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LOS
ANGELES
— As the Presbyterian service was about to start, one
of the congregants was being disruptive, making a
spectacle of himself once again on a Sunday. But that's
what other members of the
Los Angeles
church have come to expect from Mr. Booby.
At
Covenant Presbyterian Church in the city's
Westchester
neighborhood, dogs like Mr. Booby are welcome
congregants at the Sunday night services, where howling
and sudden bouts of scratching may interrupt prayers,
and the collection plate holds treats for poodles and
golden retrievers alike. And the Rev.
Tom Eggebeen
said he fully understands if some of the congregants
need to step outside now and again.
The idea
behind the service, Eggebeen said, was to make it more
comfortable for people to attend the church, which has
120 members, discounting up to a dozen dogs that
generally attend services. Cats and other animals are
not permitted, perhaps out of a belief that of God's
many creatures, dogs probably need more ministering.
"The
heart of the whole thing has been to provide a worship
service for the entire family, including the four-footed
friends. ... Their pets are very, very important to them
and virtually comprise a member of family," he
said. "I wouldn't be in the pulpit on Sunday
mornings and say, 'Leave your children home.'"
More than
a gimmick or an effort to build attendance, the dog
services are part of a growing movement by churches to
recognize the emotional bond between humans and their
pets.
Animal
blessings, memorial services and grief counseling for
the loss of a pet are increasingly common in many
denominations.
Covenant
is not alone in allowing dogs in church. Underwood Hills
Presbyterian Church in
Omaha
has been holding its Paws for Prayers service since
December 2008
, but it is ending the program because of dwindling
attendance, both human and animal.
Underwood
Hills Pastor
Becky Balestri
said she has gotten more jokes than objections, such as
people wondering whether the gathering song was
"How Much Is That Doggie in the Window."
Laura Hobgood-Oster
, a professor of religion and environmental studies at
Southwestern University
in
Texas
, said that the annual blessing of animals in churches
has been going on for several decades.
She said
dogs began attending a small number of churches only
three or four years ago, but she has found a 19th
century newspaper article from a small
Texas
town that noted well-trained dogs going to church.
Eggebeen
said he has received no reaction from the Presbyterian
leadership.
"If
we were sacrificing chickens, then the hierarchy might
respond, but essentially Presbyterian congregations have
a great deal of latitude," he said.
Though he
has received cards and letters from around the country
congratulating him on the dog service, he also has
received "some really hateful things."
A writer
on a religious website blasted Eggebeen, saying people
like him "promulgate a false Gospel."
"The
first step into church membership or the reason for
attending a church service should be conviction and not
comfort," he wrote. "If you suddenly feel
called to hear the Word of God because Fido can come
along, then reconsider the purpose of your trip."
On a
recent Sunday evening, 10 people and eight dogs joined
Mr. Booby, at the Canines at Covenant service in
Westchester
.
The dogs
were on leashes, and each was provided a fake lamb's
wool pad to lie on while owners sat on folding chairs.
A pair of
candles flickered on a table. When the owners placed
money in the collection basket, they received a dog
biscuit in exchange.
The
animals sat quietly during the 30-minute service, except
for the occasional bark from Mr. Booby.
Dogs,
though, are after all, dogs, despite some people's
protestations.
When one
begins to bark, others sometimes join in, like a
minister leading an off-key choir. "We sing
'Amazing Grace' and that seems to settle them
down," Eggebeen said.
At one
service, a dog became so rambunctious that its owner had
to take him outside. "But I've seen that with
unruly children," the pastor said.
The Rev.
Donna Lee Merz
and her miniature dachshund Gracie are regulars at
Canines at Covenant, even though Merz is the pastor at
First Presbyterian Church of Gardena.
"It's
a peaceful time to be with Gracie and to be in God's
presence together," she said.
Mr.
Booby's owner,
Leonard Yee
, said his bulldog mix looks forward to the service.
"He loves it," Yee said. "He recognizes
it when we're in the parking lot. He knows where the
room is. He wants to see all his dog friends."
As in the
humans-only service earlier in the day, there are prayer
requests, but in this case, dogs are included.
"For
the rescues that don't make it, for George, and for all
the people who help homeless animals," said one
request.
Another
asked people to pray for "Sharon, for her lost dog
Buddy."
Yee said
he planned to ask for a prayer for Mr. Booby, who
recently had knee surgery.
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