On May 11, 2014, a little more than a month before my open-heart surgery in June, I sang for the Sunday Morning Services at Calvary Chapel Ramona. My longtime pal John Lord, who is the Worship Leader there, invited me. With the pending surgery so close, it was an interesting time. I’d to think I did my well that day but I have to tell you those Bob’s Having Heart Surgery headlines were looming pretty large.

Pastor Rob mentioned this from the pulpit and asked the congregation to remember me in prayer. But what also happened is that all the cardiac patients who’d “been there and done that” came and talked with me. They were so reassuring even as I was still understandably plenty concerned. (In the couple times I’ve been able to return the favor by encouraging a person facing heart surgery, I tell them: “Almost nothing you face post-surgery will be as challenging or scary as the run up to the surgery itself. Fear of the unknown, facing mortality, all that stuff is front-loaded into the before-period. There will be challenges aplenty after it’s done, but none perhaps as daunting as before.” Anyway, I digress.

On this particular 2017 morning, I’ll be pinch-hitting for John, who’s abroad on business, by leading worship, singing a few of my songs, and also singing for Communion. Many thanks to John for helping me set this up and, of course, to Pastor Rob for allowing me to serve-by-singing there again.