In many of our congregations, some years ago, we began offering a service called “The Blessing of the Animals.” Understanding that for some, the idea of welcoming our animal companions into our worship space, even once a year, might be a cause for concern (whether those concerns be allergies, misbehaviour or genuine fear) after a thorough discussion, we decided to try it. We made that decision in part because of the importance animals play in so many lives, particularly in the lives of children, and so often in the lives of those who live alone.
We came to consensus about the best way to have all animals represented, keeping in mind the animals’ comfort and natural enemies (cats, terriers, birds and small rodents were not blessed at the same time and in the same way, for example!) and some animals were represented best by photographs (We love elephants but…) and miraculously, it somehow worked beautifully and became a yearly favourite.
Blessing the animals seems to me to be an important way to express that we humans are only one of myriad species on this planet, yet one with a sacred duty to protect and nurture the others.
I wrote this light-hearted children’s story with Mr. Skunk saying “Let us Spray!” for a spring celebration of the Blessing of the Animals, but we have also done it in the fall. Any time the animals come to church is a special day!
Once upon a wintery looking morning, when snow was softly falling, something woke Mama Bear from her dream. She yawned and stretched and looked around her. “It’s too EARLY to get up!” she said to herself. And went right back to bed.
“I was having such a strange dream!” she told herself. I was dreaming that I was invited to church! That couldn’t be real!” Besides, it’s still winter!!! And she went back to dreaming, this time of blueberries and fat fish swimming in a rushing spring stream.
But Robin, who was better at telling time than Bear, perched on a tree near where she lived, opened her beak and first song of the spring, which in bird language means this:
“We cannot make it happen
Or make it go away
But sure as winter follows fall
Our spring is on its way.”
Not too far away curled up in an old log, Skunk was waking up for some reason, too! He didn’t know why! It was still cold and snowy outside, surely too early to get up. He uncurled his fragrant black and white tail and uncovered his eyes. “I feel nice and stinky” he said. It’s not time for my bath yet! I think I’ll stay and stink awhile!
And Robin looked down, smiled from her tree and started to build her nest, singing:
“We cannot make it happen
Or make it go away
But sure as winter follows fall
Our spring is on its way.”
And one by one, the animals awoke, hedgehog from inside his thicket, and raccoon and rat from inside their homes and frog from his cold quiet place in the pond. He began to croak and opened his eyes to a still cold and snowy day. Even though they weren’t all ready to get up – somehow, they just couldn’t stay asleep any longer! And they didn’t really notice that as they were talking, the sun was getting warmer, and Robin was putting the finishing touches on her nest, and in it she laid three beautiful blue eggs and smiled to herself and kept singing her song: And this is the song she sang:
“We cannot make it happen
Or make it go away
But sure as winter follows fall
Our spring is on its way.”
When all the animals had awakened, they gathered round Mama Bear and she told them of her strange, strange dream – that she and all the other animals were invited to go to church and come and be blessed with all the human beings.
All the animals laughed! “That is the silliest thing I have ever heard!” said Skunk. I know they do not want me in church! They are scared of me and my stink!” “Well, just don’t stink!” said Rat. “Be like a pet, smile a lot, act cute. That’s what I do and they think I’m a pet!” Even though I stink, too!
Skunk was torn. He REALLY wanted to go to church. “I am a very religious person” he said. Look at me… “Let Us Spray!” And all the animals screamed and ran away and hid. “Let Us SPRAY!” I know what they do in church, I have looked in the window. “Let us pause for a moment of spraying and medication!” I am going to church!
“You can’t be stinky in church!” said hedgehog. “You must leave your stink at home!” “I know! I have listened. You are supposed to be very quiet in church. I will be welcome there.”
”Hahaha” said the Ferrett! I have heard about that church, it is very noisy there! Only animals who make lots of noise are welcome there!” Hahahaha!!! Anyway, I am stinkier than Rat, although not as bad as you, Skunk! Are you sure we are welcome? And back and forth they went, wondering if it was true and they really were invited to church for the first time ever!
While they were talking, tiny beaks were pecking inside Robin’s eggs. She sang to encourage her babies to be born. And this is what she sang:
“We cannot make it happen
Or make it go away
But sure as winter follows fall
Our spring is on its way.”
As the fluffy little heads of her babies began to poke out from their shells to greet their Mama and the new world for the very first time, Robin looked down and heard these words in her heart:
“The same hand that turns the earth,
The same sun that warms the sky
The same spirit that gives us birth
Sings alike for you and I”
And she laughed to herself about their conversation and decided to take her new babies to church to be blessed!
They were still talking over whether they would be welcome in church when along came the Dogs and Cats!
“Meow Meow” “Woof Woof “ they said, “It is true, we are all invited to church for Earth Day, when we celebrate our beautiful blue green ball home.
EVERYONE is invited!!!
You little ones, and the bigger ones, you furry ones and you sleek ones, you quiet ones and you noisy ones, you tame ones and you wild ones and even you stinky ones; spring is coming and EVERYONE is needed to bless the earth and bless each other!”
And even though it still seemed like winter, and even though they weren’t sure they’d be welcome, even though it wasn’t as warm as they wanted, and the sun was still hiding his face behind the clouds, all the animals gathered together and listened to the Robin’s song one more time…
“We cannot make it happen
Or make it go away
But sure as winter follows fall
Our spring is on its way.”
And so together they all started down the road to church, with skunk as their spiritual leader saying “Let Us SPRAY!”
And while they were walking, Robin’s three eggs hatched into beautiful baby birds, and she sang her song in joy, singing:
“We cannot make it happen
Or make it go away
But sure as winter follows fall
Our spring is on its way.”
And Robin looked down in joy on her new little ones, and thought to herself:
“The same hand that turns the earth,
The same sun that warms the sky
The same spirit that gives us birth
Sings alike for you and I”
The animals are on their way, and so is spring! For –
“We cannot make it happen
Or make it go away
But sure as winter follows fall
Our spring is on its way.”