94 maconmagazine.com | June/July 2025
C U P S A N D W A T E R
H A L L E L U J A H ,
A N Y W A Y
In a city with
houses of faith
on nearly every
corner, Rev. Dr.
Erin Robinson
Hall's column
explores the interconnectedness
of Macon's faith communities
and the diverse ways Maconites
nourish their spiritual health and
the wellbeing of those around
them, inspired by "On Being"
podcast host Krista Tippet's
idea that "religion is as cup;
spirituality is as water."
W E N E E D T O H E A R V O I C E S W I L L I N G
T O B E V U L N E R A B L E
STORY AND PHOTOS BY REV. DR. ERIN ROBINSON HALL
A Macon Mental
Health Matters Drum
Circle, Dr. Cisse sitting
second from the left.
Photo courtesy of
Monica Miller.
A
few years ago, Kimberly Kelsey
Epps was practicing to sing at our
church's Hannah Service, a space
for those who experience a sense of grief
around Mother's Day. Epps, the Center
Director for the Otis Redding Center for the
Arts (see page 34), had agreed to sing for this
service designed for folks who experienced
miscarriage, infertility, infant death, and
loss.
The Hannah Service is named for the
biblical story that shares, "in her bitter
distress, Hannah prayed to the Lord and
wept with many tears." But my friend fought
her tears that night. She knew the depths of
her own grief, just like the women who were
attending.
