Dear St. John’s,
As I take time to reflect on our busy last few weeks – the iftar dinner, the Black Poster Project and Stations of the Cross, Holy Week and Easter – I’m grateful and amazed at how many people pitched in to help. A large percentage of our members volunteered their time cooking, cleaning, serving at the altar, welcoming visitors, preparing and printing bulletins, creating art, arranging for flowers and palms, setting up displays, filling candles, publicizing events, rehearsing and singing, making signs, preparing the altar for worship, serving as lectors, adjusting the sound system ... and the list goes on. It’s a great demonstration of how we all are part of the body of Christ – many individual members, all working together to do God’s work in the world. Just as we work together within St. John’s, we also work together with other churches in our region to do ministries that are more than one congregation can tackle alone. The SLS and the Afghan Refugee Resettlement program are two prime examples. On Monday at 7 p.m., members of churches throughout our Constance and Companions region will meet on Zoom for no more than an hour to talk about ways we can work collaboratively as a region to better serve our parishes. Everyone is invited – not just clergy, and not just those in leadership positions. I hope many of you can make it. The Zoom information is below. Rev. Sharon Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84158770376... Meeting ID: 841 5877 0376 Passcode: 575819 One tap mobile +16465588656,,84158770376#,,,,*575819# US (New York) +16469313860,,84158770376#,,,,*575819# US Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdxy4iF1bh
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Dear St. John’s,
One of the delights of spring is seeing green shoots poke up from the soil, the first crocuses open their flowers and buds swell on leafless branches with the promise of new blossoms and growth. The earth’s yearly awakening after the dormancy of winter is a visual reminder of the spiritual path we trace through the quiet days of Lent and the somber days of Holy Week to the joyful celebration of Resurrection on Easter. Outdoors, the signs of spring seem to accelerate as the days grow warmer. Here at St. John’s, things seem to be speeding up, too, as we prepare for our April 1 Black Poster Project event, the Stations of the Cross exhibit and six worship services from Palm Sunday through Easter. I’d like to highlight two upcoming volunteer needs: 1. St. John’s is hosting the Saturday Luncheon Social next week, on April 1. We anticipate we may have more guests than typical because of the Black Poster Project program that afternoon. Please let Sharon Liparini know if you can help. 2. Volunteers are needed to open the parish hall and greet visitors to the Stations of the Cross. Multiple people are welcome to volunteer at each time, but we need at least one greeter per time slot. You can sign up online here: https://tinyurl.com/thestationsarttinyurl.com/thestationsart Also, don’t forget to RSVP to me or the parish office if you are interested in participating in the painting workshop at 2:30 on April 1. Debra Cook, a talented artist from Grace Church in Nutley, will provide all supplies and instruction. Cost is $40. (All other activities on that day are free of charge.) Dear St. John’s,
Being of Irish heritage, I made sure to wear a bit of green on Friday. I’ve also been celebrating a different sort of green: The COVID tracker for New Jersey shows Morris County, and indeed all of North Jersey, consistently and solidly in the green. This means that the infection rate and COVID hospitalization rate both have dropped and are remaining low. At church, this means that mask wearing now is completely optional. For now, I will continue to wear a mask while presiding at the altar and distributing Communion as an extra precaution. Let us give thanks that this public health crisis has finally subsided, and let us pray that New Jersey’s COVID map keeps wearing the green. A few notes for Sunday:
Rev. Sharon Dear St. John’s, If you look at the service music on the first page of your bulletin on Sunday and think, “It’s Greek to me!” – you’ll be exactly right. During Lent, many churches switch from singing the celebratory Gloria to the petitionary Kyrie. This is an ancient prayer of the church that translates to: “Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.” The editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica tell us, “The word Kyrie is used in the Septuagint, the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament, to translate the Hebrew word Yahweh. In the New Testament, Kyrie is the title given to Christ, as in Philippians 2:11.” So when we sing this prayer, we will be joining our voices with Christians who have prayed using these same words for centuries. A few other important notes for Sunday:
Rev. Sharon Dear St. John’s,
When I started seminary, one of the professors spoke at orientation about diversity and the value in getting to know people different from us. She encouraged us, for example, to sit at meals with people of other races or cultures. Following that advice turned out to be fun and the foundation of new friendships, as well as an educational experience. On Saturday, March 25, we will host a group of Turkish-American Muslims from the Peace Islands Institute. This non-profit group promotes peace and understanding through interfaith dialogue and friendship. Perhaps you met two of their members who recently attended one of our Sunday services. Institute members will provide us with a delicious Ramadan iftar feast and an informative program at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. We are hoping the two Afghan refugee families will participate as well. And we are inviting members of some of our other regional churches to join us. This evening will allow us to eat and talk together and learn about each other. I encourage you all to come. Please let me or the office know if you can attend, so we can let the institute members know how many people they are cooking for. Rev. Sharon The 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria this week has killed more than 23,000 people and left millions in need of shelter. Our hearts ache at the scenes of destruction and the lives lost, and the knowledge that time is running out to find any more survivors.
How can we help? As our bishop wrote to the clergy of this diocese, “While gathering goods to send to the area feels satisfying, with disasters of this magnitude financial support is critical and more helpful.” One very effective place to donate funds is Episcopal Relief & Development. This agency of our church works with local partners on the ground to get immediate relief where it is needed after a disaster, and then to help with the short- and long-term recovery efforts afterward. You can donate to help the earthquake victims here: https://support.episcopalrelief.org/syria-turkey-earthquake/ We also can pray for all those affected by the earthquake. The bishop has asked our whole diocese to intentionally hold the victims, survivors, and recovery effort in prayer for the next six weeks. Here is one prayer from the Episcopal Relief & Development website for times of disaster: God, you are in the midst of those who suffer May all affected by disasters feel your healing presence. God, you are in the hands of those who reach out Help responders in their courageous work. God, you are in the hearts of those compassionate ones Whose prayers cry out for their families Whose prayers cry out for their neighbors Whose prayers cry out even for strangers Bless and comfort those who mourn. God, you are in the still small voice, The gentle whisper that follows May our ears always hear May our hearts always cry out for one another May our hands always reach out to one another And may we always walk like you walk In solidarity with those who suffer And so reflect your presence and comfort. – Prayer adapted from Catholic Relief Services A message from Rev. Sharon Last fall, members of our congregation and the Boonton community recorded our hopes and dreams on a banner that now hangs in our parish hall. In November, we met with a member of the diocesan Visioning Team to delve a little deeper into our dreams for St. John’s. We discussed the strengths of our parish as well as our challenges and concerns; the ways we interact with the diocese; how we wish the diocese could support us; and our dreams for future ministry. This weekend, the St. John’s clergy and deputies will hear more about the diocesan visioning process and how that connects with our own ministries. The process of discerning a vision for the future is an important and ongoing part of the Christian journey in our own lives, in the life of our parish, and in the life of our diocesan and the wider church. This is how we discover what God is calling us to do and how we plan to answer that call. You can hear what our bishop says about the process now underway in our diocese here: https://youtu.be/wUVoEve9nMg I’ve also attached the report from our listening session in November. I encourage everyone to read it. What do you agree with or disagree with? What would you add? These insights will help us as we plan for our future at St. John’s and how we will share God’s love with our community. Have you ever played the online game where you match pairs of Mahjong tiles? Sometimes, no matter how long you stare at the screen, you can’t find any available matching tiles. You think the game is over. Then you press the “hint” button and discover one or more pairs that you missed, and the game continues. This week commemorated the conversion of Paul, the great evangelist of the early church whose letters are the oldest writings in the New Testament. He started out persecuting Jesus’ post-Resurrection followers but completely reversed course and began proclaiming the gospel after Jesus appeared to him in a bright light while Paul was traveling to Damascus. Sometimes conversions are like that. We experience a mighty revelation or epiphany in dramatic fashion, as Paul did. More often, we experience smaller insights or “aha” moments in our lives. We suddenly understand something in a new way or feel called to try something new. Sometimes we’re searching for a new direction or understanding or meaning in our lives, without success. That’s when it’s time to hit our spiritual “hint” button – to call on the Holy Spirit for help. Opening our hearts to the guidance of the Spirit can open our eyes to new patterns and possibilities. Where might the Holy Spirit be guiding you this Epiphany season? Happy Epiphany! January 6 marks one of the major celebrations in our church, when we remember how wise men from the East followed a star to locate and pay homage to baby Jesus in Bethlehem. An epiphany is a revelation or manifestation of the divine. On this day, we rejoice at the manifestation of Jesus to the foreign Magi, demonstrating that the incarnate Word came into the world for all people. This Sunday, I hope you will join us as we celebrate Epiphany and welcome Deacon John’s great-granddaughter Phoenix into our congregation through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. We’re also expecting a guest appearance of the three Magi! As we contemplate the divine light that is Jesus, and the starlight that guided the wise men, let us also consider how we might share the light of Christ that is within us. One opportunity comes this Saturday, when St. John’s will provide the meal for the Saturday Luncheon Social. (If you can help, please let Sharon Liparini know at Sharon.Liparini@gmail.com.) Our light also can shine brighter when we join in ministry with other light-bearers. This Wednesday, I invite you to attend a 7 p.m. prayer at service at St. John's with Bible meditations as we host members of St. Peter’s in Mountain Lakes and Church of our Saviour in Denville as part of the Got Faith? Christian formation program. This year, we also will continue to work with members of these and other congregations in supporting the Afghan refugee families in their resettlement. I can’t wait to see how else St. John’s will spread light through our community in 2023. I wish you all the joy of the Magi and look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Rev. Sharon Christmas greetings from Rev. Sharon The wait is almost over! The last hours of Advent and holiday preparations are slipping away. Some of us may already have the decorations hung and the presents wrapped. Many of us may still be rushing around making last-minute purchases, trimming the tree or baking Christmas cookies. Wherever you are in your preparations, I urge you to pause for a few moments to appreciate the season and remember the joy of the Christmas miracle that underlies it: that somehow, against all logic, the creator of the universe loved us enough to come to earth to experience and share life on earth as a human being. Take time to worship with us, whether in person or via Zoom on Christmas Eve or in person on Christmas Day. We’ll sing familiar carols, listen to stories, share holy food and enjoy each other’s company as we give thanks and celebrate the feast of Jesus’ incarnation. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! Come and behold him, born the king of angels! Come let us adore him, Christ the Lord! Wishing all a merry and blessed Christmas! Our service times are listed below. CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY SERVICES
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