I wish I could remember who suggested I try St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Fullerton. It was 1995, and my life was in flux. A lifelong and confirmed Episcopalian, as an adult, I’d dipped my toe in a couple of Methodist and Episcopal parishes. Finally an ancient, persistent voice, whispering from deep inside, said I had serious work to do.
So one morning, I called St. Andrew’s. The late Nancy Houston Guthrie, omnipresent both then and now, the Zelig of my spiritual journey, at the time the parish administrator, gently encouraged me to come, taste, and see. That was all it took. A voice within, heeded by one without.
The Rev. Canon Mark Shier, the beloved long-time rector, became my friend and mentor. He counseled me through work challenges. He baptized Valerie and Lindsay and prepared them for their confirmation by Bishop Chet Talton. He married Kathy and me. He and his congregation helped me discern my call to ordained ministry and hosted my diaconal ordination by Bishop Jon Bruno. When I think about St. Andrew’s, I remember how it looks, sounds, and smells. Driving by on Chapman feels like driving by the house where I grew up.
So you can imagine our joy when, as part of my au revoir tour before I retire as bishop diocesan on July 11, Kathy and I spent Sunday at St. Andrews, for a combined service with nearby Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
The Holy Spirit baptized three and confirmed seven, including Lacie, who received both sacraments, and Tammi Ford’s son Kellen, whom I’ve known since he was yea high. We welcomed the Holy Spirit, heard how St. Paul said that it existed for the sake of the common good, and mulled whether the great evangelist meant the good of the church or the good of the world. Whether our Pentecost is personal, political, or both.
The morning was beautifully organized by the Revs. Bill Garrison and Hart Roussel, priests in charge at St. Andrews and Emmanuel, their wardens Melissa Rigler and Barbara Wood and Marian Corral and Howard Minkley, and other lay leaders. Nearly 200 were present for worship and a delicious lunch. Joining our family were my college-era friends and future San Diego neighbors Mark and Kim Stadler and Shauna Stokes.
Joe Spitzer, 16, a competitive runner at Fullerton High School, was my gracious volunteer chaplain. It was great to see Samantha Wylie, our brilliant St. Paul’s Commons, Echo Park colleague, who organizes the parish’s famed Friday meal service. Dr. Phil Theodorou, the St. Andrew’s choir director, conducted St. Andrew’s choristers and Emmanuel musicians. Sharon Ricks of the Altar Guild brought me up to date on her son Greg, an attorney who was on-air talent for the old OC News Network. Our granddaughter Harriet even got to carry in a Holy Spirit ribbon. May she and all of us be clothed in the Spirit’s protection as we lift up the gospel value of the common good.
