Friends in Christ,

I am writing this “ministry moment” on October 4th,on the church calendar it is the day we remember St. Francis.

Francis of Assisi, was a renewer of the church, he died in 1226. Francis was born into the family of a wealthy merchant, Francis gave up his inheritance to serve poor people. He formed the Order of Friars Minor (called Franciscans), who took on poverty and the task of preaching "using words if necessary." Francis had a spirit of gratitude for all of God's creation.

So often when we see statues or pictures of St. Francis he is usually surrounded by birds and creatures of the forest. That is because legend says that Francis was so moved by the Gospel and the love of God that he would preach to the animals.

It is a tradition in many churches to have a blessing of the animals at this time of year. So I thought I would include a blessing for the pet in your life or a prayer of thanks for all God’s creatures.

God of land, sea and sky, you filled creation with your creatures, and you have filled our lives with love for the pets we have in our homes. May our lives continue to be richer because of them, May our pets be a reminder of your creative mind that brought these animals into being for our benefit. Let our time with our pets brighten our days and bring us comfort. May all who come in contact with our pets find delight in them and rejoice in your handiwork. In all of our encounters with these living things grant us, we pray a grateful heart for these gifts among us. Amen

Since there is usually a picture with the ministry moment I have decided to use a picture of the pet who is a blessing in our lives. “Izzy”

In God’s Love,

Pastor Nancy