Why St. Francis Day, and Why Pet Blessings to Go?
St. Francis of Assisi is commemorated as a renewer of the church. Drawing on the psalms and passages like Romans 8:19-23, which reminds us that all of creation waits with us for redemption, Francis drew attention to the duty and ability of all creatures to praise God, and preached about protecting and enjoying nature as stewards and as creatures ourselves. Here in Jackson, surrounded by the majesty of mountains and wildlife, and with all of our community’s creature companions, it seems especially fitting to celebrate this leader.
Often, congregations offer a pet blessing worship service, and several of our full communion partners in Jackson will be doing so. However, sometimes these services are challenging for pet owners to attend and be fully present in. PetBlessings To Go will provide an alternative. We will meet people (and their creature companions!) where they are at – at the Cache Creek trailhead before or after a hike, in town on the St. John’s lawn, or here in our Indian Trails neighborhood. Instead of more formulaic blessings, we can offer prayers more specific to a situation. Finally, we can be of concrete service to the community – providing a treat, a clean-up bag, and helping communicate the Forest Service’s rules.