Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcome third child together. That was a headline in an online newspaper this week. Normally I wouldn’t give that sort of headline a second glance, but this made me wonder, what’s in a name? Apparently Rihanna (a.k.a Robyn Rihanna Fenty) and A$AP Rocky (a.k.a Rakim Athelston Mayers) already have two sons whom they named RZA and Riot. This third child they named Rocki Irish (it’s a girl, obviously!)

What’s in a name? Identity? Connection? Belonging? Attention? All of the above? Jesus told a story once about a poor man named Lazarus (I don’t think he was a rapper). The name means ‘Cared for by God’. There’s a lot in a name.

Pastor John Strelan

Think of a parable.

Which one are you thinking of? Is it ‘The Prodigal Son’? What a wonderful picture of God. Maybe ‘The Good Samaritan’. That’s a classic. Perhaps you’re thinking of ‘The Lost Sheep’, or ‘The Lost Coin’ (if you are, I hope you are rejoicing!) Or, maybe it’s ‘The Sower’, or ‘The Mustard Seed’? Whichever one it is, I am almost certain you aren’t thinking of the parable Jesus tells in Luke 16:1-13. ‘The Dishonest Manager’, or ‘The Shrewd Manager’. And, I am equally certain that when you go and read it in a moment you won’t come away thinking “What a wonderful picture of God!” And, maybe that’s the point. Sometimes God speaks to us in ways we don’t expect and through people we would never imagine.

According to the accumulated wisdom of the internet gathered together by Chat GPT joy is a deep feeling of happiness, contentment, or delight. It’s often more lasting and profound than momentary pleasure. Unlike fleeting emotions like excitement or amusement, joy tends to arise from something meaningful – such as love, connection, purpose, or a sense of inner peace. Hence, joy is a state of the heart and mind that can exist even in the middle of difficult circumstances.

According to Luke’s Gospel, joy is one sinner being found by God.