“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” Psalm 127:3-5

On February 19, 2022 at 9:25 pm, my wife, Becca, and I welcomed Basileia Alida Woodford into our family. Her name is the Greek word for “kingdom.” It is pronounced Boss-sil-lay-ah. She was welcomed into the kingdom of God through the water and Word of Holy Baptism on March 13. Her birth weight was 7 lbs 10 oz and she was 19 ¾ inches long. Her nick name is “Basil” (pronounced like “nozzle”—not like the herb). Her middle name (Ah-lye-da) is the name of my great-grandmother on my dad’s side (she taught me how to play gin rummy as a young boy).   

I am one of those pastors who gives his children peculiar names. Perhaps not quite like Isaiah with his children (see Isa. 7:3 & 8:1), where the meanings of their names were indications of what would happen to Israel. But the meanings of our children’s names do create an apt saying for living in the challenges of today’s world: Isabella (18) = beautiful; Thaddaeus (15) = courage; Aletheia (12) = truth; Ekklacia (10) = church; Soteria (7) = salvation; Titus (4) = title of honor; Basileia = kingdom. Put together, they speak a message of witness about our Christian life, namely that we are a part of a beautiful, courageous, truthful church of salvation, with a title of honor in God’s Kingdom.

By faith in Jesus Christ, you and I are blessed with the title of God’s precious child, redeemed by the blood of Jesus. By grace we are welcomed into His Holy Christian Church on earth and into His eternal kingdom in heaven. It is a beautiful truth that gives us courage to live each day in the confidence of the salvation Jesus has won for us, even as we share that good news with others.

Becca and I rejoice at receiving Basileia into our family. We look forward to raising her in the way of the Lord. She is precious to us, as are all of our children. They are indeed a blessing from the Lord, and we love having a quiver full of them. Many people gasp when they see or hear we have seven children. But we love having a large family. With each new child, the love in our home only grows. Although it’s not always easy, we cherish raising our children. We especially treasure teaching them about Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, and what it means to be a Christian in a fallen world. Our prayer is that, by the grace of God, we form them into faithful disciples of Jesus who can’t help but pass on that same faith to others in their lives.   

Some fear bringing children into a world full of chaos, cruelty, and uncertainty. But ever since the fall into sin, this has been the way of things. You and I knew no different when we were young. The hope of Christ carried us through the challenges of our youth. Likewise, children today know no different, and the hope of Christ will carry them through, just the same. Along the way, they can share the hope of Christ with others in their lives, just like you and I do.

The Lord grant you courage to stand firm on the beautiful truth of Christ the crucified. Baptized into Him you have been bestowed a title of honor—child of God. You are precious to Him. Rest secure that Jesus has won your salvation, forgives you, brought you into His holy Christian Church on earth, and will one day welcome you into His eternal, heavenly kingdom.

In Christ,

Pastor Woodford