Just to push the praying for animals theme a bit further, I've done several
"funerals" for dogs. My rational being that all creatures are created by God,
loved by God and deserve to be honoured for the love, joy and fun they bring
into the world and into our lives. "Not even a sparrow falls from the sky....
etc" 

Also, and prehaps more importantly, I've always felt that a funeral is not so
much for the one who has died as it is for those left behind. Funerals are an
important part of the ritual processing of our grief. Our grief is not related
to the species of the one we have lost, but to how much we loved them. The
more a death leaves you feeling shattered, the more you need to fully express
your pain and your goodbyes. It can be especially important for children who
make even less distinction between their canine friends and their human
friends. 

Below is a copy of one of my dog funerals. I'd be interested in people's
reactions. The responsive prayers are written by or adapted from prayers by
Michael Leunig, an amazing local cartoonist, prophet and prayer writer.

Peace and hope, 

Nathan 

_____________________________________ 
Nathan Nettleton 
Pastor, South Yarra Community Baptist Church 
Melbourne, Australia 
[log in to unmask]

OPENING WORDS.
Friends, thanks for coming here this afternoon so that we can share this
sadness together. It may seem strange to have a funeral for a dog, but they
say funerals are for those left behind, not for those who have died, and Bindi
has left us behind.
 We are here today to remember and give thanks for the life of this little
dog, a life that touched us all and enriched us. A life created by God and,
like all life, bearing something of the image of God and the fingerprints of
God. A life that was taken away from us yesterday afternoon. This is a time to
remember with pleasure all that Bindi meant to us, all that she gave us and
all that she was.
This is also a time of grieving for us, because Bindi is gone and we weren't
ready for her to go. It hurts to lose such a special little friend. Bindi
showed more genuine love and more forgiveness and more exuberant joy for life
than any human I know, and her death leaves a gaping hole in my heart and I
know in your hearts too.
This time is ours, to acknowledge and express the full range of emotions that
Bindi's life left us with. It is perfectly alright to smile and to laugh as we
remember the fun we had with Bindi. It is also perfectly alright for any of us
to mourn and to cry as we reflect on the loss of our little furry friend and
the pain of separation.
Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

PRAYER.
Let us pray,
Eternal God, Father and Mother of us all, 
At times like this, it is hard to know what to say
We are filled with so many different emotions
We are heart broken at the loss of our friend Bindi
	We are glad and relieved 
	that she was spared a painful end.		
We are thankful for the privilege of knowing her 
and sharing our lives with her
	We are confused and distressed 
	that her life was so short
We worship you as the creator and giver of life
	And we weep with you at the tragedy 
	of death intruding into your creation
We turn to you and ask you to guide our remembering
	And free us to express the feelings that well up inside
Lord, we remember too that you were once a an earth creature like us
	And that you too tasted the bitter cup of suffering and death
In that memory we find a God who can give meaning to our grief
	A God who knows and shares the depths of our pain
And Lord, at times it is only that memory
	that stands between us and the nightmare of utter despair
Hold us, strengthen us, sustain us and comfort us.
	Through your grace and your mercy and your love, 
		Amen.


SCRIPTURE READING.
Isaiah. 65: 17-20, 25   

EUOLOGIES
A chance for anyone who wishes to to share memories of Bindi.



RESPONSIVE PRAYER.
(Everybody reads together the words in italics. )

Let us pray for dogs and other pets and their relationship with us,
We give thanks for domestic animals.
Those creatures who can trust us enough to come close.
Those creatures who can trust us enough to be true to themselves.
They approach us from the wild.
They approach us from the inner world.
They bring beauty and joy, comfort and peace.
For this miracle 
and for the lesson of this miracle, 
we give thanks.
Amen.

Let us pray for ourselves and for all those who grieve and hurt.
Dear God,
Give comfort and peace to those who are separated from loved ones.
May the ache in their hearts be the strengthening of their hearts.
May their longing bring resolve to their lives, 
conviction and purity to their love.
Teach them to embrace their sadness lest it turn to despair.
Transform their yearning into wisdom. 
Let their hearts grow fonder.
Amen.

Let us pray that, like Bindi, our love will go on:
Let us live in such a way 
That when we die
Our love will survive
And continue to grow.
Amen.

PRAYER.
Lord God, Creator, redeemer and sustainer,
We thank you again for the life our friend Bindi.
	We thank you for the good times we shared with her, 
for the runs, the cuddles, the tugs of war.
	We thank you for the hair on the carpet, the muddy paw prints, the chewed up
cushions and the demolished tennis balls.
	We thank you for here boundless energy, her uninhibited affection, and the
wild passion that cost her her life.

We pray for ourselves as we mourn this loss
	We fail to find meaning and purpose in it
We are tired and despondent, perhaps even a little cynical
	For death always leaves more questions than answers.

We, the heavy-laden, 
	come to you, Lord, needing your rest
As the water birds nest 
in the clumps of grass at the edge of the Yarra
	So give us a nesting place in the quiet places of your kingdom,
So that our hope might be renewed
	As your mothering Spirit broods over us,
Protecting us through this, and every dark night of the soul
	Until morning comes again and we are renewed 
	— as if born again —
to learn from you the holy way that leads to life
	for all your creatures,
		Amen.

COMMITAL & PRAYER.
(All stand)

Ashes to ashes,
Dust to dust.
>From dust all life came and to dust we all return.
The Lord gives life 
And the Lord takes it back to himself.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.

(all read together)
Lord God, 
We give back to you our friend Bindi.
We commit her body to the earth.
And we commit her spirit and her life into your hands.
Amen.

BURIAL.


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