Pet Service at St. Nicholas’ Church
Chearsley
June 27th 2010 at 10.00am
Chearsley
June 27th 2010 at 10.00am
On June 27th at 10.00am, we are having a Pet Service. This is not just a gimmick but it has a serious intent. Every animal is loved by God. Animals are part of God’s creation and, according to Genesis, possess the ‘breath of life’. (Gen 1:30). They are created on the same day with human beings and are similarly blessed. ‘It must never be forgotten’, wrote Austin Farrer, ‘ that God is the God of hawks and sparrows, of microbes no less than of men’. We share this earth with animals and are inextricably caught up with them as part of an ecological whole. Yet, we frequently injure, exploit and destroy them. This is not something that should be taken lightly. As an old rabbinical saying puts it, ‘The way a person treats an animal is an index to his soul’.
Jesus identified with animals at many points in his life and spoke about them in many of the stories that he told. The vision of God’s Kingdom is of a time when harmony with animals is restored - ‘the wolf shall live with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together’. So it is very important that we take time to thank God for ‘all creatures great and small’ and for the way in which they so enrich our lives and provide for us.
Do come and bring your pet! If your pet is small, please have it in a cage, and none should be allowed to roam free. If the pet you propose to bring is ill-disposed towards children or likely to bite, please leave it at home!
Which reminds me of an advert I once saw: Bulldog for sale. Will eat anything. Very fond of children
