Discernment

So how did this whole deacon thing come about? Well, I was happily serving as lector and as a substitute short stop on the church softball team when I was beamed by a line drive in the knee... Oh wait, wrong story. But that's a good story too, if you like swearing and big purple bruises.

But playing softball was one of the clues that maybe being a deacon is where I need to be. I've always been active in the churches I've been a part of. I've taught Sunday school (which is so NOT my calling), been on altar guild, and I've lectored since I was in high school at the big Catholic Church I grew up in. But then, in 2005, Trinity Church hired a new priest. Fr. Charlie DeKay is not the kind of priest Trinity was used to. We had had the same priest for 30+ years and had grown, well...let's say accustomed to the way things had developed. In other words, it was a little stagnant. But hiring a new young priest, who came with a young wife and three small children, changed all that. We didn't have a Sunday school when I came to Trinity, or a softball team, or a Worship Committee, or a wheelchair ramp, or any other number of things. Let's just say that the Holy Spirit is now flying so fast around Trinity that you almost get knocked over on the way to the bake sale table. It's cool!

But having a new priest meant other changes too. We try new things. One of the new things was the Worship team, which I was asked to serve as a member. When we lost our chairperson, I felt called to step in. I've learned about liturgy and hymns and other aspects of our service I hadn't known about. But it lead Fr. Charlie to ask me to deliver Morning Prayer one morning this past summer. I even got to give the sermon. I was moved by the Holy Spirit and the congregation enjoyed my talk. This was the first time someone from Trinity came up to me and said, "Kristin, you should be a deacon." Okaaaayyy.... Then, during our softball games this summer, I was asked to lead the pre-game prayer a couple of times. Someone else came up to and said, "Hey Kristin, you should be a deacon." Now, this was getting disconcerting. I am fine just as I am. Right?

But I started praying about it. And God started to remind me of little things that had happened early in my life that I had forgotten about that reminded me of earlier calls. And I prayed some more. And then, with a little apprehension, I approached Fr. Charlie one morning after services. "I'm thinking about being a deacon," I said, probably with a look that said something like, "and I'm not sure what to think about this whole thing because it's really, really freakin' me out." But Fr. Charlie seemingly ignored the look on my face, started to beam and glow and then hugged me. So I guess he was excited. I wasn't yet.

Fr. Charlie hooked me up with a deacon he's friends with, Debby Harrington, and we did lunch. She answered all my questions, and every trepidation I had, she soothed. By the time we were done chatting and eating, she was possibly more excited for me than Fr. Charlie had been. So now the ball is really rolling. I'm not sure it's picking up too much momentum yet, but it's definitely leaving a path in the grass.

Either I'm really blessed, or I'm hearing voices. I'm going with the blessed thing. Yup. That's grace for ya!