A Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in Los Angeles has a worship service designed for people and their pets. Well, not just any pets. Specifically, dogs. (Cats are expressly prohibited, which seems specieist to me.) This “Canine-ite” worship experience begs the question (all puns intended), “what is worship really all about?” Glorifying God or accommodating every personal proclivity?
The actual Canaanites are the people of 11 nations who descend from Noah’s
son, Ham (Genesis 9:25-27; 10:15-19; Deuteronomy 7:1; I Chronicles 1:13-16). They are described in the Bible as wicked, cursed, and it is the land of the Canaanites that is “given” by God to His chosen people.
There is only one Canaanite referred to in the New Testament, interestingly, it is also the only place where Jesus refers to canines. (Matthew 15:21-28) Notably, the Canaanite woman is described by Jesus as possessing “great faith,” something He only found in one other person, a Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-11).
Maybe these L.A. pooches are dogs of great faith. They are, admittedly, still dogs and apparently when one of the “canine-ite” attendees goes to howling, the congregation responds by singing “Amazing Grace.”
So, what’s the motivation to include pets in worship? “The idea behind the service, Eggebeen said, was to make it more comfortable for people to attend the church ...” Ahhh. Now we’re getting somewhere. Is worship about my gratification or God’s glorification?
In the PCUSA Directory for Worship, Presbyterians acknowledge that worship is rightly directed to and centered upon God. Not the participants’ comfort zones. If we value anything, it is worship that is done “decently and in order.”
Did you notice anything about the “arrangement of space” in the photo that appears with the article? Sitting on the floor isn’t a problem, but sitting with our backs to the chancel is. The pastor is right that there is a great deal of latitude when it comes to what goes on in the context of Presbyterian worship, however, the Directory for Worship is clear on some points.
W-1.4001 reminds us that “The arrangement of space should visibly express the integral relation between Word and Sacrament and their centrality in Christian worship. Christ and the Biblical command to do all things in an orderly way. While Christian worship need not follow prescribed forms, careless or disorderly worship is both an offense to God and a stumbling block to the people. Those responsible for worship are to be guided by the Holy Spirit speaking in Scripture, the historic experience of the Church universal, the Reformed tradition, The Book of Confessions, the needs and particular circumstances of the worshiping community, as well as the provisions of the Form of Government and this directory. (W-3.1001; W-3.1002).”
Tithes and offerings also enter the picture as the people’s gifts are placed in the collection plate and they receive a dog biscuit in exchange. Just pause and consider that transaction. Presbyterians pass the plate on two occasions in worship: each week for the collection of the offering and periodically for the distribution of the Lord’s Supper. Anyone else see a problem with the conflagration of the imagery here? I know, you think I’m taking this too far. I would ask you, “how far is just far enough but not too far?”
The Humane Society and PETA are missing an opportunity here. I can almost see the headlines now, “Harry of Williamson house shut out of worship.” After all, Harry’s parents attend a Presbyterian church that does not welcome non-human congregants. Specieists!
As an exemplar, let me introduce Harry, hound of the Williamson clan and full member of the family. Why should Harry, who goes everywhere else with the Williamsons, not get to go to church? Why should Harry be abandoned for an hour to sit all alone in the heat of the summer sun or the chill of winter, in the church parking lot, shut out of services at FPC? Isn’t Harry one of God’s creatures? Certainly. Isn’t Harry a part of the family? Absolutely. Won’t Harry be redeemed with all creation at man’s redemption? Uh (pause, gulp, as I garner the courage to say this out loud), no. Contrary to popular belief and humanistic desire, all dogs do not go to heaven. Certainly not Harry, and there may be some question regarding the fate of his owners.
Now, to be clear, I certainly believe that if God were going to redeem specific creatures, the argument for dogs would be easy to make. Clearly cats are beyond the scope of those that would ever be considered “elect.” Dogs much more fully reflect the nature of God than other animals. They are “man’s best friend,” they love their people unconditionally, are quick to forgive and fiercely protective. Like us, dogs struggle to be obedient to their masters and sometimes fail to respond when called home. If we were to include animals in worship, dogs seem the best choice if for no other reason than they so obviously reflect (even in how Adam named them d-o-g mirroring G-o-d) the nature of God.
I anticipate that this blog will “unleash” quite a response!