HOMILY FOR ANIMAL BLESSING
“PET PERSPECTIVE”
JOSEPH ANDREW SLANE
SOUTHMINSTER PRESEBYTERIAN CHURCH
OCTOBER 13, 2013, 3:00 P.M.
Genesis 1:20-31
Psalm 148
Philippians 4:4-9
Matthew 6:24-34
Four cats! My wife Krista and I are blessed to have four cats. The reason we’re blessed is
because the cats allow us to stay in the house. Our three indoor cats spend most of the time in the
garage so Krista and I won’t disturb them.
Graymalkin is the feline with us today. At age 13 he’s our eldest cat. Isabella and Fog are our
other indoor cats. Our newest cat is of the outdoor persuasion. I named him ‘Nother – short for
another cat.
All four of our cats go to Advanced Veterinarian Care of Vestavia where former Southminster
member Tammy Stumpff is the lead doctor. You know we live in an area with an abundance of
veterinary clinics. There’s one south of us on Highway 31 that has a marquee. Every few weeks the
quote on the sign changes.
One day last July while driving by there I was startled to see this statement posted: “Strive to
be the kind of person your pet thinks you are.” Strive to be the kind of person your pet thinks you
are.
That will give you paws, won’t it? Pun intended. Paws – P-A-W-S. But in this instance I really
mean P-A-U-S-E. Strive to be the kind of person your pet thinks you are. Upon reading that I
immediately thought of ‘Nother. He’s usually in the driveway waiting for me to come home in the
evening. He follows me around to the back patio and waits for me to give him a treat. In the
morning at about 5:30 when I go out for a walk he’s also in the driveway waiting for me. He likes for
me to walk him around to the front porch where he has a bed, as well as food and water bowls. It
seems as though ‘Nother thinks I am entirely responsible for his care and well-being. Krista really
provides most of the caregiving, but ‘Nother attributes it to me. ‘Nother believes I am the most
wonderful person in the world.
If I strive to be the kind of person ‘Nother sees, I suppose it could make me more selfcentered than I already am. But I believe ‘Nother’s love inspires me to love others with greater joy
and devotion.
Our pets usually have a very high opinion of their human companions. They love us
completely and unconditionally. In that way they remind us of God’s love. After all, God through
Jesus Christ loves us completely and unconditionally. God has a very high opinion of you or you
wouldn’t have been created.
Certainly strive to see yourself from God’s perspective as a beloved child of the Creator. One
way to move in that direction is to try to see yourself from your pet’s perspective.
In our reading from Genesis, after God completed creation, the Lord looked upon it all and
called it good, very good. Our pets look upon us and seem to call us very good. If we heed the
marquee quote – “Strive to be the kind of person your pet thinks you are” – we can become more
loving and caring people.
Today our pets will receive a special blessing. But the reason we probably brought them to
this service is because their love blesses us. Today let all creatures rejoice that we have been
blessed by God in order to be a blessing to others. That’s good, very good!
Blessed be the name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.