What is in a name?

After taking a few days holiday with Pat on South Bass Island the week between end of CPE and start of internship, I officially begin my internship August 21 at Trinity Lutheran in Sandusky. I will be writing a monthly newsletter article for their newsletter, and posting it here as well. 

What is in a name?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

                                                            – Romeo and Juliet by W. Shakespeare.

My time this summer in CPE – Clinical Pastoral Education – at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center (MSVMC) has brought home to me that one of the most profound things you can tell someone who is in crisis (physical and/or emotional) is that God knows them, names them, and loves them where we are, even if they are not fully responsive to that love.

Vicar Sharon, husband Pat, and granddaughter Clare

Greetings!

My name is Sharon Rose Brooks Brown. It is a long name and full of history. I am a child of the congregation of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Norwalk, daughter of Ted* and Dorothy* Brooks, and married these past 31 years to Patrick E. Brown, the son of Jack and Clarice Brown. We have three adult children: Joshua (31), Melissa (28) and Theodore (Teddy – named after my father) 24. Three years ago Melissa married Jake and is now a Lehman. They have given us a beautiful granddaughter Clarice Rose (age 2), named for her great grandmother, and we expect another arrival in late November. I will tell you more about my family as the year unfolds. For now, just know that each one is unique, special and loved for who and where they are right now. As my late father-in-law, Jack Brown, has been quoted to say, “That’s not chaos, that’s family!”

            Since January 2008 I have been pursuing the Master of Divinity through a pilot program (which has now received accreditation approval) offered by Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. This allowed me to continue my employment while I pursued my education. With the added generosity of my home congregation, St. Peter Lutheran, the financial burden has been bearable. I have spent 2+ years working with St. John Sandusky as my contextual teaching parish. I will miss the relationships there, but I look forward to a full year of ministry without working at another job or taking classes. I look forward to a year of ministry getting to know YOUR names.

Yours in Christ, Vicar Sharon

*Theodore and Dorothy come from the same root: Dorothea is the feminine form of Theodore, meaning “God’s gift.” I don’t know how significant that is. I just think it is “cool” that my parents essentially have the same name, and indeed they have been gifts from God in my life. Names identify our uniqueness and our giftedness, but also our connection to family and community. I look forward to experiencing my new name of "Vicar" in your community of faith.