The 11 th Sunday after Pentecost (Year A) August 24, 2014 What s in a name? May the One who names us, the One who calls us, and the

Transcription

1 Appointed Readings: The 11 th Sunday after Pentecost (Year A) August 24, 2014 What s in a name? The Reverend Amanda A. Akes Exodus 1:8-2:10 Romans 12:1-8 Psalm 124 Matthew 16:13-20 May the One who names us, the One who calls us, and the One who stretches us, open our hearts and our minds to God s transforming presence among us, Amen. Has anyone heard of a Country singer named Don Williams? What about Waylon Jennings? Well Don Williams wrote and sang a country song in the 70 s called Amanda. Waylon Jennings covered the song in the mid-80 s and it went to number one on the country music chart. The song describes a man who falls in love with a woman whom he thinks deserves someone better than him. The tune is catchy, the words are easy to remember, and there s a certain depth to the melody that captures and haunts the imagination. My dad loved this song. He loved it so much that when he and my mom were pregnant with me and they were thinking of baby names, Amanda made the top three, and eventually became the Page 1 of 6

2 name they chose for me! So here I am, Amanda, not Emily or Jennifer, or one of the other girls names that was popular back then, but Amanda, because of my dad s love of country music. Where does your name come from? Is it a family name? Were you named after someone? Or maybe there s another meaning behind your name. Another story. Names are powerful. They are indentifying titles. They help us to make sense of the world around us - identifying people, places, and relationships. In the ancient world, particularly in the ancient near east, names were thought to be extremely powerful. In the Bible, individuals are given names at birth that reflect something of significance or describe the course of their lives. In our first reading from Exodus, we learn how Moses receives his name. The name Moses means, the one who draws out. Moses adoptive Egyptian mother names him this because she drew him out of the water. But Moses name also foreshadows the role he will play in the lives of the Hebrew people. He will draw them out of slavery in Egypt. The names of individuals are meaningful. Names identify. They describe and foreshadow. A change in name does the same Page 2 of 6

3 thing. Additionally, a name change often represents a transformation in status, attitude, or relationship. In our Gospel account today, Jesus bestows a new name on one of his disciples. Simon, son of Jonah, was one of the first people to follow Jesus. His brother Andrew and him were fishermen. A few weeks back, we heard the story about his attempt to walk to Jesus on the water. Today, we hear about this man, Simon, a dedicated disciple, jumping at the chance to answer a question Jesus poses to his followers. Who do you say that I am? Simon, honestly answers Jesus question. After following Jesus and witnessing miracle upon miracle, healing after healing, and his ability to teach with authority, Simon knew who Jesus was and boldly voiced that knowledge. You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. That utterance, that audacious declaration, earned Simon a new name. Jesus called Simon, Peter. It is a name that means rock. This name change represents a change in Simon. It marks him as an important person in Jesus life and ministry. The significance of this name change sets Peter apart as something and someone special. Page 3 of 6

4 It s somewhat striking to us who know Peter s story that he would be a person who Jesus names rock. Peter is an unlikely symbol of stability. Though he was one of Jesus first disciples, he also frequently missed Jesus points completely. Later in the Gospel of Matthew, Peter tries to dissuade Jesus from his mission to which Jesus responds by calling Peter Satan. And when Jesus is betrayed by Judas and handed over to the religious authorities, Peter denies three times that he knows this man whom he once boldly declared the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The name Peter, rock, may seem farfetched to us. And yet And yet, Jesus names Simon, Peter, rock. Jesus sees something in Peter that is not immediately clear to us. He sees beyond Peter s stubbornness, beyond his blustering, beyond his failings. Jesus sees possibility. He sees leadership. He sees grace. In giving Peter a new name, Jesus invites Peter into a transformative experience. Jesus invites Peter to be something more than meets the eye. In changing Peter s name, Jesus initiates a transformation in Peter s status, attitude, and relationship. And just as God called Peter into a life of transformation, God is calling us to transformation too. This transformation includes a Page 4 of 6

5 further broadening of our hearts and minds to love as God loves. God seeks to deconstruct our preconceived ideas. In such a relationship we are invited to enter fully into something beyond ourselves. If we accept the invitation we risk being changed spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. We risk losing who we are. We risk the possibility that we could be different, that transformation may happen. We face something new, something we are uncertain about. We risk shedding our old names for new ones. This is a risk Peter accepted. Would you accept it? As Reverend Andrew mentioned in his sermon last week, this has felt like a summer of helplessness. From the conflict in Gaza that has left more than 1,000 civilians dead, to the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over the skies of Ukraine, to the Ebola breakout getting worse by the day, to the shooting of yet another unarmed black teenager here in the U.S., recent events are enough to make a person feel paralyzed with helplessness and despair. And yet, as resurrection people, we are called to shift helplessness into hopefulness and new life. New life doesn t often happen without struggle, without destruction and deconstruction. It doesn t happen Page 5 of 6

6 without work, without exertion. It doesn t happen without our taking the risk to be changed and to change the world. In times of helplessness, we are called to be hope-givers. When Jesus gave Peter his new name, Jesus called him into a new way of being in the world. It involved risk. What new names has God given you? What risks is God calling you to take in our hurting and broken world? God s continual summons is echoing, our responses await. Page 6 of 6