"Hannah Rose" (1 Samuel)

Toward the end of his sermon, Dr. Forbes notes that, across the country, there are 15-20 young women named "Hannah Rose"--after their parents heard this very sermon in different congregations and settings.  Ours is one!  I heard it in the late 80s at Union Seminary in James Chapel--might have been the first time he preached it.  And our Hannah Rose was born in 2001, two months after 9/11 when hope was in short supply.

Dr. Forbes' sermon insists that there's a powerful 'rising' in the space where God's passion and human need meet.  If we open up to the possibility and promise, even and especially in seasons of crisis, we experience the hand of God drawing into the drama of grace!

And so, our Hannah's been a sign of divine blessing and hope ever since that awful, strange fall of 2001.  And she's a pretty spectacular Hannah Rose--if I do say so myself!

Fiona Grace (l) and Hannah Rose (r)