What’s in a Name?

I was watching a game the other night (purely for church research, obviously), and it hit me how funny sports team names can be—especially when teams move. Some franchises have names that made perfect sense… once upon a time.

Take the Los Angeles Lakers. Originally, they were the Minneapolis Lakers, which is a great name when you live in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” (Fun fact: Minnesota actually has over 11,000 lakes. They were being modest.) Los Angeles? About 20 lakes—and most of them are man-made. Still the Lakers. Then there’s the Utah Jazz, which began in New Orleans. New Orleans? Absolutely makes sense. Utah? I’ve never heard anyone say, “When I think of jazz music, I think Utah.” And my personal favorite: the Memphis Grizzlies, who used to play in Vancouver. Canada has grizzly bears. Memphis… does not. The only grizzlies you’ll find there are safely behind glass at the zoo.

Somewhere along the way, these teams kept the nickname, even when it no longer fit the place. The identity stayed the same, even though the context changed. And as funny as that is, it got me thinking about faith.

Sometimes we hang on to names, labels, or habits that used to describe us well—but don’t anymore. We say, “I’m a Christian,” or “I’m part of the church,” or “This is just how we’ve always done it,” without stopping to ask whether our lives still reflect what those words mean.

In Scripture, names matter. Abram becomes Abraham. Jacob becomes Israel. Simon becomes Peter. When God changes someone’s name, it’s not cosmetic—it’s a sign that something deeper is happening. The name catches up to the calling.

Jesus had some strong words for people who carried the right label but missed the heart of it. He said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8). In other words, the name was right—but the reality didn’t match.

The good news is that God is always in the business of alignment. Of helping our lives catch up to our calling. Of shaping us so that the name “Christian” actually sounds like good news when people see it lived out. So maybe the question for us this week isn’t whether we’ve got the right name—but whether our lives still fit it. And unlike sports franchises, God doesn’t mind relocating our hearts if that’s what it takes.

May God hold you,
Rev Chris Hester