Blessing of the Animals. June 5, 2022
Channel: Unitarian Church of Edmonton
Date: 06/06/2022

June 5, 2022
Blessing of the Animals

Order of Service
Chimes
Greeting and Announcement  
Prelude
Welcome and Land Acknowledgment 
Hymn of the Month 
Chalice Lighting

The Calling of the Creatures by Ian W. Riddell 
Come hoof and trunk and tail and horn
and paw and wing and claw;
Come bird and reptile, mammal born
all full of nature’s law.
Bring bark and crow and rabbit, too
and silent stare and hiss;
Bring purr and trill and warble, too
and voice no ear can miss.
We gather here each life and all
to celebrate and sing
to honor creatures large and small
our love to them we bring.

Hymn  All the Critters Got a Place in the Choir
Chorus (starts with chorus)
All the critters got a place in the choir.
Some sing low,
some sing higher. 
Some sing out loud on a telephone wire.
And some just clap their hands or paws 
or anything they got now.

Listen to the bass, 
it’s the one on the bottom 
where the bull frog croaks 
and the hippopotamus 
moans and groans with a big t’ do, 
and the old cow just goes ‘Moo.” (everybody MOOOOO) 

Chorus

The dogs and the cats they take up the middle 
while the honey-bee hums and the cricket fiddles,
the donkey brays and the pony neighs, 
and the old coyote howls. (everybody howl!) 

Chorus 

Listen to the top where the little birds sing 
on the melodies with the high notes ringing. 
The hoot owl hollers over ev’ry thing 
and the jay bird disagrees. (no no no) 
Chorus
It’s a simple song sung ev’ry where 
by the ox and the fox and the grizzly bear, 
the grumpy alligator and the hawk above, 
the sly racoon and the turtle dove. (coo, coo, coo) 
Chorus (sing twice) 

Time for All Ages 

Sharing our Abundance

From You I Receive (sing 2x)

Hymn We Love the Flowers Music by Ron Klusmeier and words by Walter Farquharson.
Words adapted by Rev. Rosemary

We love the flowers, we love trees
caterpillars, and bumble bees.
Puppies and kittens, hamsters and fish,
Turtles and lizards that
live in a dish
Chorus
We all need to love and care
laughs and giggles and hugs to share. (x2)
Pets love children, grown-ups too,
pets can give us work to do.
Help us now to love them more,
keep good friends and find some more.
Chorus (sing twice)  

Candles of Joy and Concern

Blessing of the Animals
Congregational Response  by Rev. Karen G. Johnston 
Animal Companionship Responsive Blessing 

 
Hymn 203 All Creatures of the Earth and Sky 
Extinguishing the Flame by Elizabeth Selle Jones
           
We extinguish this chalice, but not the light of truth,
the warmth of community or the fire of commitment. 
These we carry in our hearts, until we are together again.                    

Benediction
Carry the Flame
Postlude 

Unitarian Church of Edmonton website: https://www.uce.ca/
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The Unitarian Church of Edmonton is a liberal, multi-generational, religious community.
We celebrate a rich mosaic of free-thinking, spiritually-questing individuals joined in common support and action.  We welcome diversity including diversity of beliefs from divine believers to humanists, from pagans to atheists and agnostics.  We believe in the compassion of the human heart, the warmth of community, the pursuit of justice and the search of meaning in our lives.

We gather with gratitude on traditional Cree lands that are now a part of Treaty Six and shared by many nations.   A treaty is an inheritance, a responsibility and a relationship.  May we be good neighbours to one another, good stewards to our planet and good ancestors to our children.

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