What's in a Name?

When the girls and I started singing together, and then started to get requests to sing again, we decided we needed a name to put in the bulletin and on our tour t-shirts. We spent an entire weekend at Jane's house practicing songs and tossing around names for our little group. Usually I'm pretty agreeable, but I was finding exception with almost any name tossed out. I was no help! There were several disagreeable factions arguing in my brain:

1. Naming ourselves seemed so official and implied that we were really a group - which meant I was part of singing group! Still unfathomable!
2. Proper names are instrumental in the process of forming first impressions and once printed become a piece of history. It's what people call you and that to which you answer.

Even though we considered other names, we could never find consensus on anything else and we stayed with the name of "Angel Band" which was the first song that we all sang together. The Angel Band tour shirts have never actually been ordered, but we're still packing in the crowds :-) and racking up the towns: Garland, Gilmer, Longview, and Mabank! There are a few more Texas towns I'd love to list on the back: Utopia, Friendship, Poetry, Loving, Welcom, Temple, Earlywine, Burning Bush, Blessing, Paradise, Unity, Mission, Hope, Weeping Mary, and Harmony. What's in a name? We usually don't get to name ourselves - what would you name yourself?

My prayer for the congregation?

O God, you named your prophets and you name us as your children. If we name ourselves Christian, we must do more than wear a name badge to let people know who we are and to whom we belong. We must live our faith and follow the teachings of Christ to be called Christians. If we name ourselves friend, we must listen, be present, and share to become a true friend. If we name ourselves evangelists, we must open doors, talk to neighbors and share the good news before we can claim to be evangelists. Blessed is the name of Jesus; "God is Salvation." Amen.

"Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name
under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved."
(Acts 4:12)