The Bris

Jeff and I were ushers at church this morning.  I joked about hearing a sermon on Jesus* bris, and the re-naming of this Holy Day to Feast of the Holy Name.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear, in part, a sermon on Jesus* bris (thank you, Victor), circumcision and naming combined, including the statement that this was the first time Jesus* blood was shed for us.  Yes.  I was more than pleasantly surprised.  Stunned is more like it.  Yes.

I joked with the family

About hearing a sermon this morning

On Jesus* bris.

It used to be called, after all,

The Feast of the Circumcision.

Eight days after his birth,

Jesus was circumcised.

Those in the know

Thought it needed a different focus.

It became

The Feast of the Holy Name.

Eight days after his birth,

Jesus was also named:

Savior of the People.

We call him Jesus.

At the Name of Jesus

Every knee shall bow.

So much nicer.

So much more palatable.

We don*t have to think about

The mohel,

The knife,

The bris,

The actual circumcision

Occasion.

We can move right into

The Naming itself.

At the Name of Jesus

Every knee shall bow.

We can skip over

The blood-letting.