They'll Bless Almost Anything

As some of you know, I am a great fan of the BBC comedy series The Vicar of Dibley. I anxiously await the DVD of the last two episodes I pre-ordered after catching the very last one on one of our local public television stations last month. One of my favorite episodes is "Service for the Animals" where the vicar holds a service for the animals, which actually means for their human companions. Although it is not a celebration of St. Francis Day and the Blessing of the Animals, it does bring such services to mind.

This week churches celebrate St. Francis Day with a service of Blessing of the Animals. One of the parishes I am involved with held their service last Sunday. I happened to be out of town for a conference, but I would not have attended anyway. Actually, I have not attended a St. Francis Day Blessing of the Animals in several years.

The church will bless a dog, cat, gerbil, iguana, camel, elephant, tarantula, and many more common and exotic pets. The church will bless a car, boat, motorcycle, apartment, furniture, computer, and many other everyday, and not so everyday, objects. The church will not bless a committed relationship between two people of the same gender, even in states where such unions are legal.

Until such time as the church gets its act together and allows same-sex marriage, I will not be attending any blessings of animals, boats, buildings, cars, computers, etc. From time to time I consider boycotting weddings as well, but there are a host of relational issues when dealing with family and friends. It may seem silly, and it really does not accomplish much of anything, except that it does give me an opportunity to talk about an important issue with people of all opinions within the church. You would be surprised at how much I learn from folks who are at the conservative end of the spectrum.

Frankly, we would do better to remember Francis' other work with the poor and the downtrodden and pray together the prayer attributed to him.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

--The Book of Common Prayer, p. 833.

Peace,
Jeffri