Dear Friends in Christ,

The Book of Common Prayer defines a sacrament as the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace (page 857). The two great Sacraments of the Church were indeed given to us by Christ: Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. However, these are not the only places that we experience the inward and spiritual grace of God. I was reminded of this recently when reviewing the creation story in Genesis, a portion of which will be read at our Pet Blessing in honor of St. Francis of Assisi on October 2nd.   

In The Message translation, the Blessed Trinity in conversation and contentment within Godself speaks these words that create the world as we know it, and names humans as the stewards of Creation:

God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them
      reflecting our nature
   So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
      the birds in the air, the cattle,
   And, yes, Earth itself,
      and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."
   God created human beings;
      he created them godlike,
   Reflecting God's nature.
      He created them male and female.
   God blessed them:
      "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
   Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
      for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

Genesis 1:26-28

From the beginning, God has blessed humankind with the care of the world and her creatures. Every day we have been given the opportunity to see the sacred in the ordinary-to encounter God in our relationships with one another and with everything that has breath upon the earth. At its heart a sacrament is an official recognition in the church of the experience of the Holy in everyday things-water, oil, bread, and wine. But every day has the potential to be viewed as sacramental when we intentionally live into our call as the stewards of creation.

For example, when I give my cat a lift up to his food dish on the washing machine because he's too old to jump up anymore, I am caring for creation. When I run with my puppy, and am patient with his God-given drive to leap after the squirrels along the way, I am caring for creation (and I am being a steward of the squirrels as well by keeping him on a short leash!).   When I visit with someone and listen with care to their difficult and joyful experiences, I am caring for Creation.   When I give the fruits of our garden to someone who is hungry, literally and/or spiritually, I am caring for Creation. When I consider carefully how and where I will spend the money I have been blessed with in the essentials of daily living as well as in the various ministries in the Church, I am forever reflecting on how best to do this while honoring my sacred role as one of God's 6 billion (and growing!) caretakers, or stewards, of Creation.  

As your priest, it is my goal to provide a welcoming space for reflecting upon and experiencing the sacred in the everyday at this corner of Creation we humbly call the Episcopal Church of St. Paul. In blessing our pets, we recognize that unconditional love of God that we see a glimpse of in the adoration of our animal friends. At the end of this month we will enter a Season of Thanksgiving as we think intentionally about giving of our time, talents, and treasure at St. Paul's. I encourage you to reflect on the good things in your life and see where God is calling you to carry out the stewardship of Creation.  

In Christ,

Rev. Stacy+

Follow Rev. Stacy's Blog at cryoftheindigobunting.blogspot.com