Bill Kruse
EDITOR’S NOTE: A church community is created when people gather together for the love of God. At the same time, Saint Philip’s is comprised of many people who represent different ages, life experiences, and world views.
The “In conversation…” series is one attempt to create possibilities for connection between the different people in our community. As varied as we all are, there are also similarities and mutual interests waiting to be discovered. And there is one thing we all share: a desire to know God and be in relationship with him.
This week’s conversation is with parishioner and volunteer Bill Kruse (pronounced Crew-zee).
How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
I’ve been a member for about 30 years.
Which service do you typically attend?
I invariably attend the 11:15am service where I worship with most of my close friends. But given that there are young families with babies at the 9:00am service I might split my time between the two services in the future.
Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I grew up attending a Quaker Friends Meeting in Wilmington, Delaware.
I loved the meeting for worship on Sundays. It was an hour of quiet with people rising to speak occasionally; their remarks often grew from others’ remarks. It was a very calm setting and it allowed me to sink deeply into a contemplative space. That Sunday experience was very important to me. And formative…
Can you share an example of how it influenced you?
Quakers are very involved with social justice, and I became a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. I trained without arms, became a medic, and then worked for the United States Agency for International Development in Vietnam. My group was tasked with developing clinics with supply chains for disputed parts of the countryside. Within 24 hours after a raid occurred we were able to erect a village clinic and provide aid. As challenging as the work was it was also very fulfilling.
What about Saint Philip’s appeals to you?
Essentially, it’s the liturgy and the Eucharist. The music is a huge plus, too.
What about the liturgy speaks to you?
The fact that the congregation, the community, participates in the liturgy. We may not be a black church in Savannah (my mother’s hometown) but it’s still essentially a “call and response” experience. I am moved deeply by the physical presence of others speaking in unison with me. At any time in the world someone is praying and we are part of that.
The liturgy also expresses the cycle from birth to redemption. That means ever more to me as I age.
You’ve been a member for 30 years. What advice would you give to newcomers?
I would tell anyone who is interested in being part of Saint Philip’s community to volunteer as an usher. That’s what I did. The role put me at the door where I couldn’t help but meet people. Now I can say hello to several hundred people in the community because I know them to greater or lesser degrees.
And I still volunteer as an usher!
What did you do before retiring?
In the 1970s I worked as an anesthesia technician at the University of Arizona. The medical school was new; the operating room wasn’t completely tiled and the machines needed to be assembled. A nurse and I hadn’t ever done it but we managed to put together the first two anesthesia machines. We prayed they would work and, thankfully, they did.
In the early 1980s I spent a lot of time with Casa Maria and the Catholic Workers. Also during that time I helped get Wingspan (the LGBTQ+ organization) off the ground. I co-founded the Tucson Aids Project and worked there for nine years as a volunteer. My friend Patrick Grace and I put together the first client service model. That was good—and hard. My partner Leonard had AIDS. He and Patrick died in 1988. I lost half of my friends within five or six years.
Along the way I became fascinated by deep body work and volunteered for the Athletic Department at the University of Arizona. I worked with athletes who did varsity track and field, some swimming and tennis, and also helped Iron Man triatheletes (who trained in Arizona during the winters). I traveled all over the world with the triatheletes doing tissue rehab and maintenance through massage. I would never have stopped but was forced to because of a huge heart attack I had at age 74.
In the meantime I explored major religions, contemplative life, and eventually completed the Tacheria program for spiritual direction. I love to learn.
How would you describe Saint Philip’s to someone unfamiliar with the parish?
I would say it’s a welcoming community. It’s filled with people who are engaged in their lives and their loves and the big questions of theology.
What’s one of your guiding principles?
I try to lean into a quote from a Bowdoin College (my alma mater) president back in the Victorian era who highlighted a line in the school prayer: “Teach us to choose the hard good against the easy wrong.”
The key words are “Teach us.” That makes it a possibility—not a duty. It also reminds me that I have a responsibility to find within myself what is right and what is wrong…for the community. To bring it back to Saint Philip’s, it invites the question: “What is right—what is a good choice—for the congregation? What is a bad choice?” It’s not about casting judgment but, rather, a way to discern what a good world would look like. I love that approach.
What’s one of your super powers?
I connect well with people. Connecting with other people not only brings me an understanding of who they are but it also enlarges my sense of who I am. It’s an interchange—a mutual reflection that has some real power.
What’s something you enjoy doing for the sheer pleasure of it?
I love to read. My elevated reading right now involves two critical volumes—one is sixth century Chinese court poety and the other has to do with Man'yōshū—Japanese sixth or seventh century court poetry. They have very different sensibilities and structure. I’m reading about new criticisms.
My less elevated reading focuses on regency novels with gay themes. I also love watching Thai and Korean rom-coms.
Is there anything on your bucket list?
I would like to travel to Egypt. I have a relationship on Facebook with a group of young Egyptian artists—painters and illustrators—who I would like to connect with in person. My close friend from college now wants to take a tour of the Nile so it might actually happen.
Missed an interview? All previous interviews can be found on Saint Philip’s website under the “About Us” tab. Click here to visit that page.