St. Luke's Episcopal Church is going to the dogs ... and the cats and the birds.
Critters big and small, furry, finned and feathered are welcome at the church's annual Blessing of the Animals at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The church is at 4106 John F. Kennedy Blvd. in North Little Rock.
The blessing are held each year near the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4. Francis, who died in 1226, is known for many things, including starting what today is known as the Franciscan religious order, but he's best known by pet lovers as the patron saint of animals.
The saint is often pictured in paintings and sculptures with animals, often with birds. Legend has it that Francis once preached to the birds about the love of their creator and he was known to have a special kinship with animals.
"He was obviously a gentle soul. He cared for the poor and the lepers, but he was also known to be kind to animals and to appreciate God's creation," said the Rev. Carey Stone, rector of the church. "That connection is there, and this tradition is a way of acknowledging the value of pets in our lives. Pets are just amazing."
Stone said his standard poodles are always happy to see him even if he has scolded them for soiling the carpet or chewing up a sock.
"They are still happy to see me," he said. "They are carriers of God's unconditional love."
Stone said blessings serve as an outward sign of God's favor, whether the blessing is for people, animals or places.
"It's not like we don't already have God's favor but it's a visible sign," he said.
The annual event draws lots of dogs and cats, as well as an assortment of other creatures. One year, Stone was presented with an 80-pound Burmese python to bless. Then there was the scorpion. Stone didn't actually touch that one as he blessed it.
"I trusted that God would fill the gap between my hand and the scorpion," he said.
Sunday's service will include prayers and the singing of the hymn, "All Things Bright and Beautiful," which includes the lyrics "All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all."
Then each animal will be blessed.
"It's just a great way to affirm God's creation," Stone said. "God declared creation blessed from the get-go. On the first day God made light and dark and it was good ... that was the original blessing. We as humans are just pointing backward to that original event and declaring what is already true."
The church is collecting donations of pet food, toys and treats during the event to give to the Humane Society of Pulaski County.
"There are a lot of animal lovers out there, and I think if they've never been to something like this I think they would enjoy it," Stone said.
Lakewood United Methodist Church in North Little Rock will have its annual Blessing of the Animals at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The church is at 1922 Topf Road.
Senior pastor the Rev. Luke Conway said the blessings are a long-standing tradition.
"We do it every year and lots of church members and people from the community will walk over with their pets," he said. "We have short liturgy and the pastors and I will spread out and have people bring their pets over, put our hands on them and say a blessing and everybody enjoys it."
Conway said dogs constitute the majority of the pets blessed each year, but some also bring cats or ferrets. This year he was asked if a gecko is welcome.
"We can bless anything," he said.
Conway said pets are important in the lives of their owners.
"We get connected to our pets," he said. "They are a part of your family and you grieve when you lose them."
The church will accept donated items for the pet ministry, which was started and is run by church member Rhonda Martinez. The ministry provides pet food and access to veterinary services to the homeless who have pets.
The church is part of a network of churches and other organizations that feeds the homeless in Little Rock. Conway said Martinez noticed that some had pets and began bringing pet food on the days Lakewood participated in the feeding program. The ministry grew from there.
Information about the ministry is available by calling the church at (501) 753-6186.
Sunday at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Little Rock, the pooches and other pets will be blessed outside and then welcomed into the sanctuary to join their human companions for the evening worship service.
The Blessing of the Animals will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the steps of the church, 509 Scott St., and the Holy Eucharist service will begin at 6.
The Rev. Scott Walters, rector of the church, said welcoming the animals into the sanctuary injects a level of "mild chaos" to the service that's quite welcome. He said the animals help everyone loosen up.
"Animals have that kind of unpredictableness, even if they are trained, that can be kind of a neat contrast in worship," he said.
As for the blessing service, Walters said the clergy members will say a simple prayer of thanksgiving while blessing each animal.
"We believe all of God's creation conveys something of God to us," he said. "Pets are companions that are really important to a lot of people in their lives ... and it's a good moment to pause and give thanks for these creatures."
In addition to the animal blessing, children are invited to bring their stuffed animals to be blessed during the 10:30 a.m. service Sunday.
The Rev. Jeff Price, pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, will lead his first Blessing of the Animals service this year. It's also a first time for the church to host the service.
"It really grew out of a discussion of ways we could reach into the community," Price said.
All are invited to drop in anytime between 2 and 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9 to have their pets blessed. The church is at 4501 Rahling Road.
"I'm not sure how it will turn out," Price said. "I'm hopeful we'll get more than dogs and cats. I'd like to see a snake or two -- whatever people will bring."
For pets that can't come to the event, Price said owners are welcome to bring a photograph of the animal to be blessed.
Price said the service is "a way for us to recognize the importance of their pets in the eyes of God."
"We don't always talk about that in worship. We'll talk in broad terms about nature, but pets are important to them and it's important to signify that they are important to God as well."
Religion on 10/01/2016