GA06076

A fish story

'It's a she, and her name is Gracie.'

by Barry Creech

BIRMINGHAM, June 18 — The Rev. Gary Cook, associate director for Global Service and Witness, announced Sunday that Second Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth, NJ, had submitted the winning entry in that offering's Name the Fish contest.

Global Service and Witness is the area of Worldwide Ministries that houses the three programs of One Great Hour of Sharing.

Brenda Grauer of In Stitches — a liturgical fabric arts studio in Chagrin Falls, OH — officially presented Cook with a large stuffed version of Gracie to send to the winning congregation. Several other congregations that submitted variations of Grace or Gracie will receive smaller versions of the stuffed fish.

"Last year, when folks working on One Great Hour of Sharing were looking at how most people recognized the offering, we realized that the fish was probably its most recognizable symbol," said Alan Krome, associate for Special Offerings. "People have been calling it One Great Shower of Herring for years. It seemed like a natural to make the fish an actual character in our children's materials, and we wanted to offer the children a chance to name the fish."

Earlier this year, the children's resources introduced the fish, which will be a familiar character in children's resources for a number of years. The story, called "The Little Fish with Invisible Wings," told how the little fish learned that caring about others helped it to grow in unexpected ways. But even at the end of the story, the little fish still did not know its name or even its gender, and the resources invited the children to give the fish a name.

"We were astonished by the response," Cook said. "We received more than a thousand submissions. Not all appeared to be the ideas of the children — I'm guessing that not that many of our kids tend to throw around words like ‘Kairos' too often — but there was quite a range of suggestions."

"Many children suggested the names of people that they admired, from their congregation or family or even professional sports," Krome said, "while others gave entirely inventive names like Princess Gloria Backhoe and Professor Snipper Doodle.

"But many offered heartfelt explanations for their choice. You might think that Miracle Whip was suggested as a joke until you read that the children chose the name ‘For the way the little fish could use the wings God give him to whip around the ocean and help others — we know that took a miracle which he can provide with God's help.' "