Last Sunday's "Sermon" (better late than never)

Dear friends, guests and others....

I usually post our Inspirational Message right away and because our "Church Secretary" had out of town guests, we are a little tardy. Tomorrow, we promise to be on time.

Reposting our message from Sunday, February 27, 2011:

Welcome, parishioners, to our Fourth Sunday in our Yorkie Brigade Chapel on this 27th day of February 2011. We have a new member that many of you will remember from The Battle of the Scottish Terriers, please welcome Colonel Minnie Mouse and her human, Carolyn.

Our special guest speaker for this morning is Madame Sausha Angel Johnson. She has volunteered to tell her story so that we may all come to understand and appreciate how fortunate we are to have found our "forever" homes, and to remind us that there are pups out there who are still looking for their families.

Please welcome to our pulpit........Mme SAUSHA ANGEL JOHNSON!!

(applause...clapping.......)

(Sausha steps to the microphone and speaks!)

For a time in my life, I had no idea what was happening to me or why. I tried to have faith but I felt it slipping away. I was in great pain and it seemed that I would have to complain to God because no one else could understand me anyway.

My people left me, shedding tears I didn’t understand. I was examined, poked, driven to a cold school, x-rayed, returned. And not fed. I was thirsty and no one heard my cry.

I tried not to despair; I thought a prayer; I hoped a prayer. I didn’t know my prayer was answered when a strange lady took me away with her. I was given food and water, petted and given a soft bed. I was alone in a strange place, but it was quiet and I could hear myself breathe. My prayers continued with less despair, more hope.

An event in a hospital terrified me but when I awoke, I was not in pain. The kind lady took me home with her again. Then within a month, she and her husband took me for a ride. They brought me to this place, and again I didn’t know my prayers were answered, but within a few weeks I knew I was at my last home.

And so I stand at this lectern to tell you, “Yes, Congregants and Canines, members of the Yorkie Brigade and guests, prayers ARE answered.” The smallest prayer is heard and answered; the most seemingly hopeless prayers are answered. Sometimes we do not understand when they are not answered in the way we wished.

For myself, I wanted to be returned to my first family and see their tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. Instead I live in a new world, but I know my prayers were answered because this is my family now.

Now I pray for others as I once prayed for myself. All of you here have it in your power to answer my new prayers: to live peacefully, to be kind to all animals and to each other, to give as you are able to save animals who, like me, were on the doorstep of death. We have many names: Piper, Walter, Gin-Gin.

I thank Mary-Margaret for asking me to speak to you today. Now I ask you, go in peace. And, if my most recent prayer is answered, cookies made by Corrine will be available to us in the social room.

(applause....applause......standing ovation.....)

(Mary-Margaret now returns to the pulpit)

Thank you, Madame Johnson. That was a wonderful reminder that we can't predict what the Lord has in store for us. We can only trust that things will be as they should be.

Before we break for our Sunday "Meet and Greet" in the Social Room (where we're serving calorie free cookies and milk this morning), please let me share a poem by a young man, Brennan Boyle, age 12. It's called

"Prayer for My Best Friend"

Bless his nose, so wet and cold
Bless his fur, so soft to hold.
Bless his tail, it wags so strong
When I tell him he may come along.
Bless those ears that stand so stout
Except when one’s turned inside out.
Bless those eyes so filled with love
That surely comes from God above.
For up in Heaven the Angels sing,
They fly with harps on silver wings.
But here on Earth there can be no doubt,
The Angels bark as they run about.

We would appreciate volunteers to share their words of inspiration with us on future Sundays. Please contact the church office or email me privately. Thank you all.

And now please turn to each other and wag your tails in friendship. Peace be with you all. Don't forget to pick up your photos and links on your way out.

Hope to see you in Chapel tomorrow, March 6, 2011. Neeko S. Spaulding PhD has volunteered to speak again. His topic will be "God Plants the Seed of Love in our Hearts". We are truly blessed to have such an inspirational speaker among us who so generously gives of his time. Thank you, Dr. Spaulding.

Blessedly yours,

Mary-Margaret O'Brien
Lt. Chaplain - Yorkie Brigade Chapel
"PPS for People"