I am spending some time helping to look after my partner Greg’s dog, Scooby, while I work on my final exams. It’s been a long time since I lived with an animal: almost ten years! Scooby loves to play catch. I’m learning that I love it, too. Playing outside with Scooby is an immediate serotonin boost. He’s so filled with joy. His attention is completely fixed on the object of his true love, his bola (ball). It reminded me of a story that Martin Luther told about his dog. Luther held up a piece of meat for the dog, commenting on the dog’s singular focus, “Ah, if only I could pray the way that dog looks at meat”. If only I could pray the way Scooby looks at his bola.

One of the joyous things about gathering online has been getting to meet the “Pets of Parkview”. Our pets are such an important part of our lives and families, but they tend to stay home when we come to worship in the church building. I wonder what it has been like for the Pets of Parkview to bring worship to our homes. How do they hear the music? How do they respond to the faces? I also wonder what it has been like for the people of Parkview to worship in the same space as their pets, their homes, with the joys and messiness of life. What new insights have we discovered in this season?

I have been thinking a lot about God’s love for creation. It seems like no accident that God self-identifies as a shepherd. God really loves sheep. And I find it troubling how many times I have heard this as a metaphor of God’s love for humanity without ut considering God’s love for actual sheep, the animals of God’s own loving handiwork. God loves sheep. And dogs. And cats, hamsters, iguanas, squirrels, raccoons. (Even spiders and mosquitos!) As children of the Creator, we all bear God’s fingerprint. And all means all– not just our own species.

The Bible tells of Creation singing God’s praise, joining in worship, and declaring the glory of God. Maybe a spirituality of dogs is already to be found in our tradition. What can we learn from the animals in our lives?

Prayer: Loving Creator, all You have made is good, and You hate nothing You have made. Reveal Your Spirit alive in the world in all Creation. We thank You for the animals that brighten our days. Bless us as we care for Your Creation. May we draw nearer to You in the love we meet in Your Creation. Thank You for creating us, for calling us good, and for loving us. Help us to love one another, people, animals, and land. Amen.

P.S. Check out this awesome video with music to help dogs relax when dealing with separation anxiety– the comments section is filled with stories of love and support 🙂