By The Rev. Janna Preston

Well, while we continue to mourn the loss of some our Fountain City Presbyterian Church family, we also mourn the loss of a member of our own area of the country – Dolly Parton.  I have to admit, she is one of my heroes.  And while I am very sad to hear of her passing, I am very grateful for the light that she was and will be for a long time.  I heard someone talking about how she brought people together somehow.  She seemed to do that through her life with the love that she always showed, but it seems now through her death as people talk about how she made a difference in their lives.  With so many things going on in the world that have divided us, the announcement of her death united people to admire her kindness, generosity, spirituality, her laughter, and her love. 

 I’ve heard people talk about legacy lately.  What a wonderful legacy she leaves for us – to help people learn to read, to help them recover from natural disasters, to help people believe in and share their God-given abilities and talents, to make people laugh, to believe one can make a difference, to find God in all kinds of people and places. . . . 

Somehow even in her death she is giving people hope in this chaotic world.  I believe it is, as one of our church family members appreciated in his life, because she understood that “the kingdom of heaven is within you.” (Luke 17:21)  And she let it shine.  That kind of hope is one of the steppingstones for me.  How do you let the kingdom of heaven within you shine through your life?

Hope to see you in church Sunday!  We need your light!

Blessings and peace,

Janna