PET BLESSINGS

That day's approaching again  - the day when  the church remembers St Francis of Assisi  - the day when animal lovers are invited to bring their beloved pets to church for a blessing.

All it needs for us to go is set aside our normal early morning routine, make sure Lara's had a big run and done what she needs to do, and have a few little dog treats in our pockets - you can always get a labrador's attention with a well-timed biscuit!

The service, from what folk have told me, is a delightfully chaotic and happy time with barking, the very occasional accident, pets ranging from the carefully match-boxed spider [non-toxic of course] to slightly bemused alpacas all being told how beautiful they are, how beloved of God.

The church blesses our cats, dogs, birds, beasts ...
I long for the time when the church can freely and happily offer that same grace to all our brothers and sisters in Christ without exception -  young or old, rich or poor, LGBTQ or heterosexual, mentally unwell or marginally sane, doubting, stumbling, joyful or sad, in God's eyes we are all beautiful and beloved.

You  might not know that St Francis was not just a lover of the birds and beasts, he was a poet who helps us glimpse the creator heart of God:

God would kneel down

 I think God might be a little prejudiced.

For once He asked me to join Him on a walk

through this world,

and we gazed into every heart on this earth,

and I noticed He lingered a bit longer

before any face that was

weeping,

and before any eyes that were

laughing.

And sometimes when we passed

a soul in worship

God too would kneel

down.

I have come to learn: God

adores His creation.

Love poems from God: 12 Sacred Voices from East and West, translated by Daniel Ladinsky, Penguin:NY, 2002, p41

Shells

SHELLS ...

When I was younger I loved walking on the beach and collecting shells - large or small, so long as they were uninhabited!
Maybe you did that too, or have introduced grandchildren, or friends visiting from overseas, to the beauty of the shells beside your favourite piece of coastline. .
Maybe you even have a collection of shells stored away or enhancing the watery theme of your bathroom!

Back then, I used to keep only the shells that were perfect  - no bits broken off by the action of waves or rocks;
no rough edges or holes spoiling the smooth shapes.

My collection - like my life - had to be 'perfect'.

But over the years that has changed.

As I've got older I've come to realise that broken shells have a beauty all their own.
They show the reality of the environment in which they find themselves - the effects of powers far stronger than their own; the cracks made by the impact of events beyond their control; the holes in the exterior worn through to reveal something of the complex shapes hidden within.

And that's what matters to me now - to be able to catch a glimpse of the inner beauty  - the curves and spirals and the shining surfaces revealed as the exterior shell crumbles.

So next time you are feeling a bit rough around the edges, or buffeted by events or forces beyond your control, you may like to think of these less than perfect seas shells and be thankful  -
that  something of your inner beauty - and the beauty of others - can be revealed through brokenness;
that God chose to reveal the extent of God's love in the brokenness of Jesus the Christ, God with us.