Today in the Mission Yearbook - New hymn encourages Presbyterians to gather and deliver emergency kits

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - New hymn encourage...: The Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette pens ‘O God, When We Face Trouble’ March 31, 2023 The Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette Presbyterian pastor an...

Sunday's Message: Easter in Seven Words - Spirit

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message: Easter in Seven Words - Spirit: There are many words and images that we associate with Easter, both secular and sacred. During the Sundays leading up to Easter, we'll f...

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, April 3 and Sunday, April 9, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, April 3, 2023 - That teachers and administrators would be open to God's Word and God's will.
• Tuesday, April 4, 2023 - That those in the entertainment industry recognize any negative influences within their media creations.
• Wednesday, April 5, 2023 - That those in the media and government would report facts accurately and without any bias.
• Thursday, April 6, 2023 - That the people of Ukraine be protected.
• Friday, April 7, 2023 - That we offer God thanks for all his blessings.
• Saturday, April 8, 2023 - That we approach our differences with both faith and commonsense.
• Sunday, April 9, 2023 - That we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ by renewing our commitment to life.

WCC NEWS: WCC Easter message: Christ makes all things new

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay shares an Easter message of hope and renewal, reflecting on the moment when Jesus Christ, on the cross cries: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Photo: Albin Hillert 28 March 2023 Pillay notes that Jesus expresses the pain and suffering of his impending death. “This is the cry of displaced people, refugees on the move, abused women and children, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, the neglected, oppressed, and downtrodden,” he writes. “Their plights are so unbearable that they often think that governments, friends, family, and even God has abandoned them.” In today’s world, many people feel a sense of abandonment and despair, Pillay reflects. “Jesus gave up his last breath and died, but he rose again from the dead,” Pillay writes. “Thus, when we are tempted in the midst of brokenness, pain, suffering, wars and death to ask why God has forsaken us, let us stop and be assured that in Christ, the Father makes all things new!” Pillay reminds us that God is present with us in all things, through all things, and at all times. “This assurance then must, instead of making us feel forsaken, stir and steer us into becoming agents and instruments of hope and light to the world,” the Easter message concludes. “It should give us the energy and desire to continue to work toward God’s justice, peace, reconciliation and unity, enabling a better world for all creation!” WCC Easter Message 2023 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

A New Devotion - This “Giving Up” Business

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: A New Devotion - This “Giving Up” Business: Here's a new devotion that I wrote. It's based on the passage below. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the ...

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, March 19, 2023

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: There are many words and images that we associate with Easter, both secular and sacred. During the Sundays leading up to Easter, we'll f...

Sunday's Message: Easter in Seven Words - Light

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message: Easter in Seven Words - Light: There are many words and images that we associate with Easter, both secular and sacred. During the Sundays leading up to Easter, we'll f...

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, March 27 and Sunday, April 2, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, March 27, 2023 - That God would protect our service men and women both home and abroad.
• Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - That American celebrate the values on which our nation was founded.
• Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - That international tensions decrease and all nations learn to live in peace with one another.
• Thursday, March 30, 2023 - That we look past the immediate benefit so that they might see the long-term consequences of their actions.
• Friday, March 31, 2023 - That our community, state and national leaders would be presented with the Gospel and a loving Christian witness.
• Saturday, April 1, 2023 - That we listen to those who have experiences different from our own.
• Sunday, April 2, 2023 - That our judges and Supreme Court justices would adjudicate with godly wisdom.

Blessing the animals, Presbyterian style - A service that blesses God’s critters builds community while caring for Creation

by David Bennett for Presbyterians Today | Special to Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Laura Blank of Pleasant View Presbyterian Church in Smock, Pennsylvania, conducted a Blessing of the Animals for the first time in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Pleasant View Presbyterian Church)

Inside St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale, Pennsylvania, are more than 20 murals painted by Croatian immigrant Maxo Vanka in the late 1930s and early ’40s. Many of the paintings depict the immigrant experience in America. There is one of St. Francis, though, that shows Vanka’s love of animals, especially his fondness of birds. In the painting, exotic birds can be seen encircling the patron saint of animals.

St. Francis wasn’t just the artist’s muse. Vanka took a cue from the legendary saint, caring for critters that came his way. Vanka’s granddaughter once recalled a story of how her grandfather rescued a sparrow and later taught the bird to peck him when it was time for him to wake up. She added that his grandchildren believed that the animals could talk to their grandfather.

The connection Vanka had with animals might have been viewed as unique years ago, but not so today. Many pet owners now refer to Fido or Whiskers as their “fur babies,” and the pet industry has noticed. Franchise pet stores sell luxury beds and gourmet food for animals. Doggie day care centers make sure that canines have play dates while their owners are at work. Online pet retailers offer monthly subscriptions of treats and toys to be delivered to a pup’s front door.

Pets have become a valuable part of one’s family. Just how valuable? A report by the North American Pet Health Insurance Association found that in 2018, 2 million pets in the United States were covered by health insurance — an 18% jump from the prior year.

Dr. Randall J. Hoedeman, a counselor at the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute in Pennsylvania, speaks to “the deep connection that we can have with animals” and how they can feel very much like members of the family. On the portion of the counseling center’s intake form that asks about immediate family members, Hoedeman has noticed that clients often include the names of their pets.

“This happens with enough frequency that I now routinely ask about pets if they are not specifically mentioned,” he said, adding, “Many friends have also attested to the loss of a pet, and its related grief feeling very much like the loss of a family member.”

With so much love and joy — and even grief — that pets bring to people, more Presbyterian churches are beginning to take a page from their Catholic and Episcopal brothers and sisters by offering a Blessing of the Animals service. Traditionally held in early fall to coincide with the Oct. 4 feast day of St. Francis, these services invite members of the congregation to bring their pets to the church to be blessed.

While the service has been a beloved tradition for most Anglican congregations, Presbyterians have tended to “shy away from services of blessings,” says the Rev. Laura Blank of Pleasant View Presbyterian Church in Smock, Pennsylvania.

That is changing.

“If we declare along with the psalmist that ‘the Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,’ we understand that God has already blessed and continues to bless Creation. Having a service like the Blessing of the Animals invites us to recognize that God is the one who blesses,” Blank said, adding that such a service also helps people “take seriously our role as stewards of Creation.”

Playing a more serious — and active — role in the care of Creation is one of the reasons that a service for Blessing of the Animals was included in the 2018 revision of the Book of Common Worship (BCW), says the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell.

Gambrell, the associate for worship in the PC(USA) Office of Theology & Worship and co-editor of the BCW, explained that the animal blessing was part of the new “Creation and Ecology” section, reflecting the denomination’s “expanded ecological awareness.”

“There’s a desire to be good stewards of God’s Creation and good neighbors to the other creatures that share our earthly home,” said Gambrell.

The Rev. Dr. Kimberly Bracken Long, the former co-editor of the BCW, agrees with Gambrell, adding that such a service “reflects one facet of our giving thanks for, and being good stewards of, all the gifts of Creation.”

Gambrell said he imagined the Blessing of the Animals service to be used with “household pets, farm animals — or even as a way of seeking God’s blessing for wild creatures and endangered species.”

Beautiful blessings

Blank, whose congregation is exploring becoming a PC(USA) Earth Care Congregation, led its first Blessing of the Animals last October. Using the liturgy in the BCW, Blank not only wanted to give thanks for the pets in people’s lives, but she also wanted those attending to connect with nature. The service was held outdoors on a Sunday evening underneath Pleasant View Presbyterian’s pavilion. The service, Blank says, was a natural fit for the church’s context.

“Our congregation includes farmers, folks who worked at vet clinics and feed supply stores, as well as many folks who dearly love their house pets,” Blank said. The church, too, was used to working with animals as it holds a live Nativity each Advent. Admittedly, the stars of the Nativity are not Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, but rather Fenn the goat and Diego the donkey, Blank said, laughing.

Still, Pleasant View Presbyterian made sure to set a few ground rules for its Blessing of the Animals.

“To keep the peace between all creatures great and small, we asked that pets remained on leashes or in carriers,” Blank said. “We wondered if fur would fly, but all participants behaved — human and animal alike.”

Leading up to the service, Pleasant View Presbyterian also held a collection for donations to a local animal shelter.

“As we thanked God for blessing our homes with our pets, we wanted to bless animals who had no home. We had a table heaped high with donations,” Blank said. “The youth delivered the supplies to the shelter and then spent time with the animals, extending the blessing beyond the worship service.”

Blank said that the Blessing of the Animals was also an opportunity to connect with church members who rarely attend on Sunday morning.

“This service honored an important part of their life. Even some folks without pets came, just to experience the fun,” Blank said.

Last October, the Rev. Kelly Jean Norris of Kerr Presbyterian Church in Verona, Pennsylvania, incorporated the Blessing of the Animals liturgy into the traditional Sunday morning worship slot, but she also moved the service outdoors.

“The congregation was very enthusiastic,” Norris said. Not only were animals invited, but church members were asked to bring a photo of either their deceased pets or pets who do not travel well.

“It was a beautiful way to address the grief of losing a loved animal, and to include those pets with special prayers and blessings who could not be there physically,” she said.

The animal blessing was also an unexpected and powerful moment of healing for Kerr Presbyterian.

“The church had suffered several tragic losses in the past year, and so the Blessing of the Animals was, in a way, pet therapy. It was especially welcomed by the large percentage of pet owners in the congregation,” Norris said.

While Kerr Presbyterian blessed the animals within their traditional Sunday worship slot, some congregations choose to do it as a stand-alone service like Pleasant View Presbyterian’s, or make the blessings an ecumenical opportunity, extending further out into the community.

The Blessing of the Animals is an ecumencial event at East Liberty Presbyterian
Church in Pittsburgh. Retired United Methodist pastor the Rev. Joe Hajdu and retired Presbyterian pastor the Rev. Henk Bossers have been coming together for several years to bless the animals in the community. (Photo courtesy of East Liberty Presbyterian Church)

 

At East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, retired United Methodist pastor the Rev. Joe Hajdu and retired Presbyterian pastor the Rev. Henk Bossers have been coming together for several years to bless the animals in the community. On the steps leading up to the church, except for two times when rain forced everyone inside, Hajdu and Bossers wear stoles with embroidered animals on them as they share God’s blessings with four-legged, finned or winged worshipers. And even though the service is a hit with children and teens, the pastors say it is a service that resonates with all ages.

“There have been far more adults than children who come,” Hajdu said.

At Pleasant View Presbyterian, though, Blank sees the Blessing of the Animals worship as “especially meaningful for the young people” in the congregation.

“For them, they see all of God’s creatures as worthy and important. It is the children who lift prayers for sea turtles and manatees during worship. It is the children who gather in my office every Sunday before worship to feed my pet fish. This service fully engaged all generations, but it especially engaged our young people,” Blank said, adding a final word of advice to churches considering such a service: Expect the unexpected.

“In true ‘PK’ (pastor’s kid) fashion, my dog, Bowie, was the worst-behaved there,” Blank said, laughing.

A blessing for animals

Almighty and everlasting God,

Creator of all things and giver of all life, let your blessing be upon all these animals.

May our relationship with them mirror your love, and our care for them be an example of your bountiful mercy.

Grant the animals health and peace.

Strengthen us to love and care for them as we strive to imitate the love of Jesus Christ our Lord and your servant Francis.

Amen.

— From the Book of Common Worship (2018), A Service for the Blessing of the Animals

WCC NEWS: Across the globe, Christians pray for peace in a broken world

During a Global Peace Prayer on 22 March, Christians across the world drew together to pray for peace in a broken world, and to listen to voices from people suffering in Ukraine and other conflict-ridden areas. 9 October 2022, Kyiv, Ukraine: 'World, Help us' reads a sign outside the Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in central Kyiv. By the monastery have been placed the remains of cars and military tanks destroyed in the battle of Kyiv, when Russian miltary forces tried to overtake the city of Kyiv following an invasion of the country in late February 2022.  Photo: Albin Hillert/LWF 22 March 2023 Rev. Dr Hans Lessing, acting general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, opened the prayer by urging a recommitment to God’s covenant with all creation. “In our damaged histories, God, redeem us from our past, in our wiling acts of conflict, Lord lead us to seek peace,” he prayed.  Rev. Dr Mikie Roberts, WCC programme executive for Spiritual Life, implored for mercy. “Let us thirst for the right actions that will achieve peace,” he said. Voices from Ukraine offered a sense of immediacy and urgency in striving for peace.   Rev. Yulia Starodubet, from the Methodist Church of Ukraine, described the many emotions those in Ukraine have felt since the Russian invasion: anger, sadness, depression. “But God helped us in this situation and changed our emotions to hope, desire to stay strong, and resilience,” she said. “We make it because the world is on our side.” Starodubet expressed gratitude for global solidarity and for persistent prayer. “Your love and care helps us continue to hope and stay strong,” she said.  Oleksii Yudit, a Mennonite from Ukraine, also urged persistent prayer. "Please pray for our needs. Please pray for our people. Please pray about our soldiers and about our country,” he said. Igor Bandura, form the All-Ukrainian Union of Association of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, described the great needs of the people in Ukraine. “People are in terrible condition,” he said. “Most of all, they need God’s love surrounding them. So please, stay with us, during the time of the war. Please pray for the victory.” Yulilya Kominko, from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, described how the ongoing war has caused a crisis of faith for many. “I constantly hear:  ‘My faith is wavering.’ Let us pray that we remain faithful to God, to thank him even in suffering.” In a message, Rev. Cesar Garcia, general secretary of the Mennonite World Conference, reflected on the state of the world and how vital prayer is, particularly when accompanied by work for peace. “It seems our world is broken—broken!” he said. “The war in Ukraine has entered its second year,” he said, also noting that simultaneously, escalating violence in Palestine, continuing military exercises threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula, state violence in Myanmar, a fragile situation in Ethiopia, and war in several other parts of the world threaten peace. Katerina Pekridou, executive secretary for Theological Dialogue with the Conference of European Churches, prayed for God to shake the foundations of selfish human plans. “Open the hearts of those in the west, caught as we are in the web of our own economic self interests,” she said. “Preserve us from the arbitrariness of the powerful of this world and lead them to recognize their limits, that they may find ways toward peace, and put an end to the loss of life.” In a closing blessing Bishop Rosemarie Wenner said: “Let us go as people of hope, strengthened through the love of God so that we may be witnesses of peace and hope and love to many others.” Video of the livestream: Global Peace Prayer See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: Global Peace Prayer will draw Christians together in hope for better future

A Global Peace Prayer on 22 March will draw Christians together in hope for a better future. A communique from a prayer planning committee explained that Christians are called into prayer and advocacy for peace. “In a global context where war and violence abound, the practice of peace has become even more urgent,” reads the message. 17 March 2022, Siret, Romania: A young boy chases a pigeon at the Vama Siret border crossing, Romania. Located north of Siret and further in the south the city of Suceava, the crossing connects Romania with the Ukrainian village of Terebleche and further north the city of Chernivtsi. Following the Russia's invasion of Ukraine starting on 24 February 2022, more than two million refugees have fled across the Ukrainian border into Romania. According to the UNHCR, more than 8 million refugees from Ukraine have fled the war across Europe by February 2023. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 21 March 2023 The message also notes that the war in Ukraine has entered its second year while, simultaneously, escalating violence in Palestine, continuing military exercises threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula, state violence in Myanmar, a fragile situation in Ethiopia, and war in several other parts of the world threaten peace.  Last year, the Conference of European Churches, Baptist World Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, Mennonite World Conference, World Methodist Council, and World Communion of Reformed Churches organized an online global peace prayer attended by more than 5,000 people from 150 countries.  This year, these Christian world communions, along with the World Council of Churches, will be organizing a Global Peace Prayer on 22 March. Register for the Peace prayer Follow the livestream: oikoumene.org/live See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland