"What's In A Name?"

January 14, 2007
Second Sunday After Epiphany
from Psalm 36:5-10 and Isaiah 62:1-5

“You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” – Isaiah 62:4

My sermon outline:

• Names have meaning in the Bible, (Adam, Abram, Isaac, Moses, Jesus, plus the weird names like Lo-Ruhamah (you are not loved), Lo-Ammi (you are not my people))
- and there are name changes (Abraham, Jacob-Israel...)

• personal story of a name change

• Shawn Hornbeck on Friday January 12, 2007 (now 15), found after missing since October 2002, with stepfather Craig Akers, St. Louis, MO
You shall no more be termed Missing, and your family shall no more be called Broken; but you shall be called Recovered, and your family Reunited, for you have been saved, and your family has been brought together again... So shall your God rejoice over you.

• and name changes like the ones described in today’s reading from Isaiah 62.

“You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called
My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” – Isaiah 62:4

• The prophet is speaking words from the Lord to a people who have been in exile, who have been taken away from the land of their forbears, the land promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the land their families had been living on for hundreds of years, the home of the holy city and the place where the Temple had once stood.

• The prophet offers to the people a word of hope (even in the depths of despair, death, and destruction, the things that be shall not be permanent), a word of grace (the Lord shall work your salvation), and a word of encouragement (I will not rest until Israel’s name shines again, is vindicated; let us not tire in crying out to the Lord to remember his promises, and let us take action to hasten that day. We are the bride of God, and even as we delight in God as a lover delights in her partner, so does God delight in us. I will sing to the Lord who has given me salvation.

• Just before Is 62 is Is 61 (the one Jesus quotes) proclaiming year of God’s favor on the people, year of rebuilding and of hope and grace and celebration and new covenant. And all will know they are a people the Lord has blessed.


• I believe 2007 will be a year of God’s favor on the people of Spring City, both the church and the community. I want to offer to you a word of hope (even in the depths of despair, depression, and decline, the things that be shall not be permanent), a word of grace (the Lord shall work your salvation... the name “Spring City” shall be vindicated, and we shall be called Beloved of God. We shall be called Home by generations and Instrument of salvation by people who did not know the Lord.) I want to offer you a word of encouragement that you have my prayers and my efforts to be a part of what God is calling us to be and promising to do.

• The prophet will not keep silent, will not rest until Jerusalem’s vindication shines. He’s seen the salvation of the Lord and proclaims I’ll shout it from the mountaintop.

• What has the Lord done for you, and who knows?


- Pastor Kerry
This Sunday: 65 in worship.