News
We blessed Ameilia’s three bunnies.
BLESSING OF THE PET PHOTOS AND PET ROCKS
By Candidate Kerry Dowdy
Posted October 31, 2023
October 4 was St. Francis of Assisi feast day and a common time where many churches of various denominations hold a scared blessing of animals. PC(USA) has liturgy for a blessing of animals included in the Book of Common Worship. East Butler Presbyterian Church took this traditional blessing and broadened the practice to include pet photos and pet rocks. In addition, this was our first Christian Education “intergenerational” evening event where activities were geared toward adult and children alike.
Where did we get this idea from? Well, from the class I’m taking at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary called Rethinking Church with Dr. van Driel. We are reading a series of books by Andrew Root who points out a disconnection between generations. So that was the intent to have multiple age groups, which was accomplished in our small group from ages ranging from 9 to 70.
We started the evening with a feast of food and enjoying a meal together. Then we created our pet rocks, named them, and adopted them. Having adults and children sitting at one table sharing in meal and making memories by creating a pet rock was wonderful.
The scripture readings were from Genesis and the Gospel of Matthew. We reflected on the creation story where God created the fish and the birds of the air. God created human beings and charged us with caring for God’s creation. Now God did not create and leave us to our own. God also nurtures and sustains us from generation to generation. St. Francis of Assisi lived his life with the Spirit of Jesus in his heart and mind in everything he did and said. We are reminded to keep God first in our hearts and minds as well.
We learned that St. Francis of Assisi is the Patron Saint of Animals because of his love for creation, especially birds. We discovered that St. Francis preached a sermon to the birds and the birds responded to his touch and blessing by flapping their wings and stretching their necks. I have preached to my pets before and they have fallen asleep. Maybe I should try preaching to my chickens. Clearly St. Francis has a connection with creatures. In his sermon, he told the birds to praise and love God, to cherish the feathers that clothe them and the wings that let them fly; that God made them noble, and gave them homes that they neither sow nor reap but God protects them.
This should sound similar to the Gospel of Matthew that asks us to “look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NIV). We as human beings are made in God’s image. God gave us the great honor of taking care, nurturing, and sustaining creation from birds of the air to fish of the sea and everything that God created.
This is why we took time that evening to honor and praise God’s creation. We ended the evening with reciting the Traditional Prayer for Animals from St. Francis and a benediction to go out into God’s world and live in peace with God’s creatures. It was a fun, whimsical take of the blessing of animals worship service.
We have plans to continue the intergenerational interactive Christian Education evening events in November and December. We hope the connections and conversations between the young and the older are spirit filled and remind us that we are all one body of Christ.
