He Knows Your Name

Have you ever noticed how someone’s face brightens when you remember their name? There is something sacred and deeply human about being known. Many people feel welcomed at a new church because more than one person remembered their name. My goal in the first year here at RBCPC is to learn everyone’s names. It is not always easy, yet I will try, because a name is much more than someone’s label. When we know and speak someone’s name, we communicate, “You matter.” Jesus says in John 10:3: “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” The Good Shepherd does not see numbers. He knows each one of us personally and completely. And because Jesus sees each person that way, we ought to see everyone that way too. Over the past month, I have discovered that the best way for me to learn names was over a meal. Having meals together is simple yet sacred: we look into one another’s eyes, hear their stories, and break bread. We leave with more than remembering their names—we saw a person’s heart. I also want to encourage us to be a church where no one can come and go without feeling seen. A good place to start is to learn the names of those around us. But this can go beyond the walls of RBCPC. Say the name of your restaurant server, your barista, your mail carrier, and your neighbors. As we greet them by name, you are blessing them with this thought, “You matter to God, and you matter to me.” And as for me, thank you for your patience. I may ask for your name more than once. If that happens too often, perhaps it is time to share a meal! God bless you, friends. With joy in Christ, Pastor Jason