Sunday Sept 26: Blessing of the Animals

This Sunday, the 26, we will have our annual service of the Blessing of the Animals. For our adult education time together, we will look at Animal-Related resolutions from the Episcopal Church, including developing a liturgy for the loss of a companion animal. These resolutions will be available as handouts. We will also look at some liturgies and prayers for animals and have a discussion, ask some questions.  We could consider, perhaps:
1.  What is the theology behind The Blessing of the Animals? What does it mean to us to bring our canary, dog, cat, horse, iguana for a blessing?
2.  What is our spiritual connection to our companion animals--and to all animals, for that matter?
3.  What, if we had a memorial service for our pet (didn't all of us do this as children?), would we want to be said, sung, prayed?
4.  What stories do we have about our companion animals, their deaths and their impact on our lives?

You and your (well-behaved) animals are invited to join us in the classroom at 9:15--or outside on Lindisfarne Green--we'll make that decision at 9:15.

Here are some interesting websites:

Pet Blessings and Animal Blessings

Animal Related Resolutions of the Episcopal Church

Sept 12: Blessings

Here is a summary of our discussion in Adult Ed on Sept 12.

What does it mean? To live with sacred purpose? To be blessed, and to be among the blessed, among things, literally, that have been blessed? What does it mean to us? What are we seeking?

Blessing: consecrating for sacred purpose

Or

Being a channel for a sense of God’s love and grace, eg, blessing some person.

Or

blessing - benediction: a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection

or

infusing with divine purpose, with holiness

or

think of how the term is used in a secular way—and why? 

The closing blessing of the Eucharist—“And now the Blessing of God Almighty…”

Biblical Blessings

Psalm 34

Psalm 67

Matthew 5: 2-12

In the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and The Book of Occasional Services (BOS):

Marriage:

The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage (423, 430-31 BCP)

Blessing of a Civil Marriage (433 BCP): there are requirements to this blessing—not freely given to all those who have had civil marriage,

Blessing of tangible things: Do you own anything that has been blessed?   We set objects apart for sacred purpose, infusing them with spiritual meaning—

The rings are blessed (434) 

Over food:  (835 BCP)

Over all vessels and linens and brass , ornaments, organs, pianos, candlesticks, the font, the altar (BOS)

The Blessing of the Backpacks: Beginning of School Year in Port Neches, Texas.

Of a Home (BOS)

Blessing of a Pregnant Woman  (157 BOS)

Thanksgiving for birth or adoption of child: (439 BCP)

Birthdays (830 BCP)

Travelers (831 BCP)

Retirement: (327 BOS)

Natural Blessings:

Rogation Days: (103 BOS)

The Blessing of the Fleet: A catholic tradition since the Middle Ages

“Let Us Bless the Lord.”

Fall 2010: Living with Sacred Purpose

Fall Christian Education Series

St. Aidan's Classroom

Sundays, 9:15 am

How can we live more fully into the sacredness of our Christianity? How can we find the sacred in all that we do in our lives: in our profession, in our daily activities, in our planning for the future, in our families? How is our very living on this earth a sacrament in itself, or how can we work toward making it one? And where do we start?

September: In the Episcopal Tradition: Blessings for all Occasions.

Let’s take a look at the way Episcopalians bring the sacred into their daily lives through creating liturgies for specific and special occasions. We will look at sections of The Book of Occasional Services as well as The Book of Common Prayer and other approved liturgies

• Sept 12: Blessing of a Home, Blessing a Pregnant Woman, Commissioning of Lay Ministries in the Church, Blessings Over Food at Easter, and more. You may be surprised at the number of blessings for all occasions that our liturgy offers. 
• Sept. 19: A Public Service of Healing ; Come and see how we created sacred space in our chapel for this service through color, icons, prayer stations, intercessors, and music
• Sept. 26: Blessing of the Animals: Did you know that the 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church included three resolutions about animals? They are “Support Ethical Care of Animals,” “Liturgy for Loss of Companion Animals,” and “ Merciful and Humane Treatment of God’s Creatures.” We will look at these resolutions and liturgies as we talk about our unique relationship to all living things, most especially our companion animals.
  

Coming in October: Sacred Relationships. We will offer a presentation from the Colorado Episcopal Foundation; a workshop entitled “Where is your testament in your last will & testament; and sessions in honor of Mental Illness Awareness Month—continuing the conversation we began in Lent.