The Rev’d Robert Hendrickson
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.
In anticipation of the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 28, interviews in January have featured staff clergy. This week’s conversation is with Fr Robert.
How long have you been Rector of Saint Philip’s?
7 and 1/2 years.
What about Saint Philip’s inspired you to accept the job?
When I was first contacted, I didn’t know anything about Tucson or Saint Philip’s. I looked at the website and was immediately drawn to the striking architecture.
But what sealed the deal for me was how everyone here welcomed my family and me during our on-site visit. Vestry and search committee members clearly thought about our entire family—not just me. Someone hosted a pool party so all of us could attend—with the kids—and get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Karrie and I were very grateful for that thoughtfulness.
What are some things about Saint Philip’s that you’re proud of?
I’ll mention three things. First, how we came through COVID. We were online as much as any church could be and we also cared for one another. I’m very proud of how staff and lay leadership managed those years.
Something I’m proud of right now is seeing our vision to build an intergenerataional parish come to fruition. It’s taken 7 1/2 years —which demonstrates how long it takes—but we have a wonderful boom in young families with kids running around.
And last but definitely not least, I’m proud of how the parish has addressed different financial situations. Although each year has gotten slightly better there have still been some challenges. But we’ve minimized fights, paid attention to the issues without letting them take over our entire vision, and there hasn’t been a lot of infighting. That’s a sign of a healthy system.
What’s something that’s surprised you?
How fast time passes. It moves at such a clip. I look at the photos of our kids when Karrie and I first arrived and Braydon was a baby. He’s now 10 and Nikolas is a teenager. That’s crazy to me!
But what’s really surprised me is how eager and capable our lay leaders are. Saint Philip’s has so many talented people. Most large churches are almost entirely staff driven so that’s what I expected when I first arrived. I learned very quickly how talented and eager lay leadership was. That was a growing edge for me, and I think that we’re doing much better at tapping into the incredible lay resources here.
Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I was a nominal Roman Catholic because that’s what my grandmother was. I’ll never forget something that happened when I was twelve years old.
We were in church for a wedding rehearsal and as the priest talked about communion, he asked if anyone present was not Roman Catholic. I raised my hand because I didn’t know what I was. My grandmother saw me do that and slapped my hand back down. I said, “I raised my hand because I don’t know what I believe.” She said, “No one does—and it doesn’t matter!”
It was a funny moment but I think she was on to something. I can say I know what I believe but a healthy faith is always in flux being challenged and changing.
So what led you from that to being an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church?
I may not have known what I believed as a child but I think I always believed in God. I was the 10 year-old boy who tried to steal holy water so I could baptize my stuffed animals.
Looking back, I think my relationship to religion was short circuited when my mother and sister died. Over the years, I claimed to be an atheist but I think it was less that I rejected God and more that I was angry with God.
Once I realized that distinction, my faith was reawakened. The other crucial ingredient was my faithful and patient spouse who made me go to church with her. And that’s another fortunate act of grace. If we’d gone anywhere but the kind of Episcopal churches we attended, I’m almost certain I wouldn’t have become ordained. It was the communities we encountered that led me on this path. I feel as if I stumbled on a treasure house that someone left unlocked.
If money were no object and success was guaranteed, what would you love to see Saint Philip’s do?
I imagine an intergenerational housing situation flanked by a small seminary. Let me draw the picture and explain!
The church has been challenged at different times in its history. What always rescued it—and the culture in which it operated—was that the church served as a center for community, learning, formation, and intergenerational engagement. Intentional communities of practice, study, and prayer brought the church through to the next iteration of its life. For example, the monasteries pretty much rescued the Irish civilization during the Middle Ages.
Our culture has already entered a phase where many people have no stable, enduring foundation that guides their lives. It’s incumbent on the church to provide clear models of how to live counter-culturally.
The small seminary I envision would have high-quality faculty who could help form the immediate community. I would then use that to forge new mission opportunities in the wider city. A focused group of committed Christians could show what it means to be Christian. It would be an opportunity for intense prayer, intense study, and intense service.
My general take is that if something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing all the way. Church isn’t a hobby. It’s not entertaining enough to be entertainment. It’s not fun enough to be fun. It doesn’t have enough social status anymore to be about that.
Church is about worshiping and following Jesus. So make that the center of your life because once that core exists, anything is possible. But it requires that kind of patient fervor to drive possibility.
What did you do professionally before you went to seminary?
Immediately before seminary, I was in China studying Modern Chinese History and the Chinese language. I’d assumed I would do graduate academic work in East Asian Studies. But then we moved to New Haven, Connecticut because Karrie was admitted to Yale University to pursue her PhD at the Nursing School. And it was there that things began to shift for me vocationally.
Before China, I was the Communications Director for the clothing company, Brooks Brothers.
What do you do just for fun?
Before COVID I would have said traveling. I used to take trips several times a year to interesting places. But the combination of COVID and parenting has put that on hold.
I like making things with my hands. That can mean doing electrical work, making furniture, building steps out of stones in my yard or planting trees.
What is something you are proud of?
When Karrie and I adopted our two children, we had a slew of challenges. I’m proud of how we’ve navigated those issues and continue to grow as a family.
I’m also proud of how I’m managing being both a rector and a parent. Being present to each role requires a constant assertion of boundaries that can frustrate people (myself most of all). I sometimes hear myself saying, “Today I’m going to have to accept that I’ll be a mediocre parent and a mediocre rector—and that is the best I can do and all will be fine.” And it usually is.
How do you manage the stressors of work and family?
The vogue thing right now is work/life “balance.” But I think the healthiest way for people to exist is where work and family are integrated, not held in opposition, so both contribute to a mutual flourishing.
I’m a much better priest because I’m also a parent. I’ve developed much more patience, empathy, and compassion because of my responsibilities as a father.
Do you have a favorite prayer?
One is the Angelus—the English version of the Hail Mary prayer that’s often said immediately preceding the Eucharist. It’s in the St Augustine prayer book. I once calculated how often I’ve prayed it before worship: an average of once a Sunday, an average of two or more times during the week, over the course of thirteen years comes to a little over 2,000 times.
Something I really like about it is that it remembers that every act of celebrating communion is done for oneself on behalf of one’s community and on behalf of the community around the world—in every language and in every nation. That awareness is quite grounding.
I usually say the Angelus as I process into church. It probably looks like I’m mumbling to myself but that’s what I pray on my way to the altar.
What’s one of your guiding principles?
I believe that—in most circumstances—people are doing the best they can. So I try to interact with people assuming that premise. And even when someone isn’t doing their best, people often rise to the expectation one has of them.
The other principle is that no conversation or interaction is a product of that single moment. If you and I are having a tense conversation, chances are there’s someone else with us. Maybe I had a kerfuffle with someone else before you and I met and I’m carrying feelings from that encounter into our exchange. I try to depersonalize conflict and be as compassionate as I can because I don’t know people’s entire story.
What is something you are grateful for?
It might sound trite but I’m grateful for this vocation.
It’s rare to find an opportunity where multiple goals intersect. Serving as a priest invites me to live authentically, and to work with people and their gifts to contribute to something that has meaning—and can change people’s lives.
By definition, work can be hard. But that’s different than drudgery. I’m grateful that my vocation allows me to live in the holistic way I described above. My vocation and parenting can be lived out in a holistic way rather than being in competition with each other.
Our culture is all about work, work, work. And yet we are called to be people fully alive—which means space for family, recreation, and rest… in addition to work. If the church won’t model living a healthy life then who will?
What might people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m not sure why, but most people are surprised when they learn that I know how to work on cars. My dad was a race car driver so I grew up in a shop. Being in a garage or a bar are my two earliest memories.
I remember that in fifth grade I was assigned to make a project at home and bring it to school for Show & Tell two weeks later. My classmates made bird houses and mobiles. I welded metal and created a suit of armor. That’s what I grew up doing.
What’s one of your super powers?
There are two that often interact with each other.
I tend to be pretty good at de-escalating conflict with humor. That’s my most effective power. It can get me in trouble but it tends to be more useful than not. It helps people relax and lower their defenses in stressful situations so they can begin to hear each other.
My other super power is the ability to see connections where others often don’t. Maybe it’s due to my early exposure to race cars and working on them but I see the world as a mechanical system. I see where something needs to be added, adjusted, or removed to make the entire system work better.
What have I not asked that you would like people to know?
In a parish the size of Saint Philip’s, my role as Rector is to ensure that the resources and systems are in place so people get the care they need and that new people can become part of the community at the same time we hold on to tradition. My attention is on the whole system and not just on individual relationships.
What’s a fun fact about you?
Video games are my guilty pleasure—but not games like Zelda or Mario. The one I tend to play is Europa Universalis IV. It’s like playing a spreadsheet; it’s all about data with pictures.
It’s a grand strategy game that covers 600 years of history. The game is about building a nation within a model of historical development that includes the military, economy, religion, culture, and much more. It’s extraordinarily intricate!
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.