Church for Dogs?

04.11.09 / Uncategorized / Author: admin / Comments
Tags: Animal Companions, Beloved Companion, Blessing Of Animals, Childhood Pets, Chins, Congregations, Feast Day, First Response, Fond Memories, Gerbils, Hymn, Parakeet, Paws, Pooches, Poodle, Roughhousing, St Francis, Unconditional Love, Wafer, Worship Service

You’ve probably heard of – and perhaps led or participated in – church services that include a blessing of animals. Many congregations offer them on the Feast Day of St. Francis, who was well known for his love of animals.

What about a regularly scheduled worship service for dogs, complete with doggie treats passed out during the offering? No, I’m not making this up; you can read all about it by clicking here.

I admit, my first response was to laugh, especially when I read these lines: “The service started amid a riot of tail-sniffing, barking, whining and playful roughhousing. But as Eggebeen stepped to the front and the piano struck up the hymn ‘GoD and DoG,’ one by one the pooches lay down, chins on paws, and listened.”

I also remembered a home-bound member of a previous congregation I served. Each time I communed her, she broke off half of the wafer and fed it to her poodle. I cringed inwardly, but it was clearly important to her to share this meal with her beloved companion, and I decided not to risk alienating her by challenging the practice.

Clearly, animals play an important role in the lives of many people. I have fond memories of my own childhood pets (which included, at various times, dogs, a cat, a rabbit, a turtle, gerbils, and a parakeet) and the cats with whom I have shared my home as an adult. They provide unconditional love and have greatly enriched my life. I consider them members of my family, and grieve deeply whenever one dies.

I still don’t think I’d bring my cats with me to church on a regular basis, but I can understand why some people might want to bring their animals with them, especially people who live alone except for their animal companions. The worship service mentioned in the article seems to be meeting a real need, and is reaching people who otherwise might not attend church at all.

What do you think? Have you brought your animals to church, or would you if you had the option? Would you feel comfortable praying for animals by name? What about giving them treats during worship? Please leave a comment to share your thoughts.