The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(
UMC)
What is in a name? Sometimes it is obvious but sometimes it is hard to tell.
I have always been interested and am often amused at the names of churches. One survey of 95,000 churches shows that there are 11,852 "first" churches. 20,219 are named after "saints" (St. James, St. Paul). 6,749 carry names of various mountains and hills that include many biblical sites (Mt. Nebo, Mt. Bethel) and some are probably derived from the city or some other geographic designation (Pleasant Hill, Sugar Hill).
The name serves a practical purpose for many, such as Second Avenue and Tenth Street United Methodist Churches, in identifying the location. Then you have the churches whose name indicates some biblical or theological principle or concept. These include grace, faith, messiah, covenant, harmony, prince of peace, good shepherd, and others.
Most of the church names listed above are very ordinary and common place. There are others that catch my attention and pique my interest. For instance, I wonder if the Baby Farms Baptist Church is memorializing a particular infant or is it located where babies are produced in quantity.
There are many Methodist churches named after their founder, John Wesley. But I am curious about the theology of the John Wesley Baptist Church.
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September 20, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
“Everyone should read it—all of it!” That is the conclusion of David Plotz. He said further, “While reading the Bible, I often felt as if I had finally lifted a veil from my eye. Reading the whole Bible has changed me.”
September 06, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
Today is Labor Day, a day set apart to honor the ordinary folks whose work is essential to our lives. They are the people who rarely get the spotlight but without whom we would not have food on our tables, houses in which to live, clothes to wear, electricity to light and cool our homes, automobiles to drive, computers to connect to the world.
August 02, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
Dr. Jamie Jenkins writes, "Whether the church membership numbers many or few, it is important for everyone to have the sense of 'belonging.' No matter what the size of the congregation, it is possible to be known and to feel that your presence and participation is important." Read on.
July 26, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
Dr. Jamie Jenkins writes, "The story begins in 1633 with the village of Oberammergau in a bad way, the Thirty Years War raging around it and the death toll from the bubonic plague rapidly increasing. Those still alive made a vow that if God spared them, they would put on a performance detailing Christ’s own suffering and repeat it every ten years in gratitude for their deliverance." Read on...
July 19, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
Dr. Jamie Jenkins writes: "I wonder if God gets irritated with me when I am fearful or agitated and don’t accept the comfort and reassurance that is offered? When God speaks peace to me, why do I reject it? Why are my circumstances more convincing than the reality of God’s Presence?"
July 12, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
Dr. Jamie Jenkins writes, "Creative thinking, risk taking, industriousness, and many other characteristics ... are essential to Pixar’s success. But [one of the founders], referring to the process of making Toy Story, said they believed that 'people are more important than ideas.' That might be the key."
May 17, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
Dr. Jamie Jenkins writes on the itinerant system in the United Methodist Church: "There are many reasons to change leadership--of a basketball team or a church. Tenure and ‘shelf-life” may be factors, but just needing a change is probably not enough." Read on...
May 10, 2010
The Rev. Dr. Jamie Jenkins
(UMC)
Dr. Jamie Jenkins writes, "Important moments in our lives need to be celebrated and remembered. But maybe, just maybe, we can do that in ways that are not only memorable for us but also beneficial for others." Read on...