What’s In A Name?
The name William Britton is carved into the front left-hand side of the altar at Chapel of the Cross. As a bit of background, William Britton married Frances Johnstone in 1844, four years before the plans were made for the building of the church. Frances and William had a son; they named him William Johnstone Britton.
This past Friday, we received a call at the Chapel from a Memphis gentleman. He said that he and his wife would be driving through the area later in the day and they wondered if they could possibly look inside the Chapel and walk around the cemetery. The man explained that his wife was a direct descendent of the family that built the Chapel and that she had always wanted to see it.
I met the family in the churchyard and unlocked the Chapel, leading them into the sacristy. When the lady saw the altar, she stood still for quite some time, staring at the name of William Britton. She finally turned to me, and told me that her father was William Johnstone Britton IV. Wow! What a moment! Names matter. Names ground us and connect us to our past and our heritage.
This past Sunday at the Chapel, we welcomed five children into the body of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism. As each child took a turn, Father Ben asked each child’s parents, their child’s name; two of the children spoke for themselves. He then baptized each child, by name. Each child was anointed, and marked as Christ’s own forever. Names matter. God knows each and every one of us by name. Thanks Be To God!