We praise and
bless you, Lord, and we give thanks to you. Amen.
Our
Season of Creation is winding down, but it's a season we should always lift up!
And what a great way to end the season! Having God’s wonderful creatures join
us for worship and to receive a blessing, today we celebrate our four-footed and
two-winged family members. October 4 is designated as the day to celebrate the
feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology. This
13th-century Italian friar is often remembered for his deep humility, his
simple life of prayer, and as someone who loved creatures and creation.
You
will often see St Francis depicted surrounded by birds and animals, as he is
this morning up here at our altar. Francis had a special connection with all of
God’s creatures. I read a story about how he preached a sermon to 100 birds
about being
thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence, and for
God's care. The story said that the birds stood still as he walked among him,
only flying off when he said they could leave!
I
think my favorite part of our creation story is that God created the animals
and the birds first. “God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and
the cattle of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every
kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Gen 1:25) It was only once God saw that
creation needed caretakers did God create humans. (And honestly, they probably
would have be fine without us!)
We
humans think that we’re the top of the power pyramid, but if it weren’t for the
animals, birds, and fish, we’d be nothing. We’d have no purpose. We’d have no
source of food or income. Genesis 1:28 states “Be fruitful and multiply and
fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the
earth.” We often mistake this verse to mean that we have been given divine
power to control and dominate everything on the earth, that we can use the
earth’s resources in anyway we deem fit.
But
in that verse, God is giving us a creation mandate. We are told to procreate and
grow the population. We are told to spread ourselves all over the earth. And we
are told to be stewards of the earth, called to protect animal life and care
for the planet with the justice and protection of a righteous caretaker, not
through cruel exploitation. We are meant to safeguard creation, not manage it.
St
Francis’ example of selfless love inspired others to follow him and together
they preached the love of God to all and sought “to follow the teachings of our
Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps”. For St Francis, the teachings
of the gospel extended to all of God’s creatures, not just those who walk
upright on two feet. Francis was in awe of the swallow and cricket and rabbit
and saw sacredness even in the smallest bug. His teaching to us is that the
world of nature and the world of God are one. When Jesus calls on us to love
our neighbour, that includes every living thing in creation. St Francis reminds
us that we are a part of our environment and are called to love and protect it.
As
we head into the blessing of our beloved pets, I leave you with this prayer
from Sacred Pauses:
Blessed are you,
Lord God,
maker of all
living creatures.
You called forth
fish in the sea,
birds in the air
and animals on the
land.
You inspired St.
Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to
bless this pet.
By the power of
your love,
enable it to live
according to your plan.
May we always
praise you for all your beauty in creation.
Blessed are you,
Lord our God,
in all your
creatures!
Amen
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