news article
The Rev. Dr. Sherri Rood selected as Memorial Service speaker at Annual Conference
April 2, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
At this year’s session of the Upper New York Annual Conference, to be held June 5-8 at the Oncenter in Syracuse, the Rev. Dr. Sherri Rood, District Superintendent of the Cornerstone District, will be the speaker for the Memorial Service. The Memorial Service will take place Thursday June 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Following Jesus and being part of a community of faith has always been an important part of Dr. Rood’s life. She said, “My family, and particularly my maternal grandparents, modeled a quiet but strong faith. Their lives reflected Micah 6:8, ‘What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice, love, kindness, and walk humbly with your God.’ Christians need to journey with others on the way – following Jesus is not a solo endeavor! I have been blessed with good pastors, mentors, family and friends who have shown me what it means to be a follower of Jesus.”
Reflecting on his invitation to Dr. Rood to be the Memorial Service speaker, Bishop Webb said, “Dr. Rood’s passion for Christ, love of the Church and her pastoral heart for the people of God will bless us as she offers words of hope and promise found in the living God.”
While Dr. Rood prepares for her Memorial Service sermon, she explained that part of it will zero in on the importance of “crying out to Jesus in times of need and finding hope in the midst of grief.” Rev. Rood will be referencing John 11, specifically the death of Lazarus and how Jesus comforted the sisters of Lazarus. She will also call attention to Psalm 46, a passage that reminds us that God is our refuge and strength.
Dr. Rood believes that the Memorial Service is an important witness to the lives of clergy and spouses who wholeheartedly devoted themselves to God and the United Methodist Church. Rev. Rood is praying that “the family and friends of the persons we’re gathering to remember will feel loved and supported by the Annual Conference as well as receive a word of hope in their time of sorrow.”