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WHAT TO EXPECT
This Sunday is All Saints Sunday and we will remember the “great cloud of witnesses” of family, friends, and pilgrims in the faith who have shaped our lives. Remember, too, it is Daylight Savings Time so there will be plenty of time to get up and get dressed and to come early and visit. It is our pleasure to welcome The Rev. Dr. Rosanna Anderson as our guest preacher. She will join me in leading the 10 a.m. worship service. In a sermon titled “A Heart Full of Kindness” she visits the story of Zaccheus ( Luke 19:1-10) who we learned from our Sunday School lessons as the “wee little man.” In asking Rosanna what struck her about Zaccheus and his encounter with Jesus she had this to say: “Zacchaeus was a kind of boring guy who collected taxes for the Roman Empire. Why would anyone, especially Jesus, want to spend time with him? Jesus received him with a heart full of kindness showing you do not have to be a rock star to hang out with Jesus.” Come as you are and experience the kindness of Jesus for yourself. Together, we will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper, giving thanks to God for friends and loved ones whose faithful witness and encouragement have inspired us to follow Christ where he leads us.
I want to thank everyone for the many condolences and words of support shared by all in response to the recent death of my mother, Gladys McGee Means Hilley. I will be thinking about her this Sunday when we remember the “saints” who have come before us. During the service, if you happen to see me smile or hear me chuckle as Rosanna preaches on the story of Zaccheus, it is probably because I will be thinking of my Mom and Dad and of the story about the time they had a little chihuahua named Zaccheus. On one of their many trips during retirement they stopped for refuelling and a pit stop for the dog. They both thought the other one had put the wee dog in their big Suburban until 100 miles down the interstate in South Carolina they realized that they had left the dog back at the gas station. They drove back only to learn that the attendant had seen the dog picked up and driven off by someone he described as “looking kind.” Over the years that family story took on a life of its own as family stories often do. So this Sunday, don’t leave any one at home. Get everybody into the car, do a headcount, and head our way for a wonderfully rich time together.
About this Sunday’s guest: The Rev. Dr. Rosanna Anderson
An ordained PC(USA) minister, Rosanna is a freelance proofreader for religious publishers who previously served churches in New York, New Jersey, and Tennessee. She also served on the denominational staff of The United Methodist Church, specializing in stewardship and intergenerational ministries. She received her M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and D.Min. from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Rosanna and her husband, Dr. Clifford Anderson, Associate University Librarian and Professor of Religious Studies at Vanderbilt, enjoy living in Nashville with their ten-year-old son, Theodore.
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