Call to Worship (Jacob Trapp)
To worship is to sing with the beauty of the earth,
To listen through a storm to the still, small voice within.
To worship is to be silent, receptive,
Before a tree astir with the wind
Or the passing shadow of a cloud.
Worship is an inarticulate silence learning to speak;
The window of the moment open to the sky of the eternal.
Worship is the mystery within us
Reaching out to the mystery beyond.

Unison Prayer
May we be reminded here of our greatest aspirations, and inspired to share our gifts of love with the people of God.  May we remember that we are not isolated beings, but connected, in mystery and miracle, to our creator, to this community of faith, and to each other.  Amen.

Words of Assurance: Proverbs 15:33a, Good News Bible 
Reverence for the Lord is an education in itself.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

Opening Song: Jordan St. Cyr, “Weary Traveler”

Scripture Lesson: Numbers 22:21-33, NIV

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.

Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.

Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

Sunday Sermon: “Donkey Lessons”

Men are notoriously bad at asking directions. We can be so overconfident that we ignore maps and rely on our own instincts. This is almost always wrong.

When I was a teenager at a Christian camp in Connecticut, I took a walk in the woods with another kid. We saw markings on the trees but decided to ignore them because we saw more interesting things off the trail, and of course we got lost – really lost. We ran into some other people and asked where we were and they said “Massachusetts.” (We didn’t know that we were only a mile into Massachusetts so we thought we’d walked across an entire state.). When the sun started to set we knew we were in trouble. I remembered something about following a river so we did that. Eventually we found the markings on the trees again. While we were walking, two different groups of people came up to us and asked us if we’d seen any lost children, and we were like “No, that’s horrible, we hope you find them!” (Worst search parties ever!) When we got back to camp, we realized that they had been searching for us.

King David writes, “Show me the right path; point out the right road for me to follow” (Psalm 25:4). One of the most basic human questions is “Which way should I go?” But what if we receive an answer we don’t like? God points out the path, and we can follow the directions or we can ignore them. Balaam chooses to ignore them.

The king, who is named Balak, calls for the prophet Balaam and asks him to put a curse on the Israelites. Balaam knows this is probably not a good idea, but he double-checks with God anyway. God tells him, “Do not go with them, and do not curse them, because Israel has my blessing.” That’s pretty clear. But then the king offers Balaam a lot of money, and Balaam is like, “Hold on, let me check with God again.” And this time, God’s response is basically, “Go ahead if you want to. Your call.” And this should make Balaam pause, but it doesn’t.

Balaam is trying to have it both ways. He sets out on the main road, which is the wrong path, fooling himself by thinking that God has given him permission when God has instead given him free will.

In general, we know what’s good for us and what isn’t. We know what’s right and what’s wrong. But sometimes we put God on mute so we can do what we want to. It can be as simple as withholding forgiveness and as complex as working for a corrupt company so we can feed our family. We may know the right path, but there are extenuating circumstances. In the words of James Moore, “Yes, Lord, I have sinned, but I have several excellent excuses.” Balaam’s excuse is money. God wouldn’t want his prophet to be poor, would he? Of course not!

How do we know when it’s God speaking with us? When we pray about what we should do, and God agrees with us, it may or may not be God; it’s hard to tell. But when God disagrees with us, there’s a much better chance that it’s God. Balaam doesn’t get the answer he wants, so he keeps praying until he gets the answer he does. Unfortunately, as he will soon learn, this is not the way prayer works.

Balaam sets out on his donkey, but God sends an angel to stop him. The donkey sees the angel, but Balaam doesn’t. The donkey goes off the road into a field, and Balaam beats the donkey. Stupid donkey! Then the donkey goes down an alley and crushes Balaam’s foot, and he beats the donkey again. Then the donkey has nowhere to go except toward the angel, who has a flaming sword, so he just lies down, and Balaam goes ballistic.

Donkey Lesson #1: Sometimes to save people’s lives, we have to act like donkeys. Donkey Lesson #2: Sometimes the people we think are donkeys are really our friends.

When we see someone we love headed down the wrong path, we have an obligation to tell them, even if telling them means that we’re going to be abused. They might not appreciate our insight. They might not see that we’re trying to help. They might get defensive. We might be saying, “You have to stop drinking” or “You can’t be cheating on your spouse” or “I don’t like the person you’ve become.” I once broke up with a single mom who had a habit of swearing at her 2-year-old daughter. She told me it was “none of my business.” I said, “You’re right, but I can’t watch this.”

Tough love sometimes means saying no, or even saying goodbye. It can draw verbal abuse. It usually hurts the one doing the loving.

God gives the donkey the gift of speech, and the donkey asks, “What have I done to you? Why have you beaten me three times?” Balaam answers, “Because you made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you!“

Balaam is so far gone, he doesn’t even notice that the donkey is talking. The donkey is trying to save his life while he is threatening to kill the donkey. The donkey is the only one doing the right thing, but is receiving no credit. “Haven’t I been a good donkey?” he asks. “Have I ever treated you this way before?”

Balaam might not have a sword, but the angel does. And God opens his eyes to see the angel. And the angel asks, “Why have you beaten your donkey? You are on the wrong path, and your donkey was trying to save you. If your donkey hadn’t turned away, I would have killed you by now, but I would have spared him.“

This is, by the way, the best moment of the donkey’s life. You can totally picture him doing a donkey dance, because he has been vindicated.

God is with us when we do the right thing. God defends. God rewards. After this, Balaam gets back on the right path. He blesses the Israelites instead of cursing them. He doesn’t get paid in money, but gets paid with a longer life. The king gets mad, but what is a king compared to God?

This is the story of a man who acted like a donkey, and a donkey who acted like a man. Donkey Lesson #3: If someone in your life is acting like a donkey, ask yourself, “Could God have sent them?” Donkey Lesson #4: If God asks you to be a donkey, be a donkey. The angels will be on your side. Amen.

Closing Song: Rend Collective, “Life Is Beautiful”

Easily one of the weirdest stories in the Bible, the tale of Balaam and the talking donkey can be found in the 22nd chapter of Numbers and will be the focus of this week’s sermon! It’s a holiday weekend, so we’re going to have fun. We hope you can join us for our 10 a.m. service, which runs concurrently with Sunday School and is followed by Coffee Hour.

Blessing of the Animals Prayer (from learnbiblestudy.com)

Creator of all things, seen and unseen, we come before You today with hearts full of gratitude for the gift of animals. You have placed them in our lives as companions, helpers, and reminders of Your boundless love and creativity. From the smallest creatures that crawl upon the earth to the great beasts that roam the land, from the birds that soar in the sky to the fish that fill the seas, all are the work of Your hands, and all proclaim Your glory.

Lord, we ask for Your blessing upon these beloved animals that You have entrusted to our care. You have given them life, and in their innocence and loyalty, they reflect Your goodness. Bless them with health, safety, and well-being. May they be free from harm, hunger, and suffering. Protect them from illness and injury, and grant them long and joyful lives under Your watchful eye.

For the pets that share our homes and hearts, we thank You. They bring us comfort in times of sorrow, companionship in times of loneliness, and joy in times of celebration. Their unconditional love is a reflection of Your own divine love for us. Help us to be good stewards of their lives, treating them with kindness, compassion, and respect. May we always provide for their needs and never take for granted the joy they bring into our lives.

For the animals that work alongside us, whether in the fields, in service, or in protection, we ask for Your strength and guidance. May they be treated with dignity and care, and may their labor be met with gratitude. Bless those who rely on animals for their livelihood, that they may always act with integrity and mercy.

For the creatures that roam wild and free, we give thanks. They are a testament to the beauty and diversity of Your creation. Help us to be mindful of our responsibility to protect their habitats and to live in harmony with all living things. May we never exploit or harm them, but rather cherish and respect the delicate balance of nature that You have ordained.

Lord, we also lift up to You the animals that are suffering—those who are abandoned, abused, or neglected. Have mercy on them, O God. Soften the hearts of those who would do them harm, and raise up compassionate souls to rescue and care for them. May no creature suffer needlessly, and may we always be voices for those who cannot speak for themselves.

We ask for Your blessing upon all veterinarians, rescue workers, farmers, and caretakers who dedicate their lives to the well-being of animals. Grant them wisdom, patience, and strength in their work. May they be instruments of Your love and mercy, bringing healing and comfort to all creatures in need.

Above all, Lord, help us to see in every animal a reflection of Your divine handiwork. May their presence remind us of our duty to be faithful stewards of creation. Teach us to love as they love—freely, unconditionally, and without judgment. And when their time on this earth is done, may they find rest in Your eternal embrace, where all creation is made whole again.

We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, who was born in the presence of animals, who taught us to love all of Your creation, and who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Opening Song: Atlanta Master Chorale, “All Things Bright and Beautiful”

Scripture: Job 12:7-10, NIV

Ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.

Sunday Sermon

Last week I was leaving the beach when a golden retriever came running up to me wagging its tail. I bent down to pet it and asked, “Where is your human?” It instantly bolted away, ran around the corner and out to the parking lot, found its human, looked back and barked at me once. I was like, “Woah, how did you …” I didn’t know that dogs knew that many words. Turns out most dogs know a hundred words, some dogs know 150 words and a few specially trained dogs know 1000 words, which is about the vocabulary of a two or three year old toddler. So be careful what you say around dogs! Cats, on the other hand, allegedly know only 20-50 words, but most people suspect they know as many words as we do but ignore us unless the words are important to do with them.

Another time I was walking on the beach and a Labrador started walking next to me. There was not another human in sight. I told the Labrador that I was going to run to the jetty and was that alright? Then I ran to the jetty and he ran with me but then he kept going and I never saw him again, so obviously he was in better shape than I was.

Way back in college I had an internship at a battered women’s shelter. My job was to work with the kids. Pets weren’t allowed at the shelter, but one day there was a German shepherd there so I asked how that happened. The people there said that the man had locked the dog in the basement and proceeded to go after the woman. The German shepherd climbed up a bunch of boxes, broke a window and climbed out, ran around the outside of the house, broke another window and climbed in, jumped on the man and saved the woman’s life. I was like, “Good dog!”

Our animal companions are amazing. They can keep us out of depression and lethargy, teach us how to love and accept love, make us laugh and smile, and generally extend our lives. And it’s not just dogs, or even pets. An experiment was done with rats, who were given a choice of getting chocolate or freeing another rat; they freed the other rat first, then shared the chocolate! Mice were given the choice of a T-R-E-A-T, getting two T-R-E-A-T-S or getting two T-R-E-A-T-S and sharing one with another mouse, and most chose the third option.

Commenting on these experiments, Dr. Ben Rein writes, “I can’t help but wonder, if emancipating one another from traps and sharing treats is standard behavior for many of Earth’s beings, why we humans have seemingly lost so much of this. While these animals may fall short of us in their intellectual abilities, do they exceed our kindness? Have we lost some of the fundamental social attributes that characterize even the most basic forms of life? What do we get from the division we’ve embraced, besides a poorer mood, compromised health and a less nurturing world?”

This quote isn’t from a book about animals; it’s a book about humans that says we could learn a lot from animals if we started to emulate their better qualities. Many animals don’t see color (they literally don’t see color!), they don’t care if their meal comes from a Republican or a Democrat, and many species, from birds to monkeys, are more about cooperation than competition. Sure, there are exceptions: on the beach, the big seagulls bully the little seagulls. But in my yard, if I throw out a bunch of berries, the squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and birds all enjoy the food without fighting with each other. Imagine if we did that!

The book of Job contains the remarkable sentence, “Ask the animals, and they will teach you.” This sentence, and the passage that follows, isn’t about pets, but wild animals, and suggests that wild animals know that they have a Creator. There’s a scene in the movie “Flow” that illustrates this belief. (That’s the Latvian cat movie that won the Oscar for Best Animated Film in 2024.) A cat witnesses the soul of an injured bird caught in a whirlwind and ascending into heaven. The cat even rises a few feet itself before the wind puts it gently back down. The cat doesn’t understand exactly what happened, but understands that there’s a higher power. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet receives a vision of a peaceful kingdom, where every animal plays together and children play among them. The children’s book Go, Dog, Go ends up with a big dog party, where all the dogs are wearing party hats and hanging out in and around the biggest tree ever. I think of that when I think of doggie heaven.

The Scripture goes on to say, “In (God’s) hand is the life of every creature.” This passage puts us on an even par. We’re given charge of the other animals; we’re given power over the other animals; we’re given responsibility for the other animals; but we’re also animals, which we tend to forget. And also, theology and science agree, they were here first; in fact, all of creation was here first. And they may be here after us as well.

Technically, we’re here today for the Blessing of the Animals, but we’re also here because our animal companions have blessed us, and because God has blessed us together. If a dog, a cat, a rabbit, a guinea pig, even a snake or a rat can teach us something about God ~ if sharing time with animals can help us to grow humbler and kinder and more compassionate ~ then isn’t that a mutual blessing? And isn’t this a great day to be out here, and to celebrate together? Speaking to all the non-human animals on the lawn – thank you for bringing your humans!

Closing Song:  Rufus Thomas, “Walking the Dog”