The Cat Who Came To Church

As I was pondering what to write about, in my next blog posting, an answer wandered through the door. This beautiful cat decided to join us for worship today. As the people arrived, so did the cat. She'd enter the building and someone would put her back out. Then the next person would come along, and in she would follow, until she was sent out again. Finally, I suggested we just leave her be. As the congregation settled in for worship, so did the cat. I was amused when I remembered that in some traditions, today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and some churches do a blessing of the animals. "This cat knew where to come, to be blessed," I quipped to the congregation. Did she ever!

Throughout worship, she wandered. She walked down the aisles, along the pews, and under them. She sat in the laps of some parishioners and rubbed the ankles of others. As I stood in the chancel to read a storybook, the cat came forward, her tail brushing the hem of my robe, much to the congregation's delight. When she was within reach, hands of parishioners reached out to pet her, even to hold her, for a moment or two. When she was in sight, all eyes followed her. When she climbed up onto the organ bench and sat in the organist's lap, we smiled! Most of the way through the sermon, I figured I might as well weave this unexpected experience into the message. I was talking about experiences that stop us and show us something that already exists but we haven't noticed....signs we might catch, out of the corner of our eye, messages we might receive, if we stopped to read them, that remind us of God's love and the hope that is always there, right under our noses....waiting for us to notice.

I couldn't help speaking about the cat as such a sign. In what ways does God wander through our lives? What experiences of faith and life get our attention and prompt us to reach for God? How does our faith bring a smile to our face and give us delight? What is it like, when God's Spirit brushes the hem of our lives? As I talked about her, the cat laid down on the floor, front and center, looking out at the congregation. I saw in her attentive gaze, the love of Jesus. I wonder if she found a blessing this morning? I know we did, because she found us. As we begin our congregation-wide experience of "Unbinding Your Heart, " Who knows what other unexpected surprises and unanticipated blessings lie ahead?!

Waiting and Wondering,

Cheryl