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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, after whom we were named. When I first came to this parish, I asked some members who were here when it was still a chapel, "How did we come to be called, "St. Stephen's?" I was expecting to hear about how they voted to be named after the one of the first deacons of the church, one of the first servants, one of the first preachers. But no, I was told that the woman who gave the most money to have the church built wanted it named after her son, Stephen. Oh, well. It doesn't matter what our church's name is, does it? After all, Shakespeare asked, 'But what is in a name?' What is so important about celebrating our church's name?
In ancient times, it was thought that if you knew the name of a person or a demon or a god, you could get it under your control. So Jacob, struggling with the unknown demon or angel or god in the waters of Jabbok, asked to know his name. So the ancient Jews refused even to name the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day, we still don't know how the name of the God was pronounced - Jehweh? Jehovah? All we have are the consonants: No one knows what the vowels sounded like. The Hebrews never said God's name, they only described God. They would never presume to think that they could have any control over God. Names have power. And that is why, in the Old Testament, at the circumcision or redemption of the firstborn, "the name of God was called over" and "put upon" each person as a son of and a new member of the community of Israel. And that is why the strong name of the Trinity is invoked at our baptism. We become, who we are named!
Names have power. And I have always been interested how the name of a church can reflect upon its congregation. A church's name can have such power that it actually begins to mold the congregation. As we heard in today's scripture lessons, Stephen was the first Christian martyr, and one of the first deacons of the Church. The word, 'Martus' originally referred both to a legal witness and to any witness to facts. In Christian usage it was first applied to the contents of the gospel proclamation. A 'Martus' was one who witnessed to Christ by word and life. By the middle of the second century, the term reached its full development. It came to designate those who actually shed their blood bearing witness.
Names have power, and we are named after one of the first and greatest 'witnesses' for the faith. An important work of deacons is the preaching of the gospel. Stephen must have done good work in preaching, because a large number of Hellenistic Jews became very angry at his moving words. In fact, they had Stephen arrested and tried before the Jewish council. Stephen's address to that Jewish council is found in Acts, chapter 7. It is more of a sermon than a legal defense. A powerful witness to the work of God in the world. But Stephen's concluding words were the ones that got him in real trouble. They are a stinging accusation which infuriated his accusers and judges. He answers their ensuing rage with, what is for them, further blasphemy. In a kind of uncontrollable anger, and without verbal judgement, they drag Stephen out of the city and stone him. Stephen's suffering and death were suppose to cut off his witness, but Stephen's martyrdom only pushed his testimony forward.
And we are called "St. Stephen's". We are named after someone who could not be quieted, could not be silenced when it came to proclaiming his faith. And, names are powerful. A church's name can have such power that it actually begins to mold the congregation. And it has molded us!
Today we not only celebrate our patronal feast day, we celebrate who we are. We, like Stephen, preach the Good News of Christ when we talk to our family, friends and neighbors about our faith. And you just have to look out over the congregation in any given Sunday to see the result of this work.
We are called 'St. Stephens'. We come together once a week for support and sustenance in the Eucharist. It is not easy to be filled with the joy of Christ in a society that cannot or will not hear about that joy. We need to touch base with one another once a week, coming together with others who do understand what we going through. In this way, we, who are called St. Stephen's, are not alone in being witnesses to the faith.
We have a very special community here at St. Stephen's, a collection of people who have felt and who know the power of Jesus Christ's own suffering which accompanies us in our own suffering, and which transforms us. Like Stephen, we know the difference Jesus Christ is making in our lives. Like Stephen, we have experienced God's love. Christ only asks that we bring the Good News to our family and friends around us.
Names have power. We are called after one who powerfully proclaimed his faith, no matter what. Let us work, as a congregation, to live up to the privilege of conveying God's love to others and of being called St. Stephen's congregation.
Thanks be to God.