Hello everyone and welcome to this week's episode
of Trinity Talks. My name is Kyla and I am so
glad that you are joining us today and I'm so
glad to be joined by Bill. Hey, Kyla. I'm so
glad to be here. I'm really glad to be anywhere.
Yeah, yes. You had an eventful couple of weeks.
Do you want to tell us a little bit about that?
I certainly can. On June 6, Saturday, June 6,
I was involved in a single vehicle motorcycle
accident, meaning just me and my bike. But I
was on a group charity ride called the Ride for
Dad in Ottawa. And so there were lots of bikes
in front of me and lots of bikes behind me. And
I basically kind of long story short, just failed
to navigate a left curve properly and went onto
the side of the road. And unfortunately, instead
of it being a hard shoulder and me being able
to correct and get back on the road, it was it
was very much a soft shoulder. And it was actually
round river rock that my bike went onto, which
is like riding on marbles. And so as soon as
I as soon as I kind of went off the road a little
bit to try and correct myself and get back. The
bike just slipped out from under me and I knew
that the bike and I were going down hard. So
I had multiple fractures to my left wrist and
my right ankle. I had surgeries to repair the
damage on June 10th and the staff... nurses,
doctors, surgeons at the Ottawa Civic Hospital
were incredible. It was an amazing experience.
It was so well taken care of by the staff there.
And I got visits all through my time there from
friends and people from the ride. The co -chairs
of the ride came and some other people who were
on the ride came to visit me. People I didn't
know that became friends, which was really cool.
And then on June 15th, I was released from the
hospital, discharged, and Natalie came the night
before, and then we rode, not rode, sorry, I'm
not riding any time soon. We drove home on the
15th, and so I've been home recovering since
then. Okay, yeah. So that's the accident. Yes,
so we're very glad that you're here. We're also
very glad that in about a week and a half, something
really exciting. is happening in your life. You're
being ordained as a deacon. I am right now. Right
now I'm still a dit, a deacon in training, or
a candidate of the diaconate, which is how the
diocese prefers me to refer to myself. They're
not a big fan of dit, but no, maybe it's catching
on. They're warming up to it. But yeah, on Wednesday,
July 8th, 730 p .m. right here at Trinity is
is my ordination service. And I'm just so, I
mean, I can't even begin to express. I'm sure,
Kyla, you're going to hope that I can express
exactly how I feel about that. But it's just
it's just incredible to the culmination of so
many, well, decades of, you know, kind of getting
to this point. And and and, you know, we're planning
this the service now. And it's just I'm just.
It's just amazing the different elements of the
service and how meaningful I'm realizing that
that whole thing is. I mean, it's not just, OK,
let's stamp them, get them done. There's a powerful
meaning throughout the service, in the liturgy,
in the different parts and the roles that people
play to present me to the bishop and all that
kind of stuff. So I'm super pumped. for that.
And it's definitely the end of a journey that
we'll talk about, flesh out a little bit, I'm
guessing. But it's also the beginning of a whole
new journey. So it really is a cruxus or a nexus
for myself personally and for my ministry. Yeah.
So yeah, we want to get into all of the bits
of the story. But before we jump into that, we
probably have some folks who don't actually know
what it means to be a deacon in the Anglican
Church. So you want to explain to us, what is
a deacon? is their job. Sure. Yeah. OK, so we
can do that. Yeah. So there are three ordained
orders in the Anglican Church. OK. Bishop, priest
and deacon. OK. So a priest generally. And these
are generalizations. And we're not getting into
specifics. Their whole role is super big and
stuff. Priest and bishop. But the main role of
the priest is to take care of the members of
the church, members of the congregation. So they're
the shepherd. Church is the flock. Right. And
that's the main role. The bishop, their job is
to take care of a whole bunch of churches in
a geographical area. So the bishop of the diocese
takes care of hundreds of churches. He's responsible
for the administration of those churches. And
then the deacon. Is brought up from within a
parish? Whereas a priest gets ordained and gets
moved from parish to parish over the time of
his or her ministry, right? The deacon is brought
up within the parish is trained and formed through
the diocese But also still connected with his
or her home parish and then and then at the end
of that training and formation process is ordained
in the church for ministry in the community.
And so what that ministry is typically for a
deacon is a couple of two main things. One is
a role within the church to help lead the service.
Not as big of a concern here at Trinity because
there's so many amazing people that do all those
roles. But typical role for a deacon is to read
the gospel, prepare the table, the Eucharist
table for communion, do the prayers, and then
do a dismissal at the end of the service. So
those are like the four key things. And so in
a lot of churches where it's just the priest,
just the minister doing all of it. When they
can bring up a deacon, that helps. They can take
care of like four or five major elements of the
service and just kind of pass so they can share
the work of the service that way. But again,
because here at Trinity, there really isn't any
reason to artificially insert myself any more
than I've already been participating in and meeting
different aspects. I help assist with communion
and and other things, right? So I can continue
to do that. I mean, I might get put on the roster
for reading, which I haven't done for a while,
or on the roster for leading prayers. I'm happy
to do that. But again, I don't want to take the
spot of, you know, the volunteers and ministry
leaders or service leaders that are already helping
out. The dismissal though is something that's
really important to me personally, so I'm hoping
that I might have the opportunity to do that
on a somewhat regular basis, but we're still
working that stuff out. And so that's the inside
of the church stuff. And then we'll get to what
my specific ministry stuff will be when I start
in September. But typically the role of a deacon
inside the church is that. And then the outside
of the church... is looking into the community,
identifying what the needs of the community are,
volunteering themselves in the community, helping
the hungry, the lonely, the sick, the naked,
the stranger, and then also creating a bridge
and encouraging and facilitating the members
of the church. to then also kind of follow his
or her lead. Yep. And serve in the community
as well, either on their own or in groups or
with the deacon or like, you know, or and and
that so that there's a huge service element.
Sure. And in fact, the the root word, Greek word
for deacon, I'm going to butcher the Greek, but
diaconia or diaconis. Something like that. That
is which. which is the word we get for, which
is how we get deacon is to serve. Okay. So it's
that, I mean, it's that, it's that much into
the, is that built into the meaning. Deacon equals
serve. So, I mean, if that's all you remember,
then you get it. So, but the important element
again, is that the role of the deacon differing
from bishop and priest as one of the three. ordained
orders of clergy is that the deacon is outward
facing and is figuring out what the needs are
in the community and trying to facilitate the
members of the church to get out of the pew and
onto the streets. Yeah, so kind of like creating
that bridge between the community and the church
and Facilitating hopefully a two way bridge.
Yeah, exactly. The community can come into the
church and the church can go out into the community
and serve and love and all of those good things.
Yeah. And the community meal here at Trinity
over the last year and a half has been a good
example of that. It is the development of identifying
the needs, figuring out how we could respond
and facilitating members of the church to act,
to serve and then developing a community of people
from both outside of the church that come to
receive the meal and the community and the fellowship.
And then, you know, and we have seen people from
our Community Meal come and become members, attend
worship services, and even become members and
get baptized, which is amazing. Yeah, that's
awesome. Since the start of the Community Meal.
Yeah. So you mentioned earlier, you know, this
journey towards Deaconning, I don't know what
the verb is. Deaconship. Deaconship. Yes, there
we go. The diaconate. Yes. Began decades ago.
So yeah, when did it really start for you? Like
what prompted this? Well, it really goes as far
back as when I was a teen and being mentored
by an Anglican priest named the Reverend Brett
Kane. He took me under his wing and for about
four or five years was a very important mentor
in my life and father figure because my parents
separated and I didn't have a dad or at least
not one very close. And so Brett was my spiritual
mentor, was a father figure and just really helped
me. with a whole bunch of stuff during those
years, right? Everything from learning to drive
to how to behave politely on a date with a girl.
Well, I don't know if I ever figured out how
the shave part, but hopefully he taught me how
to behave properly on dates. I hope so. But also
kind of birthed in me a sense of calling. Uh,
and I mean, Brett saw me as a, as a sonly figure,
like I saw him as a fatherly figure. So he, I'm
guessing wanted me to follow in his footsteps
as well. So he was, so he was definitely encouraging
me to, uh, to ordained ministry and on, and his,
his sense of that was to the priesthood. Um,
and I, and I went to Das and, uh, uh, college
days. That's the, uh, that's the theological
college in Montreal where I grew up. So every
year there would be a Diocesan Day where prospective
students, normally students who are graduating
university, not high school students like me.
So every year for four or five years I went to
the Diocesan Day through my high school years
and was able to explore what that would look
like. And from those days I realized... I didn't
want to be ordained as a priest. I felt that
my calling was more into the community to as
far as outreach, responding to the needs of the
poor and the disadvantaged of our community through
the years. That is that my focus has changed
from youth at risk to hungry families to different
things. Right. But it's always been that focus.
And and I also didn't like the fact that if you're
a priest, then the bishop could move you around
every three years. Sure. And I thought, no, I
want to, I want to, I want to be, I want to be
part of, I want to live. I want to work. I want
to, I want to really root yourself. I want to
ruin myself somewhere. I don't want to think,
okay, well, you know, potentially in three years,
I'm going to have to start over somewhere. So,
you know, I'm not going to do, I'm not going
to dive deep, right? Yeah. So, um, uh, so yeah,
so I, uh, I didn't. I didn't I didn't go to theological
college right after university. I got a job working
in the Christian ministry and and then I eventually
started working at Youngstreet Mission's Evergreen
for a few years and then and then moved to Mississauga
and started up the the Dam Eithropen with my
with my partner. So we co -founded the dam and
ran it for 15 years. But all of that was kind
of my fulfilling my calling to outreach and ministry
to those in need in the community. And during
that time too, I and how I how I can identify
When my calling as a deacon formalized because
I didn't really understand the whole deacon part
of things in Montreal, but when I moved to Mississauga
and got involved with the Diocese of Toronto
I realized that there was there was this thing
called Deacon and and it just seemed to really
fit with my own sense of calling in ministry
and philosophy of ministry and the And so I began
to explore that as an idea through Trinity. And
for a number of reasons, it didn't work out.
I was always told it didn't have anything to
do with me. It was always something else. But
each succession of ministers I would ask and
was turned down and stuff like that. So that's
over a 35 -year period. But I can go back to
when I started my Masters of Theological Studies
at Wycliffe College, which was 94. it for 10
years because I was in full -time ministry at
the time. So it took me 10 years to do my MTS
from 1994 to 2004. And I enrolled in the MTS
program because that educational component was
necessary in the formation process of becoming
a deacon. So I didn't realize that it would take
me 10 years to do it. And then once I got it,
I didn't realize that it would take me another
20 years before I actually you know, utilized
it in terms of the formation and training to
become to actually officially become a deacon.
Right. So, yeah, thirty five years of being patient.
Yeah. And and actually seven years ago, I gave
it up. Yeah. I I realized after so many years,
I thought maybe it's God is maybe I have this
calling, but maybe. I'm not meant to actually
fulfill it. Maybe I'm or maybe I'm fulfilling
it in what I'm doing without actually without
the ordination without the ordinate. Yeah, without
being, you know, ordained clergy. And and so
I just kind of came to came to terms with that
and said, OK, I guess I'm never going to be a
deacon. And that's when we fostered and adopted
our dog. Yeah. And I named him Deacon. And that
was the rebellious quirk in me. I said, well.
gosh darn it if i'm not going to be a deacon
there's going to be a deacon in my house so i'm
naming my dog deacon and now it's just going
to be confusing at home in a couple in a week
and a half yeah yeah yeah when natalie calls
out deacon for dinner i'm going to come running
and the dog is going to come running well i'm
going to come wheeling or sure at the moment
but But yeah, so that's the process over my calling
or my sense of calling over 35 years and just
feel like number one, I'm a much more patient
person in my whole life because of this process.
And I'm just very thankful for that. And then
there's also the thing of like, don't give up
on your dreams. Sure. And even though I kind
of struggled with that seven years ago. It kind
of feels more like now, you know, if you really
want something, you know, let it go. Yeah. And
if it's meant to happen, it'll come back to you.
And that seems to be what happened to me. So
I think even the letting go part of it was a
helpful part of my process. So it's not this
like chip on my shoulder. You know, why can't
I be a DK? I've been wanting so long. Yeah. You
know, and I just I let that go. And then it came
back to me. I was just like, and I was like,
I still remember the meeting in Rob's office
when I said, I said, I'm not sure if we ever
talked about this, but I've been wanting to be
a deacon for a long time. And for a lot of reasons,
it just wasn't able to happen. And I've asked
each minister as they came and they said no and
blah, blah, blah. And so have we ever had that
conversation? And Rob said, no, we haven't had
that conversation. I said. Would you be willing
to have a conversation with me? I'm going to
start crying and just tell the story. And I asked
him if he'd be interested in engaging in that
conversation. He said, Bill, if that's your calling,
I think that would be incredible. I think we
definitely should investigate this, right? I
mean, it wasn't like, yes, let's make it happen.
It was like, let's figure out what the start
of the process is and let's talk about it. And
I just immediately, I just like. faucet water
like I'm just crying after 30 plus years of being
turned away and not and not fulfilling my calling
just the idea that it could eventually happen
was just so amazing yeah and so that was the
start nine months it took nine months to officially
enter into the training formation process. And
that process is a minimum of two years. And for
me, because I had done my educational part, my
MTS years ago, I was able to go through the formation
process in that minimum of two years. And just
last month or thereabouts, the final piece was
to be approved by the College of Bishops for
ordination. And that happened. And then we started
planning the service. Now, here we are. Yeah.
Yeah. So cool. And I remember also part of maybe
one of the initial parts of that process was
approval from the congregation. Yes. Right. We
had a vestry meeting and you sort of stood up
and said, OK, this is the dream that I have.
And I was at that meeting. And I remember folks
being like, well, if this is Bill's dream and.
This so clearly fits with who we see Bill as,
as a person, right? This fits so clearly with
all of your gifts and the things that you're
already doing. It was like a no brainer, right?
We were all, all on board, you know? Yeah. That's
so amazing. Yeah. And just so excited that like,
yeah, this is a piece that you get to sort of
step into. Yeah. Yeah. And that, and that was
the end of a process in itself because Part of
the discernment process was for me to discern
my calling, which again, you know, through the
decades was that that was that was definitely
there. But the process that we needed to start
or that Rob needed to start was to put a small
group of people together that would discern.
Do we need a deacon in the parish? Sure. Is this
what's right for Trinity? And at first, it wasn't
even attached to my name. Sure. That conversation
happened without, as far as I know, without me,
without my name attached. And then and then when
it's when they said, yes, this would be a valuable
role for for, you know, benefit the church and
our ministry in the community. Then it was said,
OK, well, this is Bill feels a calling to to
be in this role to be brought up through the
through the parish. through Trinity to play that,
to perform that role in the ministry team of
the church. And then it was like, oh yeah, check,
check. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All the pieces fit so
beautifully. So amazing. Yeah. Yeah. So then
as you step into this new role at Trinity, what
do you sort of anticipate that looking like?
So you talk about, you know, broadly, this is
generally what deacons do, but. Specifically
here, do you have a sense of what you might be
up to? Yeah, we're I mean, we're still putting
together, but but Rob and I have have talked
and I'm assuming Rob's talked with the other
people, the extended ministry team and and leaders
in the church and stuff of how I would fit in.
But so what we've talked about and where he feels
there's a need is is around care and outreach.
So the the particular need is is is is to have
someone as the supporter and booster of all of
our care ministries at Trinity, which, I mean,
to have the opportunity to support. so many ministry
leaders who are so caring and compassionate and
have so many skills and gifts in this area is
just a is just a is just an honor. And my take
on it is not to come in as to direct those those
programs, supervise those people. My my thing
is to let's let's put together a team where we
could support and encourage one another and and
just. And for me, just to be there as their boosters
and just to find out what they need to do, what
they're there to do, and just to provide them
every resource and everything that they need
to get that done. care and outreach coordinator.
One focus will be on the care ministry of the
church. And it's just, I mean, there's so many
incredible things already going on. I'm just
happy to kind of learn and get to know all the
different things. I'm experiencing right now,
for myself, the ministry of the meal train. We're
getting meals brought to an amazing... tasting
great, nutritious meals that are brought that
just just takes a load off for Natalie and I,
primarily Natalie, because I'm sitting on a couch
with my foot up. But the but it's just, you know,
she's working full time here at the church and
then she comes home to take care of me and, you
know, cleaning and cooking and stuff just takes.
I mean, it's stuff that needs to get done. But
I mean, she's spending more of her time taking
care of me than others. Sure. So so, yeah. So
just singling out that one. care ministry of
the church in terms of, you know, experiencing
it now from a recipient, right, has been just
a great learning for me, understanding the incredible
impact that that has on those that are receiving
that ministry, right? And the wonderful volunteers
that put in the time and effort to cook those
meals and get them to the people. And that's
just one example. Yeah, that's one example. So
that's the care side. That's the care part. And
then outreach side. Thank you. Yeah, the outreach
side is, I mean, that's my wheelhouse. Yeah.
All right. So that's been my ministry for 35
years in Christian outreach ministry to to to
address to street youth and then later to address
youth here in Mississauga, Meadowville and Streetsville
and through the dam. and then also caring for
hungry disadvantaged families as the executive
director of a food bank in the western part of
Mississauga. and even care internationally for
people through a short contract I did with World
Vision. So all those experiences, again, kept
me focused on street ministry, on community outreach,
on responding to the needs of families, disadvantaged
families or impoverished families in our community.
And so as a deacon, those are the things that
attract our attention in the community. we look
out for, and I can't get the word exegete out
of my head. Exegete is for the Bible when you're
putting together Bible studies and stuff like
that, but you don't want to have that same level
of depth into the community as you would studying
the Bible to figure out what are the needs, what
is the meaning, what is going on, and then how
can we best help? And then the first thing is
to. I mean, there's generally in any church,
there are a lot of people who have a care and
concern for the community. They just don't know.
what to do. Yeah. Um, and there are, and there
are some, there are a few that are, you know,
are, are, are very content to be in the four
walls of the church or the four walls of their
home. And they're trying not to kind of, uh,
be exposed too much to the evils of the world.
Right. And, uh, and so I wanted to start gently
break people out of that, uh, for those that
are, are, are aware and, and a little, um, anxious
about, uh, you know, what they can do. I want
to be able to, provide some some training and
some encouragement and some options. So yeah
first and foremost as a role model I'm out there
in the community volunteering doing stuff and
then sharing my experiences with the congregation.
The second part is the exhortation part is saying
Hey, guys, lots of opportunities out here. Come
on out and volunteer and serve and, you know,
make a difference in your community. But, you
know, faith into action. Rubber, you know, rubber
on the... Rubber hits the road. Rubber hits the
road. Yes, thank you. Motorcycle imagery. and
just excite the members of our church to want
to serve in the community and help other people.
And then as you say, once you create that bridge,
it's not a one -way bridge. And so often I can
say in terms of how my ministry has kind of panned
out, it's only when you uh, genuinely are able
to show the care and the concern and the love
that you have for others, you know, people that
are outside of the church in the community, uh,
is only when you can, um, uh, and that's usually
shown first by action, right? By showing up to
a community meal and helping to serve a community
meal or, uh, and then later it's, uh, once you've
established relationship, you can do that through,
uh, uh, conversation about, you know, your faith
means to you, inviting them to church, you know,
that kind of stuff. But the best response that
I have realized over the years has been, you
know, You only get a positive response from those
spiritual conversations or for those invitations
to church once you have already proven yourself
to them. Sure. Once you have shown once they
have that human connection first. Exactly. Once
they have realized that it's more than a volunteer
thing or it's more than a job or and that you
actually care. And that you've taken the time
to get to know them and to hear their pain, their
history, their their story that they that what
you then say back to them has has a higher level
of importance to them. Right. So when you're
when you're saying, you know, Jesus helped me
through a bunch of stuff, maybe he can help you.
Yeah. And that rather than them going. you know
forget that they're going oh well if it helped
you yeah right and i know you and i know you
and i trust you yeah yeah and uh same thing with
invitations to church right i mean they're like
and uh but it but if it's but if you have that
relationship with them yeah then then they're
they're gonna think think about it a little bit
more. And so yeah, so it does create that two
-way bridge. So I mean, it would be amazing if
through the ministry, the diagonal ministry that
I'll have starting in the fall, that more people
in the community will come to church. That's
great. I really see that. not as a second goal,
but as a byproduct of the first goal. And the
first goal is to get our butts out there and
to make a positive impact in the lives of people
outside of the church in our community. Yeah,
yeah, for sure. Yeah, that's a beautiful vision.
And I think a vision that you are well. suited
to sort of help us live out, right, between your
gifts. And, you know, I think at one point, Rob
described you as like a really great builder
of teams, right? Yeah. Yeah. That meant a lot
to me when he said that. Yeah. Yeah. But just
someone who is able to sort of rally people together
and get them to understand what we're about and
how to work together. Yeah. Yeah. I'm very, from
the very beginning of my, of my ministry, not
just at Trinity, but my, my whole career in,
in, in Christian ministries and nonprofits and
charities. I've never wanted to do anything alone.
It's always been about building a team. I coordinate
the men's ministry here at Trinity, but I don't
do it alone. I have an amazing team of guys and
they're all in charge of a different men's ministry
program and I have the honor of coordinating
and facilitating them and making sure that they
have all that they need to do to do their role
well. Same thing with the with the community
meal. You know, I was, I was voluntold to do
it when the, thank you, Kayla, for your neighborhood
assessment. And based on that neighborhood assessment,
I was strongly encouraged to take up the, to
put together a community meal for Trinity to
offer to the neighborhood. And I said, okay,
well, I'll put a team together. four, five of
us total and we each play a different role and
each of the members of our community meal team
are spectacular and they make it and they're
a very large part of why the community meal has
been successful for the last year and a half
is the amount of time and effort and true care
and compassion that they put into that role,
whether it's... Oliver, you know, heading up
the cook team and planning all that, or Sylvia
coordinating all the volunteers or Heather doing
the promotion in the community or Pradeep, who's
takes care of all the physical stuff, the setup
and the takedown and stuff. And and, you know,
they're they're they do all their jobs so well
that I just I I some months I struggle to figure
out what I. can do to help. So that but that's
just part of an amazing team. And I'm happy to
I'm happy to continue to, to be their cheerleaders
as and, and that's so much better than than having
to be on top of people and kind of pulling them
struggle with, you know, kicking and screaming
to do what they're doing. So, so, and that I
just hope to replicate that. Yeah, yeah, continue
mobilizing people in those ways, for sure. Yeah,
so as you look ahead to this new role, what are
some of the sort of joys that you anticipate
and what are some of the challenges that you
are anticipating? Well, I just, I can't wait
to get out in the community as a deacon and to
kind of identify what the needs are and where
as a church we can help and respond. And I volunteer
on my own with a number of things in Georgetown,
where Natalie and I live, but also here in Streetsville,
in Mississauga. And more of that will come. you
know, in the fall when I start that part of my
ministry. And so I'm really looking forward to
that. That'll be great. But again, that's...
that's my, that's my wheelhouse, right? I mean,
that's, those are, that's no brainer. That's
the eye close. That's, you know, with my eyes
closed or I was going to say one hand tied by
my back or maybe with a, with a cast on my wrist
and an ankle. No problem. I can, I can do that.
No problem. And the, the, the area that caused
me a little bit of anxiety was the whole, you
know, the whole care, as ministry part of the
pastoral care, the hospital visits and the home
visits. And, and, and I remember, you know, Rob
telling me that this was an area of need for
us to have some leadership in. And I'm like,
you know, Rob, whatever you need, whatever the
church needs, however I can help, you just let
me know, we'll figure it out. And so I was 100
% for it, but in my... in my in my head or like
I'm going oh my god, I hate hospitals and I don't
like icky and and and and they going into people's
houses, you know, I don't know how I feel about
that and and and so yeah, so that whole area
was was was a bit of a question mark for me and
but Even before the accident Natalie helped put
my head at heart at ease because I've owned I'm
a volunteer driver with the local cancer Assistance
program in Georgetown. And so one or two times
a week. I'm picking up cancer patient I'm taking
them to their hospital appointment and and We
spent a lot of time talking on the way there
on our way back and Natalie very wisely. Yes
Aren't those kind of like visits. Yeah, I mean
they're in your car Pastoral care isn't that
pastoral care? Isn't that like a you know a visit
to someone who you need support and encouragement
and I'm like and it kind of hit me like a bag
of rocks Oh, oh, yeah that That that is that's
certainly yeah part of that. They have mm -hmm.
Okay Yeah, and then that helped immediately kind
of reframed my my thinking and stuff But even
then, you know the idea of hanging out in hospitals
or showing, you know visiting someone who's in
the hospital and they're like, you know, they're
in a gown and they're you know, and they've got
a you know, they've got something wrapped up
or they share their leg is something right and
I just like but My experience being in the hospital
has just turned that around 100 % or 360 degrees
or whatever number we're going to use. as a patient,
as a recipient of care, I had a lot of visitors
and an overabundance of visitors. It was so extremely
overwhelming, you know, very positive, not complaining,
but just like kind of over the head kind of abundance
of visitors and care and concern expressed online
and all this kind of stuff. But through that,
What I've said to people is that in that week
or week and a half, I experienced a master class
of pastoral care training. I can't imagine a
better education than lying or sitting in the
hospital bed as a patient receiving. Pastoral
care from people that care about you and and
love you and and and want to check in on you
and And and they're and they come just to spend
some time with you. Yeah, right. They don't have
they don't have any you know, special gift. I
mean, I'm sure they have spiritual gifts that,
that, that there's no secret wisdom. There's
no secret. Yeah. There's no magic spell. Right.
That the, you know, there's no, yeah, there's
no secret. There's no secret knowledge to, you
know, uh, it's just, it's just about showing
up. Yeah. And it's about being present and, uh,
and, and, and being able to convey you know,
your love and concern for that person and and
the and and give them an opportunity to, you
know, kind of share their story or vent their
their issues, their concerns and to pray, pray,
pray with them. Yeah. And I'm like, it seems
so simple. Sure. In my thinking. But before,
it was like this anxiety rising, a raising thing
in my head. And now I'm just like, I know the
value. of a person coming to visit you in the
hospital. Sure. I know the positive impact that
that has in that person's life because it had
that impact for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think,
yeah, it's so sort of it's a God thing. Right.
There's not really a better word. It very much
is a God thing. And I there's a few very specific
God moments throughout this. whole process. I
mean, the accident and, and what, and my learnings,
uh, personal reflections and spiritual reflections.
I mean, first of all, I am just so grateful that,
uh, considering, uh, the accident and the condition,
the bike it was in the bikes are right off. It's
done. Um, and, uh, and people who saw the accident
were very surprised that my only injuries were
multiple fractures to my ankle and wrist. They
thought I would be, you know, they were expecting
far worse. So I am so grateful. And I, I attribute
that to God, who had protected me on the ride.
And I've said to people that he surrounded me
with spiritual bubble wrap. And I just had that
very strong sense of like... uh god going oh
uh bill looks like he's going off the road let's
get him wrapped up uh and and then and then and
then it was like bounce bounce off the bike and
bounce bounce off the ground and then uh and
then and then i was and i didn't i didn't have
the injuries everyone expected and i think that's
a god thing for sure and then uh then definitely
um uh having a sense of uh a renewed or invigorated
sense of pastoral care, you know, and having
that anxiety, God didn't want me to have, it
wasn't his plan for me to have an accident, but
he definitely stepped up when it did happen and
made a lot of good come out of it. For sure.
Pastoral care stuff is part of that. And the
impact that it's going to have in my future ministry
as a deacon is, I mean, I can't even comprehend
at this point. More processing will have to take
place. But I just feel so much more comfortable
with that whole side of it now than I did before.
Yeah, this is a really exciting journey that
you're on, Bill. And I think exciting for you,
but exciting for our church family and all of
the different things that we're going to get
to see you do. Yeah, so you're getting ordained
July 8th, 730. So folks are watching. I think
we're going to be live streaming that service
as well. So you can watch on YouTube or, of course,
join us here in person. We'd love to have you
support us, support Bill as he steps into this
new ministry. And of course, we will continue
praying for you well beyond that day as well.
Bill, there's also one very special part of this
Deacon job that you are particularly fond of,
which is our closing blessing. So do you want
to close us out with a Deaconly blessing? Sure.
First of all, I have to make sure I remember
it. And then do you want me to look into a particular
camera? Yeah, go right ahead. All right. So,
followers of Jesus Christ, inspired by the Holy
Spirit, go and serve the world God loves. Amen.