What's in a name?

True Name

“To know our true name is, as it was for Abraham and Sarah, to turn, to reorient ourselves according to that name, and to live it.”
Elizabeth Webb

Have you ever looked up the origin and meaning of your name? Do you know who, if anyone, you were named for? Have you ever thought that your given name was not right for you? Names are very important. Just as in Genesis 17, when God changed the names of Abram and Sarai, to Abraham and Sarah, our name carries with it a blessing and a covenant. My name, for instance, is Jane, which is a feminine derivative of John, meaning ‘gift from God.’ I had a dream in my late thirties that was the simple and profound calling of my name. It woke me from a deep sleep. I knew immediately that I was claimed and called.

Some American Indian tribes still observe the vision quest in the naming of their children. It is a coming of age ritual in which the teenager is sent out to observe a time of solitude and to wait for a dream or a sign that lets them know their true name and their function in the tribe. They must stay outside the tribe and alone until the name comes. When they return, they are renamed according to their vision, and from then on respected as an adult.

The Christian service of infant baptism is also a naming ritual. It begins with the question to the parents, “What is the name of this child?” Then the baby is addressed by its full name and, as water is poured on its head, blessed in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This naming ceremony carries a covenant in which the church and the parents promise to raise the child according to the teachings of Jesus.

Every name carries the power of its meaning and provides an orientation toward one’s purpose in this lifetime. If you don’t know the meaning of your name, you can find it on-line at Meaning Of Names.com. Today would be a good day to find out.

Shalom,
Jane