Celebration of Creation and Pet Blessing – 20th June 2010

This year at St Anne's we were blessed with a beautiful day with blue skies and sun. Donning a pair of stylish sunglasses and alb Magdalen led the service in the beautiful space which forms part of the St Anne's complex.

The theme of the service was how we all need one another, and how the ancient agricultural peoples never took their harvests for granted but prayed every year, believing that God would provide them with what they needed.

The congregation were encouraged to treat the earth and our resources with awe and respect and a story from Aesop was told along with the reading of Psalm 65.

Animals blessed this year were dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice and a lone snail. The Rainbows received their pet badges and the Brownies helped with the prayers, bringing up symbols of God's creation, including food and natural resources such as oil and water. Over 100 people attended.

This day also marked Father's Day and several new families were welcomed into the church, either before or after the baptism of their children. It was a happy service with a good community feel. We plan to do it again next year.