ST. ISADOR THE FARMER CHURCH

Driving on Rt. 15 in Virginia, I did a double-take when I passed a church named "St. Isador the Farmer." So we're naming churches after farmers now?  How long has this been going on?  Why don’t you people tell me anything?  No, it wasn't called the “Old McDonald had a Farm Church," but it was close enough. It got me wondering how many other churches are named after farmers.  Is there a “Farmer John Church,” a “Farmer Brown Church,” or a Farmer in the Dell Church,” maybe one with a sanctuary sponsored by Farmers Insurance, and hymnals courtesy of The Farmers' Almanac?

What about other vocations?  If there's a "St. Isador the Farmer Church" in Virginia, maybe there's a "St. Donald the Developer Church” in New York, or a "St. Mario the Plumber Church” in Florence, or a "St. Bob the Builder Church" in Indiana. Perhaps, somewhere in Maryland, there's a "St. Brooks the Third Baseman Church," and if New England still has any churches, one of them may be named "St. Brady the Patriot." 

Of course if you are familiar with the Bible, you know that the term “saint” does not refer to one who was particularly holy, or who had miracles performed in his/her name, and it certainly does not refer to one who is beatified by a pope. The term saint was used to designate a true believer in Christ---one who has repented of his sins and transferred his trust to Jesus, the Lamb of God who offered His life as a substitute for sinners.  The Apostle Paul addressed Christians in Rome this way: “…beloved of God, called to be saints.” [Romans 1:7]  He called the believers in Corinth,”…those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…” [1 Corinthians 1:2] A saint (hagios in the original Greek) is one who is set apart, and all believers in Christ have been set apart by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and they’re in the process of being sanctified (and they'll ultimately be glorified) by the Holy Spirit.

If you are resting in Christ alone, if you have given up on any attempt to save yourself by your own efforts, then you are a saint.  You could conceivably plant a church and name it after yourself, maybe St. Allan the Accountant, or St. Becky the Physician.  But since your salvation was all of God’s grace, it might be more appropriate, in the choice of a name, to keep the attention on the Lord.

My lovely wife Darla, who prefers to go by her given name, Donna, thinks there might be a church somewhere named "St. Russell the Disturbed."  If you see it, you would be wise to keep driving.