Amidst the prayers and songs, something else could be heard at Oxford United Methodist Church Sunday morning – lots of barking.
For the second year in a row, the church held its annual Pet Blessing on the front lawn.
“I think Ghandi said it best and I’m going to paraphrase him – You can tell the temper of a country or a culture by the way they treat their animals,” said Pastor Rev. Joseph Baunoch to the crowd of assembled pets and pet owners.
When asked why she brought her guinea pig “Alex” to be blessed, 10-year-old Elizabeth Hardesty, of Oxford, replied, “So he will have good luck and stay alive for a long time.”
Lake Orion resident Christopher Carter, 9, brought his 3-year-old hamster “Jetster” to be blessed because “he has no hair.”
As for why Jetster has no hair, Carter said, “We don’t know. He just lost it all.”
Seven-year-old Hannah Hottmann brought her hermit crabs for Rev. Baunoch to bless.
“I love them and they’ve never been here before,” she said. “It’s not fair if they don’t have a chance to go here and Rosie does.”
Rosie is Hottmann’s dog, who was also on hand for the blessing.
Teddi Bradford brought her cat Bobby for a little love from above.
“He’s just such a wonderful cat,” she said. “He’s really blessed our lives. Actually, we didn’t even like cats until we found him as a stray. But he worked his way into our lives and we just fell in love with him.”
Rev. Baunoch spoke passionately about the “healing and love” pets bring into people’s lives.
“They’re God’s gifts to us even as we are their stewards and gifts to them,” he said. “It’s wonderful when a family or individual takes on the responsibility of caring for pets. They might get spoiled, but so what? That’s our generosity to them, which is really, in a great way, our worship of God. And as we honor God’s creatures and creation, we worship God in our lives.”
Rev. Baunoch told the pet owners, “I appreciate the love that you have in your hearts and in your lives for God’s very special creatures. It is a witness and testimony of God’s reality and love.”