Pet Blessing 2025
We had our 2nd annual Pet Blessing today on the grass outside of our church building … this year’s program included a special time in which we took time to grieve the loss of beloved pets, in addition to songs, prayers, Scriptures, blessings, treat bags, and cookie decorating for pet parents & friends. Many people in our church participated with heart and hard work and invitations and imagination and preparations and presence … everybody got to play! People were deeply moved in joy and in grief, participated eagerly, sang wholeheartedly, asked for prayer with openness and expectancy, and received God’s and our blessings! What a joy to have so many willing hands and hearts in making this happen. Our now annual Pet Blessing is such a delightful way to love God and people! All glory to God!
One participant said afterwards, “Thank you so much for including our pet we recently lost, and us. It was very healing to be there and everyone was so kind!”
Opening Prayer
O God, your creatures fill the earth with wonder and delight, and every living thing has worth and beauty in your sight. So playful dolphins dance and swim; your sheep bow down and graze. Your songbirds share a morning hymn to offer you their praise. You made the pets we welcome in — they’re wondrous blessings, too. With paws and whiskers, wings and fins, they offer praise to you. O Lord, you call us to embrace these creatures in our care. May we show kindness, love and grace to all pets everywhere. Your creatures live in every land; they fill the sky and sea. O Lord, you give us your command to love them tenderly. We’re called to have dominion here — to care for them always. By loving creatures you hold dear, we offer you our praise. Amen.
Song—He’s Got the Whole World
He’s got the whole world in his hands. (x3) He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got all the little puppies in his hands. (x3) He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got all the little kitties in his hands. (x3) He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got all the little bunnies in his hands. (x3) He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got everybody here in his hands. (x3) He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands. (x3) He’s got the whole world in his hands.
Song—All Creatures of our God and King
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O praise Him, alleluia
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Let everyone with tender heart
Forgiving others take your part
O praise Him, Alleluia
All you with pain and sorrow bear
Praise God and on Him cast your cares
O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O praise Him, alleluia
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, three in One
O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Scripture
Psalm 23:1-6 (NRSV) –“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”
Gone Too Soon
Song—Nobody Knows
Nobody knows how to say goodbye.
It seems so easy ’til you try,
then the moment’s passed you by.
Nobody knows how to say goodbye.
Nobody knows how to get back home.
And we set out so long ago,
searched the heavens and the earth below.
Nobody knows how to get back home.
Through the darkness to the dawn,
when I looked back you were gone.
Heard your voice leading me on
through the darkness to the dawn.
Love is deep as the road is long.
It moves my feet to carry on,
beats my heart when you are gone.
Love is deep as the road is long.
Nobody knows how the story ends.
Live the day, do what you can.
This is only where it began.
Nobody knows how the story ends.
Only Jesus knows how the story ends.
Only Jesus knows how your story ends.
P.E.T. Talk
We are here today to bless our pets. Some of us have pets on leashes, some in crates, some in our arms, others needed to remain at home.
So often, our pets offer us glimpses of God’s presence. Sometimes they just seem to know when we’re hurting and quietly curl up next to us. Often they enthusiastically greet the day, even when it’s a dreary morning and we’re having a hard time getting going. They always seem to daily bring joy into our lives, especially when we’re feeling less than joyful. When we feel anxious or angry, worn out or worried, discouraged or down, sad or scared, lonely or lost, our pets seem to know how to soothe our ragged souls. These are all holy moments, reminders that God never abandons us, even in the midst of life’s inevitable chaos. Pets are beautiful blessings and gifts from the very heart of God!
American author John Grogan notes, “Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.” French novelist Colette says that “our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” Engineer and seminarian William Martin shares this wisdom, “Do not ask [them] to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.”
Our primary focus today is on blessing. As pet parents we understand full well that our pets do nothing to deserve our blessing. They choose us and we choose them, we adopt them, we raise them, we feed them, we care for them. Some require more attention than others, some require more training than others, some require more patience than others. And through it all, they bring us such joy!
I believe pets are one of God’s great gifts to us to help us to better understand who God is, who God created us to be, and what God’s love for us is like. We pet parents dearly love our pets, don’t we? Some of our pets are really like children to us. That gives us a glimpse into how much God loves us – you and I and every person on the planet is, first and foremost, a dearly loved child of God! God created and cares for each one of us with patience and provision, training and tenderness. And as imperfect as we all are, somehow we each bring God great joy because we are God’s beloved children!
In closing, here’s an acronym to remind us of who God is and who we are:
P – Present
God: “Here I am”
Us: “And here I am”
E – Embraced
God: “I embrace you”
Us: “And I embrace you”
T – True
God: “I am and will always be true to you”
Us: “And I want to be true to you, too”
Let’s pray.
May God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of life, bless you to enjoy life together! May you and your pets overflow with joy in the present with God who is ever present. May you and your pets overflow with love in the embrace of our all-embracing God. May you and your pets overflow with peace in the faithfulness of Christ Jesus, the one who is eternally true to us and to all of creation and through whom we are welcomed to be forever true to God, as God created and intended for us to be! O sweet maker of all, we ask your blessing on every creature gathered here today, whether large or small. May they live peacefully in praise of you. Bless us all to love your creation, and revere its sacredness. We ask this blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, the one who was, is, and always will be, our Savior and Creator, to whom every creature belongs. Amen.
Responsive Reading
Christ calls you to be his disciples, to serve him with love and compassion, to serve our common home, the Earth, by caring for all creation. Will you, guided by the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, care for creation?
Guided by the Holy Spirit, we will care for creation and all the world’s vulnerable people! We will nurture our pets and all animal kin! We will celebrate the circle of life with them!
May the Holy Spirit fill you with the knowledge of God’s presence on Earth and the presence of Christ within you. Go in peace! Serving Christ and loving all creatures!
We go in peace, serving Christ, loving our brothers and sisters in all of creation.
Song—This is My Father’s World
This is my Father’s world
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres
This is my Father’s world
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees of skies and seas
His hand the wonders wrought
This is my Father’s world
The birds their carols raise
The morning light the lily white
Declare their Maker’s praise
This is my Father’s world
He shines in all that’s fair
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass
He speaks to me everywhere
This is my Father’s world
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the ruler yet
This is my Father’s world
Why should my heart be sad
The Lord is king let the heavens ring
God reigns let the earth be glad
