Each year, the Feast of St. Francis is a culminating moment in the worldwide Anglican Communion’s celebration of a Season of Creation. At this time when we are constantly being reminded by the news reports of fires and hurricanes of the dangers of climate change, Christians throughout the world are asked to reconsider our relationship to God’s creation: to rejoice in its goodness and to repent of our exploitative ways. As a diverse congregation, we at St. James’ are particularly aware that the effects of climate change are often borne by the most vulnerable among us. And so this time is not just about giving thanks for the animals we love, but it is about how we pray for and enact eco-justice.
This year, we at St. James’ will be celebrating the Feast of St. Francis in a few ways:
Sunday, September 27: Coffee Hour Conversation about the Franciscan Way, 11:15 am -12:00 pm on Zoom
Join our seminarian, Alyssa Stebbing, a professed member of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans, for conversation about the spirituality of St. Francis. How has St. Francis been understood (and perhaps misunderstood) over the years? What kinds of ways of Christian life does his story inspire? How does living under the discipline of a rule shape one’s life?
Saturday, October 3: The Wandering Franciscans Pet Blessing
9-10 am, Mueller Lake Park (near the playground)
Join our team as we take the blessing of the animals into the community (in still socially distanced ways). Contact rector@stjamesaustin.org to be part of the blessing team or just plan to swing by with your pets.
Sunday, October 4: Online Blessing of the Animals
9:15 am – when the holy chaos ends (by 10 or so)
This online pet blessing over Zoom will replace the Adult 9 am Forum and the Children’s Ministries Godly Play hour. We invite people of all ages and animals of all kinds (the weird, the wild, and the wooly, stuffed animals, pictures of beloved pets who have gone on) to gather up on Zoom for a short liturgy for the blessing of all God’s sentient creatures and for the healing of God’s Creation. Our clergy will be on hand to head to small group break out rooms to pray over you and your animals.
Sunday, October 4, 4 pm at St. James’
In Person, Outdoors Blessing of the Animals
Gather with us in the grove for an outdoors, masked, socially distanced Blessing of the Animals. We will follow the same rules as we do for the 8 am English and 6 pm Spanish services.
