Pet Blessing

‘All Creatures of Our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia!'

William Henry Draper

I am sure that many of you will recognize these opening words from the beginning of the great hymn of the same name. Written by William Henry Draper, the words themselves come from a poem written by Saint Francis who in turn was inspired by the words of Psalm 148. All of these texts: the hymn, the poem and the psalm all share the same message – that it isn't just we humans who sing our praises to God; the whole of the created order is involved! From the song of the mighty Blue Whale to the buzzing of the Honeybee, in its own way all creation joins in a chorus of praise. And what a chorus that is as its various bleets, roars and clucks sing forth – and in that chorus there is a fair amount of barking and meowing too!

The picture I've included with this article has the best of those barks… but then I would say that, because she's mine!

Those of us who enjoy a connection with our animal partners in creation know just how much they teach us. God gave us these animals to journey with us as our companions, bringing us joy and comfort, and offering us insights beyond our own. That is why we have an annual Pet Blessing here on Campus – to celebrate, give thanks for their love and to bless them that they might continue to do the same.

So join us on Tuesday, october 26th anytime between 8:00 and 10:00AM on the Central Park Mall, where Chaplain Peggy and I will be looking forward to meeting your animal friends, and sharing God's blessing with them, as they continue to share it with us.

Author Info: Andrew Moore

Chaplain Andrew is the Associate Chaplain here at the Campus. Before relocating to Arizona in 2014, Andrew lived and studied in the United Kingdom. Andrew was ordained in the Anglican Church and has worked in a variety of parishes.