Dear St. John’s,
 
One of the great joys of life is sharing this planet with so many other creatures, from majestic tigers and elephants to tiny beetles and butterflies. Many of us share our homes with beloved companion animals. And many of us attract and provide for birds and butterflies and bees with our feeders and gardens.
 
This Sunday, we will continue our celebration of the Creation Season with a blessing of animals. I invite you to bring your pets to church to receive a blessing. You also may bring a photograph or picture on a cell phone of your pet, or a beloved stuffed animal.
 
Let us give thanks for the multitude of inhabitants of God’s creation, and the glimpses of God we see in them.
 
Rev. Sharon
 
A Reading attributed to Meister Eckhart (1260-1328)
Apprehend God in all things, for God is in all things. Every single creature is full of God, and is a book about God. Every creature is a word of God. If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature — even a caterpillar — I would never have to prepare a sermon, so full of God is every creature.

Dear St. John’s,
    Yesterday was the feast day of St. Matthew the Evangelist. Our church is named after St. John the Evangelist. We know them as the credited authors of two of the Gospels, the written accounts of the Good News of Jesus’ life and ministry, death and resurrection. Those accounts have helped to spread and build faith throughout the world for almost 2,000 years.
    As baptized Christians, we are called to carry on the evangelists’ work of sharing God’s Good News. One way to do this is to share stories of our faith. To help us learn how to do this, or to do it better, the diocese is offering a workshop called “This is My Story: Learning to Share Our Faith Stories” from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, at St. Elizabeth’s, Ridgewood.
    I hope you will consider attending as a step toward deepening your own faith and sharing it with others. Here is the link for more information: https://dioceseofnewark.org/.../my-story-learning-share...

Rev. Sharon

Dear St. John’s,
 
It probably won’t surprise you that I’ve been thinking a lot about mothers this week. I am deeply grateful for all of the prayers and support I’ve received after my mother died last Sunday. They have sustained me and my family in this difficult time.
 
Mothers are powerful figures in our lives. They carry us from our inception, give birth to us, guide and nurture us. Because of this, mothers are an important symbol. We speak of Mother Earth, for example, who hosts and supports the life of all creatures and plants on our planet.
 
In the church, while we often talk about God the Father, we also see biblical imagery of God the Mother. Deuteronomy 32:18 speaks of the God who gave us birth. In Isaiah 66:13, God says, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” In Matthew and Luke, Jesus speaks of wishing to gather the children of Jerusalem together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
 
Let us give thanks for our Heavenly Parent, the source and sustainer of our existence and the comforter of all who mourn. And let us give thanks for our earthly parents, who love and nurture us while we are here together and who remain as blessed memories when we are parted.
 
Rev. Sharon
 
Important announcements:
 
This Sunday, Sept. 17, we will worship at St. John’s Lodge, 280 Boulevard, in Mountain Lakes as we join the church St. John’s founded, St. Peter’s, in a special service celebrating its 100th anniversary. Suggested arrival time is 10 a.m. for the 10:15 a.m. service. Parking is available at the lodge and nearby Island Beach.
 
Next Sunday, Sept. 24, we anticipate worshiping again in the parish hall for safety reasons while repairs are being made to the ceiling in the church. Deacon John will be leading Morning Prayer. That day also is Boonton Day, from noon-4 p.m. Please let me know if you can volunteer some time at our table that afternoon.
 
The Tricky Tray is scheduled for Oct. 22 at the Parsippany PAL Building, 35 Baldwin Road. Don’t miss out! Tickets are available online only. Click the Tricky Tray link on our website, or go directly to https://tinyurl.com/DogLoversTrickyTray

Dear St. John’s,

Thank you all for your prayers and messages. I am thankful to be part of such a caring community.

My mom entered home hospice care this week in the house where I grew up on Long Island. My father, her spouse of 60 years, is with her, and my brother has come up from North Carolina. I am continuing to travel frequently back and forth from New Jersey to Long Island to support my parents.

If any of you need to reach me for pastoral care or other concerns, I am available by phone, text or email. You also can reach out to Kathy Cascone or Deacon John about pastoral concerns.

This Sunday will be Morning Prayer with guest preacher John Dermody, an Army veteran who will reflect on the anniversary of 9/11. 

I look forward to worshiping with you next on the 17th, when we join St. Peter’s in Mountain Lakes to celebrate their 100th anniversary and then enjoy a festive meal together.

Rev. Sharon

​Dear St. John’s,
Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, as the days continue to lengthen, the weather cools, and students and teachers prepare to return to school. Some folks take a last trip to the Shore or host a family gathering. In Boonton, the weekend brings the annual firemen’s parade and carnival.
As we enjoy the holiday festivities, let us also pause to remember and give thanks for the accomplishments of American workers, which Labor Day was created to honor. Let us give thanks for individuals like Episcopalian Frances Perkins, U.S. secretary of labor from 1933 to 1945, who worked to improve conditions for America’s workers. And let us pray for those who are unemployed or underemployed, that they, too, may find meaningful work and sufficient wages.
Rev. Sharon
Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.