Service Honors Animals and Places in Our Lives
October 1, 2000
Rev. Jacqueline Ziegler, interim minister at the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, PA (281 members), holds an annual service where members and others may come to remember an animal companion. People are invited to bring pictures of animals that have been part of their lives. At the service they are asked to write a short poem about the animal and read it aloud, as well as light a candle. Ziegler chooses not to use the term "pets," because of its connotation of ownership.
People are also invited to share a sadness about the loss of a geographic place, such as a wetland or woodland that has been developed, or a farm or house from childhood. Ziegler said the service is publicized in the community and attracts people from outside the church. She borrowed the idea from the 1997 book by Rev. Gary Kowalski, Goodbye Friend.
For more information contact interconnections @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
