He shall be called...
My role as Pastor of Hope Community Church is varied. Last week I had a breakfast meeting, followed by playing my guitar and singing nursery rhymes and Christmas songs at our parent and toddler group.
From there I went straight to a young couple’s house for their child’s Naming Ceremony. They had had the baby just a week ago. The family are from Nigeria and their custom is to have the Naming Ceremony one week after the birth.
There was only a few of us in the house, but we were joined online by family and friends in Nigeria, America and other parts of the UK.
It was a wonderful celebration of the birth of their child! The parents had chosen 10 names for their baby, and each one had significance and meaning, such as ‘The Lord is mine’ and ‘Rest on the Lord’.
As these names were declared we prayed that they would become true for this child.
That same week I also took an assembly in a local school on the theme of Advent. I spoke to the children about what the Old Testament prophet Isaiah said, about the birth of a special baby…
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
If you have ever attended a Carol Service, you may well have heard these words being read. This prediction (or prophecy) was made some 700 years before the birth of Jesus.
What struck me was the different names used to describe this baby. They are: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Like the Naming Ceremony I attended last week, each one of these names is loaded with significance and meaning. That is alongside the name Jesus, which means ‘God saves’ or ‘the Lord is salvation’, or simply ‘Saviour’.
For example, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the one who offers peace between you and God, and peace in your inner most being. Just imagine what our troubled world could look like if we all had this kind of peace!
As we approach Christmas, let me encourage you to take a quiet moment to reflect on these names. There is much to unlock and discover in each of them. They are words of life and hope!
Before you start, simply ask God, in prayer, to reveal the meaning of these words and what that means for you this Christmastime.
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader