Have your pet blessed
Bring your dog, your cat, your llama, your fish, and any other creature that you love to church this Sunday.
This Sunday, Oct 5, you can have your pet prayed for in a special celebration on our Elmwood lawn at 2pm.
Traditionally, animals are remembered on the feast day of St. Francis, a Christian who had a particular affinity for animals.
Of course, St. Francis is not the only one who loves animals. Christians believe that God created and is redeeming the whole creation (Genesis 1:20-28Genesis 1:20-28
English: World English Bible - WEB
20 God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky.”
21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24 God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind,” and it was so.
25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.
26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”, Romans 8:19-22Romans 8:19-22
English: World English Bible - WEB
19 For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.), and Jesus reminded us that God blesses even birds. (Luke 12:22-24Luke 12:22-24
English: World English Bible - WEB
22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!)
Anybody is welcome to attend, regardless of faith. We will give thanks to God for our animals, and ask God to care for them. Following a brief time of celebration together, animals may be blessed individually.
Please make sure that your animal is properly controlled, and BYOB (Bring your own Bags).
My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you…you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore… always seek to praise God. –St. Francis