Blessing of the Animals

Genesis 1:1, 20-25

Mark 16:15

Colossians 1:20

[These remarks adapted from a sermon by David Rhoads at www.letallcreationpraise.org]

First, I want to address you varieties of dogs, cats, horses, cows, and fish who are here today. And I want to speak with you animals brought here today by your human companions.  You are here for your own sake, and you also represent all those who are not here today, animals of every kind—goats and elephants and bees and cougars and crocodiles and puffer fish and eels and insects—so many we cannot name them all.

I want to announce the good news to all you creatures. I want you to know that God loves you. God loves you for your own sake—and not because of what you can do for humans.  The Bible tells us that when God created you—fish of the sea and birds of the air and creatures of the land—God looked at all God had created, and God saw that “indeed, it was very good!” (Gen. 1:12, 18, 21, 25, 31).

When God created you, God blessed you. God told you to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28). God created you in huge swarms and in great diversity. God wants all of you to survive and to thrive on Earth.

Just like us, you are called to worship God. The hills are to clap their hands. The fields are to exalt (Ps. 148). You cattle and dogs and cats are to praise God by being who you are.  John had a vision in which he heard the entire creation—everything in heaven, on the earth, under the earth and in the sea—cry out in praise: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to our God and to the lamb forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13).

We human animals need to confess to you that we have mistreated you, depleted your numbers, destroyed you, slaughtered you, crowded you out, and neglected you. We have not seen you as God’s creatures. We have not shown proper reverence or respect. We are very much like that family who caught the six-legged octopus – hexapus – but didn’t realize it was only the second ever seen.  And in their ignorance, they killed and ate it instead of marveling at its rare beauty.  Against God’s will, we have not helped you live and thrive. We are sorry!

You who are here today are so fortunate because you have human companions who care for you. But so many of your cousins are threatened with extinction—snow leopards and timber wolves and green sea turtles and condors and paddlefish and fin whales among so many others.  Just recently, the beautiful golden toad of Costa Rica’s tropical forests went extinct.  And so did the white dolphin, a fresh water dolphin that swam in China’s Yangtze River. 

And though we probably never saw a golden toad nor a white dolphin, it saddens us that never again on the earth will a golden toad do its toad-like thing, nor the white dolphin its dolphin-like thing as a way of praising God. 

Now I want to address you human creatures. I want to announce the good news to you also. God loves you. God loves you for your own sake and wants you to thrive. When God made you; God saw that this too was good.

God said also to you: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth” (Gen. 1:28).  Congratulations.  We’ve been so obedient to this reproduction challenge that we’re 7 billion strong!  So now we can afford to show a little restraint, because God did not mean for us to crowd out the rights of other creatures to be fruitful and multiply also.

God even created us humans with a special responsibility—to exercise dominion (Gen. 1:28). This does not mean that we are to dominate or exploit other creatures. Rather, we are to delight in other creatures, as God does, and respect and care for them.  As Jesus has said, we are not to lord over anyone, but be as slaves and servants to all (Mark 10:42-45).  And that includes all our fellow creatures.

We were created to be together, to be companions to one another, to thrive all together. All animals are our cousins, our kin. And God made a covenant with us and with all other animals together.

Those of you here today with your pets or livestock are very fortunate because you have a relationship of love and care and loyalty with your animal companion. You model how all relationships between humans and other animals should be.  May we care for all animals as we care for our companions at home.

Today we’re reminded that we’re part of a great animal choir, continually singing praise to God.  To the sounds of thunder clapping, a quietly running creek, the wind rustling through the grass – to the sounds of croaking bullfrogs, hoo-hooing owls, howling wolves, splashing fish and chirping crickets – to all that beautiful noise we add the music of our own voices singing “Hallelujah!”.  Hallelujah.  Amen.