First Church of Dog
- 11.12.09
- Christian Cheese, Church
- 6 Comments
Would you EVER attend a church that does this?
When the Rev. Tom Eggebeen took over as interim pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church three years ago, he looked around and knew it needed a jump start. Most of his worshippers were in their 60s and attendance had bottomed out and the once-vibrant church.
So Eggebeen came up with an idea: He would turn God’s house into a doghouse by offering a 30-minute service complete with individual doggie beds, canine prayers and an offering of dog treats. He hopes it will reinvigorate the church’s connection with the community, provide solace to elderly members and, possibly, attract new worshippers who are as crazy about God as they are about their dogs.
Last Sunday, Eggebeen stepped to the front and the piano struck up the hymn “GoD and DoG.” One by one the pooches lay down, chins on paws, and listened. Eggebeen took prayer requests for Mr. Boobie (healing of the knees) and Hunter (had a stroke) and then called out the names of beloved pets past and present (Quiche, Tiger, Timmy, Baby Angel and Spunky) before launching into the Lord’s Prayer. At the offering, ushers stepped over tangled leashes and yawning canines to collect donations and hand out doggie treats shaped like miniature bones in a rainbow of colors.
Eggebeen believes that many Christians love their pets as much as human family members and grieve just as deeply when they suffer — but churches have been slow to recognize that love as the work of God. “The Bible says of God only two things in terms of an ‘is’: That God is light and God is love. And wherever there’s love, there’s God in some fashion,” said Eggebeen, himself a dog lover. “And when we love a dog and a dog loves us, that’s a part of God and God is a part of that. So we honor that.”
The weekly dog service at Covenant Presbyterian is part of a growing trend among churches nationwide to address the spirituality of pets and the deeply felt bonds that owners form with their animals. Traditionally, Christians believe that only humans have redeemable souls, but a growing number of congregations are challenging that assertion with regular pet blessings and, increasingly, pet-centric services.
A recently survey revealed that a half-dozen congregations across the country are holding worship services like Eggebeen’s, including one in a Boston suburb called Woof ‘n Worship.
Nope. But then, I don’t really like dogs.
Maybe, but it would have to be way less cheezy. I would go if dogs were welcome, but not the center of the service.
Preach God’s word and people will respond. I’m a dog lover but they don’t really need to be in church.
I can’t find in the bible where animals have redeemable souls. I think it can be very dangerous if we decide how God operates based on how we feel or the love we have for our pets. Although we can have a very deep love for our pets, We have to believe that God knows best and he promises to comfort those who mourn.
No, that is just too weird. I love my dogs, but they are animals. Yes, I do hold humans at a higher standard/priority than any and all animals.
Ah . . . No Way Man. That is actually pretty disturbing. I see a prevalent problem of elevating animals above their appropriate status. Dogs are awesome and have a very appropriate place as pets and beloved animals. BUT, they are not to be worshiped or treated as children or people. That is an inappropriate relationship between a person and a dog. Stories of dog abuse get more attention and negative press than stories of children being abused. Here on the local news station, in the same 30 minute news cast there was a story of a child who was killed by his father through abuse. There was no warning before the story that it was disturbing, They just read as a news story. I am not kidding, 3 minutes later came a warning that the next story was very graphic and would be disturbing to some viewers. The story was about a dog who had been severely abused, rescued, and was now up for adoption. Sad, yes. However, it is SICK that we are so desensitized or out of whack that the death of a child is less disturbing than animal abuse.