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Saint Michael and All Angels
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Baptism Blessings at the Animal Shelter

by Allison Sandlin Liles
Syndicated from growchristians.org courtesy of the author

About eighteen months ago I read the book UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World. I’d noticed ungracious and selfish behaviors bubbling up within our then six and eight year old children and wanted to nip it in the bud as quickly as possible. This book was full of takeaways, from suggestions on how to develop a family motto to best practices for acknowledging children’s good deeds. UnSelfie also made a strong case for allowing young children to choose a community project based on their own interests and then volunteer regularly. So that’s what we did.

I did a wee bit of research and then presented our kids with three nonprofits near our house that I knew they would support: maintaining the public bike trail, reading with and to younger children at the public library, and volunteering at an animal shelter. The animal shelter was the clear favorite for both of them. They didn’t even ask what all they’d be doing as volunteers; they just wanted share some love with homeless dogs and cats.

After online and in-person trainings, along with a firm understanding that we would not be adopting any pets of our own, my children and I became certified Operation Kindness volunteers, the largest no kill shelter in north Texas. Our primary responsibilities are holding kittens so they learn to love children and walking dogs. Sometimes we fold laundry or clean dog toys, other days we clean out cat crates or shred paper. Except when we walk dogs on blistering hot Dallas summer afternoons, our required four hours of monthly service never feel like a chore. Our children love the kitten snuggles and the hot breath dog kisses, loading the industrial sized laundry appliances and untangling the cats’ wand toys. They even love discovering that their favorite dogs are no longer around to walk because that means they found their “furever” homes.

Of course they whine some days or argue over which of them the animals love more, but overall, it’s been a great experience that has certainly contributed to cultivating kindness and empathy.

Our favorite moments happen on walks out back, right after the dogs go to the bathroom. This is when we find a bench where we can all sit and just smother the dogs with our love. The primary reason this shelter welcomes children as volunteers is so they can help the animals grow more comfortable around busy little bodies. It’s our children’s duty to pet, scratch, and hug these dogs, and they take it seriously. These moments on the bench are pure joy and allow all of us to temporarily forget that the dogs will go back inside a crate at the end of our walk until someone chooses to adopt them.

This is our Thursday afternoon schedule and it remained fairly predictable…until a few months ago. My daughter stood up from our bench, cupped her small hand to scoop up some water in a nearby birdbath, stepped over to the dog we were currently loving, and then baptized it in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As I held the leash and looked on a few feet away, I watched her then mark the dog as Christ’s own forever.

I saw it all unfold, eagerly waiting to see what she would do next. I tried my hardest not to make this dog baptism a big deal, but I really wanted to know what prompted her to do it. So when her liturgy concluded and we resumed our walk, I casually held her hand and asked why she chose to baptize this dog. It turns out, she actually had a lot of reasons why and she shared all of them as we walked dogs the rest of the afternoon.

“I thought it would make him more adoptable.”
“He seemed scared and I wanted to protect him.”
“I wanted him to know he wasn’t alone in his crate because he was part of our church family now.”

This child never stops surprising me.

She’s not a child who baptizes stuffed animals at home or blesses sandwich bread atop a cardboard makeshift altar. However, she is a child who feels all the feelings intensely, both her own and those of people around her. She has been consumed by the joy baptisms offer our church communities and she knew this dog was lonely and likely afraid. So when she noticed the birdbath full of water, she offered comfort and security to a dog that in her mind would last far longer than our hugs and kisses.

In the months since her inaugural dog baptism, my daughter has gone on to baptize and anoint at least a dozen dogs at Operation Kindness. It’s an act of empathy and kindness that I never imagined would happen when we first started volunteering. So rather than wonder about the doctrine of baptism and whether or not our bishops would approve of such sacramental acts on animals, I laud her generous act. She’s sharing her faith with created beings who need it. She’s welcoming them into our wider family and indeed marking them as Christ’s own forever.


Tags: Blog & Newsroom

The Archangel September/October 2019

AA cover Sept/Oct 2019

A Message from the Rector - "Grace & The Color Purple"

This fall, we'll be taking some time to focus on Grace.

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All Saints' Day: A Concise History

Ever wondered where All Souls and All Saints' Days came from? The Rev. Greg Pickens gives a quick summary of the nearly 1,700-year history.

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From The Loft: The Worship Of All Souls Day

Director of Music and Organist Jonathan Ryan shares what makes this year's All Saints' Day service music so special.

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The Why of Giving

Investment Advisor Ashley Parks says that once we fully explore why we're giving, our gifts are much more meaningful. Plus, a few tips from a pro.

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Baptism Blessings at the Animal Shelter

Parishioner Allison Sandlin Liles shares the heartwarming story of her family's volunteer experience with Operation Kindness.

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Chorister Camp is So Awesome!

Associate Director of Music and Organist Dr. Meg Harper recaps a fun, music-filled weekend at Saint Michael's first-ever Chorister Camp.

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Amistad: The Friendship Mission

Board Member, SMAA Ministry Leader, and parishioner Mark Demler gives a brief history of Amistad, an international mission partner of Saint Michael.

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Honduras Threads: Using Business Skills to Aid A Country

Ministry Leader and parishioner Bill Bancroft shares his experience on the most recent trip from Dallas to Tegucigalpa to work with the women of Honduras Threads.

Read More »

Read the full issue

Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
8011 Douglas Ave
Dallas, TX 75225
(214) 363-5471

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7:30 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
9 a.m. Joy: A Children’s Service
11 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
11 a.m. Contemporary Rite II Service in the Parish Hall
5:30 p.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
8 p.m. Compline

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Saint Michael also offers weekday services every Tuesday-Thursday.

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Saint Michael and All Angels is a member parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. We practice The Way of Love as members of The Episcopal Church.

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Service Times

IN-PERSONLIVE STREAMS

We are currently offering worship in-person. Several of our Sunday services are also streamed live.

Sunday Services:
7:30 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
9 a.m. Joy: A Children's Service
11 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I)
11 a.m. Contemporary Service (Rite II)
5:30 p.m. Traditional Service (Rite II)
8 p.m. Compline
Weekday Services:
Tuesdays, 7 a.m. Morning Prayer
Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. Eucharist Service
Thursdays, 7 a.m. Morning Prayer

More about services at Saint Michael and All Angels here.

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Saint Michael and All Angels
8011 Douglas Ave
Dallas, TX 75225

Contact Us
(214) 363-5471

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Welcome Children Service Times Getting Here & Campus Map Membership

Welcome! | Saint Michael and All Angels is a community of passionate people seeking to follow Jesus in a meaningful way that impacts both our own lives and that of the community around us. We are blessed with our parish home and so glad to share it with you. If you find yourself in Dallas, we would love to have you join us for worship!

- The Reverend Dr. Chris Girata, Rector

Welcome to Children and Family Ministry!

Our team in Children and Family Ministry provides children, ages 0 – 5th grade, and their parents with the tools they need to become faithful disciples of Christ. We achieve this through fun and interactive programming that allows children and families to explore their faith together.

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Sunday Services:
7:30 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I) in Saint Michael Chapel
9 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite II) in the Church
9 a.m. Joy: A Children’s Service in Saint Michael Chapel
11 a.m. Traditional Service (Rite I) in the Church
11 a.m. Contemporary Rite II Service in the Parish Hall
5:30 p.m. Traditional Service (Rite II) in Saint Michael Chapel
8 p.m. Compline in the Church

Helpful Links

Service descriptions and more info
In-person worship information
Watch services live and on-demand

We are located just south of Northwest Highway off of Douglas Ave. at Colgate Ave. Via Northbound Tollroad: Exit Lovers Ln, continue straight on Lomo Alto a few blocks to Colgate. Church is on your right. Via Southbound Tollroad: Exit Northwest Hwy, turn left to Douglas Ave. Turn R on Douglas and church is a few blocks down on your right. Via US 75: Exit Northwest Hwy and go west to Douglas Ave. Turn R on Douglas and church is a few blocks down on your right.

Maps & Directions

If you are new to Saint Michael, curious about the path to membership, or simply want to learn more about life at our parish community, we invite you to join us for two different class events we have throughout the year: "Saint Michael 101" is an introduction to life here at SMAA, and "Episcopal Christians", where we explore what it means to walk as a Christian in the Episcopal tradition, discussing topics like our Anglican heritage, worship, the Bible and formation etc.

Saint Michael 101 Episcopal Christians
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Flowers in our holy worship spaces are a beautiful gift to God and those who attend services at Saint Michael as well as those being honored or remembered. A contribution to the Flower Fund is a meaningful way to honor or remember a loved one for special life events such as birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, confirmations, thanksgivings, or in memory of a loved one.

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The Foundation of Saint Michael and All Angels is essential to the vitality, growth, stability and success of our parish. Its grants support the mission of the Parish, consistent with priorities established by the Vestry and the Rector.

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As God’s stewards, we build on the foundation left by those who came before us. We, in turn, have the opportunity, with a bequest to Saint Michael, to sustain and enhance our parish ministries and programs for the benefit of future generations.

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