Seems churches, and even some New Testament congregations, have taken up the cry of French post-impressionist painter, Paul Gauguin, "Before anything else, emotion! Comprehension only comes afterwards!" I have not discovered the context of the painter's statement. Perhaps he wrote it thinking of painting, which would explain some things. Visual arts -- and especially cinema -- appeal strongly to the emotions. But the gospel is not visual but auditory, based not on seeing, but on hearing. And hearing is, above all, a comprehension activity. God wants us, before anything else, to understand. From that understanding will rise the emotions of sadness at our sins, joy at our salvation, happiness in our blessedness, peace in our security, excitement in our hope. If we look to churn the emotions before comprehension, inevitably the emotions will be the wrong ones, wrongly based, wrongly directed. As such, they will not last, and even if they last, they will crumble in eternity when the wrong comprehension is finally corrected -- but too late!

Heavenly Father, you have wooed us with kindly words, and won us with the sacrifice of your Son. You have shown us our sin and draped us with your holiness. Always, a word to cheer and urge us toward your righteousness.

We praise you, O God, for many other words and acts to hearten us through your people and our friends. Today is lighter because you used someone close to spur us on through whispers of courage and visions of power.

May our own tongues offer mercy, comfort, and lovingkindness. Put love on our lips and faith on our faces to pass forward what we have richly received from your hand. Through our Savior, Amen.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_888129.html

Pets now take communion at Connecticut Episcopal Church.

We already knew the church was going to the dogs.

Holy, holy, holy are you, O Lord, above all creation! Who are we to come before you? What words of praise and honor are sufficient to your glory?

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth. May we raise our heads to see your majesty hanging from every tree, gliding with every cloud, touching every human brow.

Father of lights, we desire to deliver up every part of ourselves to you, to know ourselves truly, to unearth those secret sins hidden from us. For this, may we know you more deeply, walk in your ways, delight in your word. Show us in ourselves that undiscovered country by giving us glimpses of your glory. For by seeing you we shall know ourselves.

As you turn over the unplowed earth of our souls, inject us with reserves of strength, and stocks of joy, and wells of peace.

Holy, holy, holy are you, O Lord, above all the earth. We your people praise and glorify your name, by the merits of your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Father in Heaven, your name is holy and sovereign, above every name that can be pronounced upon the earth. In the name of Jesus you have placed salvation and every good thing, that at his name every knee should bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.

How blessed are we to be the center of your attention! So let us content ourselves with your approval, instead of playing up to others for their compliments or fishing for the praise of men. May we act today knowing that you see us and will give us our proper reward. How that frees us from doing our righteousness to be seen of others!

To be seen of you, what a privilege! Common folk who never appear as a blip on the radar of the Important People -- we have the eye and smile of the Creator upon us. Because Jesus has come down to us, Amen.