Yesterday’s “Blessing of the Animals” was such a joyful event. Every year, in honor of the birthday of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Stephen invites folks to bring their animals on the lawn in front of our sanctuary.
We have brief worship, and then I go around blessing each of the animals by name, saying, “Bless, O God, this your creature ______, and all who are involved in his/her care and protection.”
It’s this marvelous time of fellowship. When people bring their pets, they really are bringing their hearts.
When I arrived, I was immediately greeting by Aidan, the eight-year old son of a couple who recently joined. “Do you want to see my horse?” he said. The Croys had brought their horse Blaze to be blessed and Aidan was about to burst with excitement.
I had been pre-warned by Jane Ann Jannsen that she was planning to bring a couple of horses.
It’d been a long time since we’d done “large animal” blessing, but they were definitely out last night. At one point, even a goat showed up. In the past we’ve had spiders, a white rat, snakes, and even snails.
But we have the regular kind of pets, too. Laurie showed up with her dog, but then pointed to her pocketbook, where her cat, “Spiderman,” was hiding. Craig and Peggy brought Charlie the Bassett Hound. He comes every year, and I know when he’s there because he punctuates the liturgy with his baying.
There are lots of regulars at this event, which I guess means that the blessing must work. And we always have new folks as well–people from the neighborhood, or friends of parishioners, or people who just happen to have heard about it.
And lots and lots of kids! You honestly can’t imagine a kid happier at church than at a blessing of the animals!
The liturgy I used reminds us that in the story of Noah, God “establishes my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you…. I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 9, selected verses.)
I hadn’t really thought of God making a covenant with animals-with Charlie and Blaze and Spiderman and Zoe and Katy and Pretty Boy and Tonks and Smokey. God makes a promise to animals and feels honor-bound to keep it. That’s something to consider when we think about our own covenant responsibilities to take care of this planet in an Age of Global Warming.