this name.

One many of you know because Pennie Curry told it in church one day, but before that, she told it one night to our Bible study group…

One day last year Pennie and Taft Farm owner, Dan Tawczynski, were at Taft Farms talking about St. James. Raquel, one of the Hispanic employees,

Diego’s mother (some of you know little Diego from our garden), was nearby. Raquel chimed in, “Oh, I know St. James…that’s the church where all the angels fly around…so many people doing such loving things for children and hungry people in the community.” When Pennie told that story, the energy in the room seemed to really gather. It felt like the Holy Spirit was there.

The other story is one that happened a year ago at Easter…

I was talking with a friend, a clergy person in another diocese, about St. James and St. George and how we worshiped together. Out of the blue, the friend said an image had come to his mind of the two angels in the empty tomb. (This is part of the Resurrection story in the Gospel of Luke: When the women went in the tomb, there were two men in “dazzling clothes” who ask, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”) After we sat with this in silent prayer yesterday, we decided to add “All Angels” to the list.

So here are the three names you will be voting on come June 3:

Church of the Holy Spirit

An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires

Grace Church

An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires

All Angels

An Episcopal Community in the Southern Berkshires

It’s not lost on me that today’s story in Acts is all about discernment. The 11 are choosing a new 12^th Apostle to replace Judas. So they pray,

“Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these (two) you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship.”

People of St. James and St. George, please pray and ponder these three

names for our new church, so when we vote on June 3, we will select the one God has already chosen for us, as we begin these next 250 years.

Amen.