We know very little about Jesus’ childhood. There is nothing in Mark or John. From Matthew, we learn that an angel told Joseph to name Mary’s child “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This, he reports, they did, and then he relates the account of the Wisemen’s visitation, followed by the…

Names can tell us a lot about people’s characters and the roles they play in a story. One of the pleasures of reading literature is discovering the meaning of characters’ names. Authors will often give their characters names that tell us something important about who they are and about what they will do in the…

Abraham means “Ancestor of many.” Moses means “to draw out.” Israel means, either “he struggles with God” or “God struggles.” So, if our etymological skills are keen enough, at least from an Old Testament point of view, we can figure out the purpose of a particular patriarch or matriarch simply by reading his or her name. Of course,…

The ancient Romans had among their pantheon a god of doorways. His name was Janus. With two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back, he was the god of beginnings as well as endings. He gives his name, of course, to this month, “January,” and to “janitors,” the keepers of doorways. And so,…

The celebration of New Year’s Day tends to be a feast of exhaustion, particularly if one stayed up to see the new year in. After the Reformation in Scotland, the old church feasts were abolished. As is often the case, if people are deprived of things to which they are deeply attached, they find other…

Introduction Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Capetown, is fond of saying, “Christians are a eucharistic people; we must always be giving thanks.” For this short reflection on the topic, “worship that works” that’s an excellent place to begin. For Christian worship is about giving thanks to the Holy God; for calling us to…

A few days ago we celebrated the day on which the Lord was born. We talked about the City of Bethlehem, and the Angels, and Mary and Joseph and a tiny baby. Today we will talk about how that tiny baby was named by God. On Christmas Day we celebrated the birth of a child,…

Our theme is the Holy Name of Jesus, and God’s unconditional, personal love for each of us. In the covenant relationship that God has with each one of us, God loves us first; we are precious in His sight. He gives us the gift of his son, Jesus, who takes the first step to come…