All Creatures Great and Small on the Great Lawn

Post date: Oct 09, 2020 9:17:0 PM

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

This Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays on the church calendar — the Blessing of the Animals! Certainly, there is joy every time we worship together (however and wherever we worship), but what I love about this Sunday is the holy chaos that happens when people bring their animal companions for a blessing. The occasional bark, a soft meow, the song of the birds, and crickets chirping all around remind us that there is something special about worshiping God outside in creation. We have been able to have this type of worship the past two Sundays in the Meditation Garden, and it has been so good to be together in person surrounded by God’s holy forest. Perhaps, this was how worship was first intended.

So, come and bring your beloved animal companion this Sunday when we will gather in person on the Great Lawn at 10:30 AM for worship. Our Anthem is “Bless the Beasts and the Children” Diane Grady, soloist; our Sermon-Prayer-Reflection is “God of the Sparrow” Diane Grady, soloist; and our Postlude is “Let All Things Now Living,” Judith Daugherty, keyboard. I will be preaching from Psalm 104, a psalm celebrating God as Creator and Provider, and my sermon title is All Creatures Great and Small. Please make sure to bring a lawn chair with you on Sunday. We will observe social distancing. If you are unable to be 6 feet away from other people, please wear your mask. If you are unable to attend in person, know that our worship will also be broadcast via Zoom. Email sheffield.tricia@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Further, after thirty-one weeks of being out of the Sanctuary due to COVID-19, it is the hope-filled recommendation of the Church Reopening Ad Hoc Committee, along with the approval of Consistory, to reopen our freshly painted, beautiful Sanctuary for in person worship with limited seating capacity on October 18. On Monday, you will be receiving a video and email from me outlining our reopening plan along with our safety protocols. Please watch the video and read the plan/protocols so that our worship next Sunday will go smoothly and safely. We look forward with eyes of hope to our in person worship in the sanctuary on October 18 as we claim the assurance from Scripture, For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you (Psalm 26.3).

It’s going to be a glorious day of worship this Sunday and I look forward to celebrating it with you on the Great Lawn or on Zoom!

In gratitude for the privilege of being your pastor and the holy call of loving you,

Pastor Trish