Naming Ceremony
As an African, a naming ceremony is a culturally important celebration. The moment it becomes known that a baby is soon to be part of the family, the whole family will be expectant wondering who the baby will be. This may seem odd to you, let me explain. We fully believe that every child is meant to play a role in the family, and the parents can influence that role in a major way with the simple act of the names given to the child. Hence, the baby’s name not only reflects what is happening in the family but what role that baby will play in the world as he/she grows, meaning the name will define the very destiny of the child. So the parents will come up with the names, while the grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles, aunties, and older relatives will add their own names. Each member of the family that is older than the child will be given a chance to name the child. They will not take it lightly. They will have fun with it but they also know it is a solemn opportunity to bless a child with a name. They will give the names to the parents once the child enters the world, then on the eight-day, the names will be announced with a lot of prayers, dancing, and jubilation. It’s usually a big celebration!
All who are present at the naming ceremony will be “quizzed” in repeating the names of the baby. It is such a great light-hearted competition that carries major importance because after this naming ceremony, people excitedly using these names to refer to the child until one or two names sticks, usually within 3 weeks. The child will now start to live up to his or her name. If anyone calls that child any other name, either not given to the child or a derogatory name, the parents will refute it vehemently with “that is not the name given to my child at his/her naming ceremony!” When the child is of age, he or she will not answer when called by a name not given to him or her. He or she knows his/her worth. He/she knows her value, her right.
In the same vein, when you, as a person, receive Jesus into his life, you are born like a baby into the Kingdom of God and there is a naming ceremony. YES! YOU GET A NAMING CEREMONY, not done by human beings, but by spiritual Father. In attendance are innumerable angels that came to have a jolly godly time at your spiritual naming ceremony. The name will be recorded in the register called the Book of Life, the Book of Jesus.
Just like in my culture and many others around the world, many names are given to you as you’re born into the Kingdom of God that reflects the uniqueness of the new birth in relationship to God. Such names as a son, daughter, workmanship (poiema in Greek), princess, prince, conquerors, beloved, forgiven, blessed, victorious. Each one reflecting your new identity in Christ. I don’t know about you I like that the LORD calling me Poiema. Poiema means poem or poetry. So you and I are divine poetry of God. What is the unique name God has given you? Can’t think of one? Let’s read some of your names in 1 Peter 2: 9 – 10, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” Whoot! Whoot!! How powerful?!!
These are only some of the names given to you at your naming ceremony on the day you were born to the Kingdom of God. Dear reader, do not allow the devil to call you derogatory names that your Father in Heaven did not name you. Don’t call yourself derogatory names. Remember your name reflects who you are. Reject all the negative names and start to answer and call yourself the names given to you by God. When you feel like a failure, or you are trodden upon, remember you are having a wrong feeling about yourself. Remember, once you are born into the family of God, you become a specially loved child – Poiema. You belong to a new race. Christians all over the world form a new race. They become a new race inwardly not facially – Americans, Africans, Asians, American Indians, Russians, Europeans, Canadians, Alaskans, Hawaiians, and…. You get the gist!! We all are part of the new race, the race of the LORD. GOD’S BLESSINGS ON YOU IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME.
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