This Sunday, our church will be hosting an exciting, totally free event on Hubbard Green in Glastonbury called “Fido & Whiskers’ Big Day Out.”  You really have to check out the amazing website put together by Matt LaCroix at www.newlife-glastonbury.org/bigdayout - it took a lot of work, but really helps communicate how awesome the event will be.  The Big Day Out idea began as a way to engage the community through a ceremony known as the Blessing of the Animals that is often done by Catholic churches in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.  My wife and I have attended a couple of these events with our dog Otis and have had a great time, so I thought it might be a fun way to engage our community and share about our God with whoever comes.  But then I thought, why stop there?  Why not invite all the pet businesses in town to come and set up booths, set up agility courses and do demonstrations, and give out free stuff?  And then I thought again, why stop there???  Why not offer some more free things from our church, like free food and drinks, free photos with your pet, with a free 4×6 printed on-site, and a Draw Your Pet booth with fun prizes?  And why not have competitions, with a celebrity judge (thank you, Rachel Lutzker) and prizes for the top three finishers in each category?

And then I thought… I’ll stop there.

It’s been a good deal of work pulling this together with some NewLife animal lovers, but I have a feeling it’s going to be an awesome event with a big crowd that will hopefully give us lots of opportunities to bless our neighbors.  I have found that I am not alone in my love for my pet, and that there are lots of people out there who love bringing their pets and/or their kids to events like these.

As excited as I am about the number of businesses who have jumped on board, the prizes that have been donated, and the NewLife people who have helped pull this off, I’ve been really looking forward to the Blessing of the Animals.  Not only will I have a chance to meet and pray for many pets and the families who love them, but I’ve been really enjoying my research into the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.  He’s best known for being the founder of the Franciscan order, with its emphasis on poverty and the simple life, and probably known next best as the patron saint of animals, birds, and creation.  He is also the author of one of the most phenomenal prayers ever recorded, which I think is worth some serious reflection today:

The Prayer of Saint Francis

“O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light, and
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I 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.”

What an incredible prayer!  As I read and pray the Prayer of Saint Francis, I hear Jesus’ prayer to the Father in Matthew 6:10 that “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” echoing throughout Francis’ words.  I hear Yahweh’s words to Abraham in Genesis 12:2 that “I will bless you… and you will be a blessing.”  I hear Jesus’ words to His disciples in John 13:34 that “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  I see a person walking in the footsteps of Jesus, on a mission to heal and bless and love.  I see a church living out God’s mission of reconciliation, bringing God’s kingdom of love, peace, and justice to a broken and hurting world.  I see a church that trusts that God is enough, and believes that we are called and empowered to love and sacrifice and give in the same way that Jesus loved, sacrificed, and gave for us.  And I firmly believe that we can not pray this prayer hard enough or often enough.

There’s really not much more I want to add to Francis’ prayer, except an encouragement to keep his prayer at the forefront of your life.  I can’t wait to tell our community this Sunday about what Saint Francis has been teaching me about what it means to know God, and I can’t wait to pour out God’s blessing on our neighbors.  I hope I’ll see you there!

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