A nonstop day of worship

Cindy Trane Christeson

“Every act of worship is its own justification. It is rendering to

God that of which he is worthy.” -- Eric L. Mascal

It was Sunday and it was a nonstop day of worship for me.

Obviously, any and every day are days to worship, but for me, last

Sunday was as surprising, enjoyable and varied as the weather has

been. I woke up excited about what God had planned for the day, as

well as the people and programs I was going to see or attend.

My morning began with an early service at Mariners Church in

Irvine. The worship music was beautiful, meaningful and clearly

worshipful. Pastor Bucky Dennis spoke about worship, and used

personal stories and illustrations that inspired me to worship God

more. He said that God is looking for those who are looking for him.

Bucky also said that we were created to worship God and challenged us

to think of worship as a lifestyle, not an event.

Bucky had many great lines, but one that really stayed with me is,

“Worship is God’s Gatorade. It’s the only thing that that will quench

our thirsty souls.”

I then headed across the bay to St. James Episcopal Church on Via

Lido. St. James is a wonderfully warm, inviting place filled with

people who love God and each other. It is also the church where I

grew up, where four generations of my family worshipped, and where my

husband, Jon, and I were married by the senior pastor and rector,

Father John Ashey. Many people grew in the knowledge and love of God

under Father John’s teaching during his more than 20 years at St.

James.

The Rev. David Anderson followed Father Ashey, and David served

St. James for 16 years. He is like family to my parents and many

others, and the ministries of the congregation have continued to

reach out and grow. I went to the 11 a.m. service last week and again

the sense of reverence and worship of God overwhelmed me. There are

three morning services at St. James, each very different, but all

wonderful and worshipful. It feels much like different generations of

extended families.

Last Sunday was the celebration of Anderson’s ministry at St.

James, and, after a year of prayerful search, the passing of the

leadership to Father Praveen Bunyan. People from countries around the

world were there, from as far away as Africa and India, to visitors

from nearby cities. It was abundantly clear to all that God called

David Anderson back to Atlanta and Praveen Bunyan to St. James. It

will be exciting to see what God has planned next for the

congregation.

It was a day of worship to be sure; not only inside buildings, but

also as I enjoyed the outdoor splendor of the day and a magnificent

sunset at night.

God clearly calls us to different situations, and styles and

houses of worship, and we have the freedom in this country to worship

where and how we choose. God is also lovingly calling us all to

worship him.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.