An evening of prayer at Camano churches includes pets

Published 1:30 am Saturday, September 3, 2016

CAMANO ISLAND — It was Juniper’s first time at church.

The brown-and-black cat arrived in a green pet carrier. She sat on Josh Gering’s and Sara Gering’s laps through most of the evening service.

The couple got Juniper from a local shelter about two years ago, around the time they started attending St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church off Highway 532 on Camano Island.

On Sunday, the church hosted an evening event called Paws, Prayers and Praise.

Churchgoers were invited to bring their pets to keep them company while the congregation sang, prayed and talked about biblical teachings.

Rainy weather caused the event to be moved inside. Juniper’s were the only paws present.

“We’ve been trying to make it to more of these summer evening events,” Sara Gering said. “It’s a really welcoming, inclusive place.”

Drew Foisie, the vicar at St. Aidan’s, got the idea for Paws, Prayers and Praise from an event he was part of when he was in ministry at a Virginia Beach church.

He partnered with the pastor at Camano Lutheran Church, Scott Brents. Each church planned to host two Paws, Prayers and Praise evenings this summer.

The last Paws event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Camano Lutheran Church, 850 Heichel Road.

On Sunday, a group of nine people gathered to listen to passages from the Bible.

They talked about what it means to be a guest and host, and the importance of equality.

The group said a prayer for pets and another prayer for all animals, including those that are endangered or exploited.

For the pets, Foisie prayed that people would “be as generous in our love for them as they are with us.”

Madi Casarez, who attends Camano Lutheran, sang at two of the evening worships. She doesn’t have pets but loves animals and watches deer in her back yard on the island. She moved to the U.S. from Burma, now Myanmar, where she grew up going to church with her grandmother.

She sings as a way to express her faith and love for God, she said.

Her husband, Ken Casarez, accompanied her to the church to listen to her sing. She’s a rare talent, he said.

On their way into the church, Ken Casarez spotted a snail in the middle of the walkway. He gently picked it up and set it in the garden.

“It wouldn’t do to have a small animal squished today,” he said.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.