Biography
Dr. James Forbes is Professor of Preaching at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, as well as a Professor at Auburn Theological Seminary. Dr. Forbes was born in North Carolina into a family of eight children. He earned his divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and began his ministry as a pastor in North Carolina and Virginia. He loves to write music and poetry. [Biographical information is correct as of the broadcast date noted above.]

"Hannah Rose" 
I'd like to speak to you about a name that I am recommending to people if they think that they've got a little baby girl coming on. The name I'm offering is Hannah Rose. Do you like that name? Well, let me tell you why I've come to think of Hannah Rose as just the perfect name, and also why it is the title of this sermon.

Actually, it happened during a time when I was being reviewed for promotion on my job. During the time of professional review, people ask questions about whether you've been fruitful enough, whether or not you have been productive, whether you can handle the job. Of course, my friends thought so, but there were questions being raised as to whether, really, I should get the promotion. During these times, you become a little uncertain. Actually as the time goes on while you are waiting, you can find yourself a little depressed, a little uncertain as to whether people will really understand what it is that you have to offer. During such a time, I was reading my daily devotions and it turned out to be from I Samuel, Chapter 1. This is the story about Hannah where she had failed to be productive, had had no children, and how her rival had begun to tease her and to vex her and I was reading the text right along and found a strong sense of identification with Hannah.

As a matter of fact, as I observed Hannah becoming more and more depressed about the accusations that were leveled against her, I talked to her while I was reading the text. I said to her, "Hannah, I know exactly how you feel. There have been times when people have judged me harshly, when they have, in a sense, refused to appreciate the strengths I had because they were focusing upon my weaknesses." And I said to her, "Hannah, what are we going to do?"

In the reading of the text it said, "After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose." That caught my attention. I said, "That's it, Hannah Rose." In fact that's where the topic for my sermon has come from and why I offer this as a name for any little baby girl, "Hannah Rose." For when we are despised, rejected, misunderstood, stigmatized, ostracized, there's no need to spend time simply crying about it, or being depressed about it. Hannah rose and I think that's what we ought to do.

But don't let me get ahead of the story. Let me begin by reading that text in which I found this name and it will begin to be clear why I never will forget that name, Hannah Rose.

I Samuel 1:1-9a: "There was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had not children. Now this man used to go up, year by year, from his city, to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts at Shiloh where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineahas, were priests of the Lord.

"On the day when Elkanah sacrificed he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters and, although he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion because the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her sorely, to irritate her because the Lord had closed her womb.

"So it went on, year by year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat and Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat, and why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose." That's where the title of the sermon and the name come from. Let's look at it again.

Now I think it must have been a big, beautiful wedding in the old hill country of Ephraim. The solemn ceremonies are over and now it's time for the reception — out of doors of course — and I can see Hannah and all of the bride's maids having fun. I think, maybe, they sing a little song — teasing her a bit — saying, "Come dance and sing your glad Hosannas, but pray for lots of little Hannahs!" You know they talk like that at weddings. And of course the men have their drinking song as well. They tease Elkanah saying, "Son of Jeroham, Elihu, Tohu and of Zuph — come on Elkanah and do your stuff!" Always at weddings in Ephraim there were Freudian undertones because the concern was not simply the happiness of the man and wife, but that they would be fruitful, that they would have offspring to extend the life of the tribe. So it was that all of the friends during the reception had lots of fun, and when they left they probably said, "Now, we hope that we will hear news very soon that a child is to be born to this happy union."

But those of you who are Bible students know that no offspring were born to this union. Hannah did everything she could do to have children. She accepted all of the advice they gave her. Some people said, "Maybe you have to watch your diet, that might help you to bear." Others had said to her, "Hannah, try to sleep with your husband on the right moon." A closer friend had said, "Honey forget the moon, sleep with him as often as you can." Perhaps it was a grandmother who had provided some herbs and said, "Make a sun tea and drink this three times a day." Hannah had drunk so much of that stuff until she was beginning to look pregnant, but nothing — no children.

In that time, to be married and have no children was a disappointment to the husband and to the wife. It was very, very difficult for Hannah. She tried everything she could, but nothing at all happened. Now, according to the tradition, if no children were born, it was possible for Elkanah, without putting Hannah away, to marry another. So their decision was made, probably reluctantly, but anyway Elkanah took a second wife alongside Hannah and her name was Peninnah. It was the right choice for, right off, Peninnah started
having children, one right after the other. But you all understand what it's like — too many cooks in one kitchen, too many wives in one household — there was trouble on every hand. Peninnah seemed to use every opportunity she found to irritate and to vex Hannah. Oh it was awful in the house! As the children grew up, they started, I suspect, making obscene gestures at Hannah as well. It was so difficult to live there together.

But the real difficulty came when they would go yearly to Shiloh where they sacrificed unto the Lord. Now, I'll tell you about me. I don't mind having trouble in the house, but don't show off on me in public! That's exactly what Peninnah would do. When they were there at the great feast at Shiloh, Peninnah would say, "There she goes, the Barren One. There she is, no fruitfulness there." And then, of course, Hannah would try to lift up her head to rise above it, and that just gave Peninnah another opportunity to say, "See? Her nose is in the air. That's why God has closed her womb. She's so vain." Oh, it was awful and it happened every year. Every year, at Shiloh, Hannah knew that she was going to be humiliated again. So that, I suspect, it was hard for Hannah to get up to get ready to go.

I know something about that. There are times when the things that I must face in the course of a day almost always promise me disappointment and frustration, and I hate to get up. So I put myself together a little shower-song that I sing to get myself moving when I don't really want to go. I sing something like this:

I'm going to take heart and get moving,
Though the clouds hang heavy and gray.
If I wait for blue sky perfection,
I'll be waiting 'til judgment day.

Why let myself be held hostage?
Trapped and blocked by who knows what.
Will standing still in sinking sand
Reverse my fate, improve my lot?

I'm going to break out and risk living,
Though the reasons to wait still abound.
I will do what I can in the climate of now
'Till better days roll around.

So take heart, my sisters and brothers,
Give your spirit a holiday,
Away with the reasons delaying the season,
Celebration is the order of the day
— I really mean it —
Celebration is the order of the day!!!

Interview with James Forbes
Interviewed by Dave Hardin

Dave Hardin: I'd like to ask you about an area that has grown in our country — the involvement of our church in politics, with candidates coming out of the ministry and all kinds of things happening. How do you feel about this trend?

James Forbes: I believe that the church has always had concern for the total person and that it is important for people in religious communities to be concerned about the full range of areas that affect our lives — social, economic and political. Now when we say "the Church," obviously that means different levels — each individual who goes to vote out of a Christian conviction is a part of the church involved in politics. Those who feel called upon to provide leadership, that's part of the church. Sometimes church organizations come together and impact our political sphere, such as the pastoral letter on economic justice by the Roman Catholic Bishops — that's another level. So it seems to me that the issue is, "What are the appropriate ways for the church to be involved?" There is no arena of human existence that is beyond the concern and influence of the religious community. Now there may be some ways that are not appropriate at particular points, but I believe that everything that affects me must be the concern of my church.

Hardin: You are still in Jet Lag — just back from Russia. We've been conditioned to fear or at least be anxious about the Russians for many years now. That seems to be changing. Tell us about your experience and how you felt about being in Russia.

Forbes: Well I went with Chautauqua Institution and they've had a series of exchanges — people to people diplomacy — with citizens from the United States and from the Soviet Union. I must acknowledge that the thought of going to Russia was a little frightening to me, based on having been conditioned to think of Russians primarily as adversaries. But once I got there, especially to Tblisi, Georgia, and was able to be in the homes of Russian people and talk to them, I found an extraordinary human quality, an openness and a deep concern for peace. In fact, that's the strongest issue because it is clear that we two super-powers are capable of destroying each other, and there seems to be a movement now to bring us closer together. Not adversarialy, but to see how can we help make a better world. As a result of my trip, I know that there's a difference between governments, but so far as the Russian people are concerned, I found them to be warm and peace-seeking people.

Hardin: Did you sense a fair amount of religious freedom?

Forbes: I would say that I did not find the kind of religious freedom that we know here — I must acknowledge that. But in my conversations I found that there is an increasing freedom for religious groups to carry out their worship responsibilities, and a little less restriction on importing Bibles and literature. But there is still no freedom for the church to critique the government and very little freedom for the church to propagate their religion or to actually have religious programs for outreach. There is a relaxation in terms of some of the restrictions that we used to know about.

Hardin: So it's gotten better. On the other hand, there's some room for improvement.
 
Forbes:: There's a long way to go, and I think that the Russians with whom we had conversations acknowledge that they have not reached the full openness that they are longing for. But under Glasnost and Perestroika, they see a relaxation of much of the repression that used to be characteristic.

Hardin: And did you feel that the Russians liked Americans?

Forbes: I think they like Americans, they respect Americans and they would wish to see us as something other than enemies and are eager to see our governments, especially as indicated by Gorbachev's conversation with Reagan, come closer together.