It's like naming a child only 1000 times worse. There are way more opinions, and you have the same problems, but compounded. You know how it is with a child, "you can't name him ______...he'll get made fun of on the playground" or "not _____, there was a kid in my first grade class with that name who always picked his nose and..." or "that name is too 80's" or "that name is cool now, but will be out in 5 years"
After sifting through name ideas, "The Well" "Anthem" "Cornerstone Church of Iowa City" "Anchor", to name a few, we went with "Veritas."
"Veritas" is the Latin word for "truth." In John 18:37, Jesus said to Pilate, "for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." Our church exists for the same reason. We use the Latin word as a reminder that we join history in the pursuit of truth, which is often elusive and polarizing. Truth transcends cultures, nations, and history itself. There's at least one thing we share in common with the Ancients, namely, this quest for truth.
It's academic, maybe a little Catholic, hints of transcendence and pursuit of meaning and purpose... all of which seem to fit the ethos of this area.
At the end of the day, we can't take ourselves too seriously. The people will make the name, not the name the people. You can have the church name, "The Edge", but be living safe, insulated, and ineffective lives. Or, you can have the name "Wall Street Baptist" and be a dangerous, reach the poor and oppressed kind of church.
So there you have it: Veritas Church. What we will become I don't know. But I'm filled with vision for all that God is going to do.
2 comments:
I found it funny you used "Wall Street Baptist" considering the history behind the naming of Wall Street. The street where all the garbage was thrown and walled to keep the pigs that rummaged through the garbage in.
Carl, that is hilarious. Good find. Anymore vision for heading up north?
- Mark
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