Churches

For religion historian and author Karen Armstrong, faith isn't just believing; it's doing. Religious doctrines "make no sense unless they're acted upon," she told the 520-plus people who attended her June 23 talk at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown.

And what she's particularly calling people of faith to act upon is something that she says the doctrines of all the major faiths call us to: compassion for others. "Compassion is seen as the test of faith."

On June 11, three dozen volunteers from St. Peter's Episcopal Church and the El Principe de Paz congregation in Morristown collected cartsful of groceries and monetary donations at King's and the A+P in Morristown and Acme in Morris Plains. Here, one of the food drive's youngest participants describes her experience.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Hillsdale has begun work on a unique garden to provide fresh vegetables for the Helping Hand Food Pantry.

A few weeks back, on May 22, Reverend Andrew Butler of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Montclair held an ecumenical service, combining the traditions of Christianity and Islam. The service opened with the Islamic call to prayer sung by a muezzin from the dais, underneath the cross. “It was hauntingly beautiful,” said Butler, who printed the translation in the program so everyone could read and understand the meaning behind what they were hearing.

Three congregations’ community gardens were featured at a workshop sponsored by the Empowering Team of Diocesan Council on March 26.

St. Gregory’s, Parsippany, which hosted the event, St. Michael’s, Wayne and Good Shepherd, Wantage each made presentations to an audience of about 40 people from around the diocese.

Each county has a Master Gardener as part of Rutgers’ University Cooperative extension program, and the Passaic County Master Gardener was also one of the presenters, speaking on the guidance he has given to St. Michael’s on their garden.

This Lent, the congregation of Christ Church in Bloomfield/Glen Ridge stepped out in audacious faith by removing 19 pews to transform the entrance of their church into a self-guided, interactive Stations of the Cross entitled Dying ... to New Life: A Lenten Program of Transformation BY and FOR our Christ Church Community and the larger community in which we reside.

From a distance, the first and best response to a disaster such as the one recently experienced in Japan is prayer. St. John’s in Montclair responded to the crisis by lifting up the needs of our sisters and brothers through Prayer Flags. For centuries, Tibetan Buddhists have placed these flags outside their homes and places of spiritual practice for the wind to carry the beneficent vibrations across the countryside. At St. John’s we are believe that the beneficent Spirit of God will carry our prayers of hope and healing to many who are hurting.

The Diocese of Newark is organizing an orientation trip to its Companion Diocese of Panama to take place October 18-24, 2011. According to the trip's coordinator, the Rev. Robert Griner, Rector of Christ Church Newton and head of the "Congregation to Congregation" portion of the Companion Diocese Committee, the trip is open to any members of this Diocese, and will be a unique opportunity to experience for themselves the realities of life and faith in Panama.