Garden Blessing: A Rogation Day Celebration

On Saturday we blessed our church community garden as we celebrated Rogation Day:

Rogation Day celebrations have their roots in church of fifth-century France. Special prayers were offered just before the Feast of the Ascension with hope of preventing earthquakes and the desire for healthy harvests. The early Roman church celebrated Rogation Days with a Christian procession around the fields on the Feast of St. Mark (April 25) to transferring the tradition of honoring the ancient pagan roman celebrations to the god "Mildew" and the goddess "Rust".

Here are some photos and excerpts from the liturgy:

Leader: Blessed be the source of all creation, the One Holy and Living God.

People: We give thanks to God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Giver of Life.

Leader: Let us pray.

Gracious God, our Creator, You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16.11). Open our hearts that we with gratitude we may be thankful for your loving providence; use our hands for the good of your creation; use our spirit to further your desire of compassion and grace, that we may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ your love poured out in creation, and who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.

People Amen.

Second Procession Move around the garden toward the north, golf course, praying

The Litany for Rogation Days

Leader For the end of droughts throughout the earth

That all may know favorable weather, temperate rains and fruitful seasons,

We ask your blessing upon all the waters, may we do our part to keep them clean.

For sufficient clean water, that there may drink for plants, animals, and people.

let us pray to God, our creator

People God hear our prayer.

Leader For the end of famine and starvation in every city, town, and nation

That no one will go hungry, and all will have enough healthy food.

We ask your blessing upon the lands and those who tend to the gardens.

For sufficient food that there may be sustenance for all creatures.

let us pray to our God.

People God hear our prayer.

Leader For the end of air pollution and its impact on the health of creation

that all may breathe fresh air and live with healthy bodies

We ask your blessing upon the air, may we do our part to keep it clean

let us pray to our God.

People God hear our prayer.

Leader Let us turn to the NORTH, the place of the cold winds and waiting,

that we may learn patience, stamina, and grace

to face the challenges of life

Bless our efforts that we, like newly fallen snow, may refresh the earth.

Use us to be your hand and heart, may we be a blessing in this world, may we be like a breath of fresh air.

Priest God bless this garden

Rich and teeming with life

God bless our labor

As we dig, turn, and plant this soil

God bless these plants

May they flourish like hope, transforming

God bless the rains

That water these plants and nourish our work

God bless the harvest

From the grace of God, grows our generosity,

God bless this garden

As you bless all creation with your love

People Amen

Bearing Fruit

At Christ Church we will bless our garden with a celebration of Rogation Day on Saturday, April 28 at 10am. Rogation Day processions have their roots in the church of Fifth-Century France when special prayers were offered just before the Feast of the Ascension because of earthquake and poor harvests. The early Roman church celebrated Rogation Days with a Christian procession around the fields on the Feast of St. Mark (April 25) to suppress the ancient pagan roman celebrations honoring the god "Mildew" and the goddess "Rust". The "Beating of the Bounds" began in medieval England. Written maps were rare and each year a procession marked the parish boundaries, which were beaten with willow rods. We will have a procession around the garden offering prayers in the four directions: West, North, South, and East, which hints of an ancient Native American prayer as well as a traditional litany for Rogation Day. We may also prayer the prayer below written by Catherine of Sienna in 14th Century.

We were enclosed,

O eternal God,

within the garden of your breast.

You drew us out of your holy mind

like a flower

petaled with our soul's three powers,

and into each power

you put the whole plant,

so that they might bear fruit in your garden,

might come back to you

with the fruit you gave them.

And you would come back to the soul,

to fill er with your blessedness.

There the soul dwells -

like the fish in the sea

and the sea in the fish.

By Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), born the twenty-fourth child out of twenty five, Catherine was the daughter of a cloth dyer in Siena. She devoted her life to God and became a novice in 1363 and a Dominican nun four years later. Catherine cared all her life for the poor and the ill, as a director of nuns and as a spiritual advisor to many people. She was a social activist, involved in the religious politics of her day (schism in the Roman Church, the Pope moving to Avignon). Translated by Suzanne Noffke, O.P. printed in Women in Praise of the Sacred, edited by Jane Hirshfield: HarperPerinnial, 1994.

...and the Plot Unfolds

A reflection on the readings for Easter 2B: Acts 4:32-35

Well, I took the bait. In early February I started watching the new television series, “Smash.” I am not typically one to jump on the bandwagon of a new television show. I tend to be skeptical and un-persuaded by the advertisement. But I think my desire to watch something that was not about violence, crime, hospitals, or some bad reality, caught my attention. I hoped for a good program that offered entertainment and interesting characters.

If you haven’t seen Smash it is a fictionalized story about the creation of a Broadway musical, based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. The plot has the musical being written by the fictionalized successful songwriting duo of Tom and Julia. Julia recently began the process of adopting a child with her husband Frank of many years, but her focus is torn when she has the opportunity to write another Broadway hit. A rivalry soon forms for the lead role between a youthful, inexperienced Midwestern beauty Karen - who is trying to find fame in the big city against all odds - and stage veteran Ivy Bell, who's determined to leave the chorus line and finally get her big break. A tenacious producer Eileen discovers the "Marilyn" project and jumps on board with a brilliant director, Derek - whose talent is matched by his cunning and egocentric amorality. (from the Smash website)

The actors are well known – Debra Messing who starred in Will and Grace, Anjelica Huston, Academy award winner for Prizzis Honor in 1985, and Katharine McPhee who was in the top ten for American Idol in 2002 – to name a few. From the first episode it has held my attention. While I have some issues with the direction of the character development, I have for the most part enjoyed and appreciated how the plot has thickened and the characters have grown. It takes a few episodes of a new show for the characters to become multi-dimensional, for us to see their strengths and their weaknesses, their gifts and their challenges as characters in the story. Overall I’m enjoying the show and hope it continues to develop in an interesting and engaging way.

During the Season of Easter we will hear readings from the Book of Acts.  In a similar way that the plot of Smash has grown and the characters have developed, so does the early church grow and develop. The climax of the story of what God is doing in the life of Jesus occurs in Holy Week – the crucifixion seems to be the ultimate dramatic ending. But true to God’s unexpected ways, the end, is not the end. The story continues in the resurrection on Easter Day.  

The Book of Acts and the Gospel of Luke are companion books, written by the same community. Luke describes the story of Jesus’ life, from his birth to his resurrection. Acts describes the formation of the early church in its life after the crucifixion and resurrection. The story is told by a disciple named Luke who, as best we can understand, travelled with Paul. It appears that the author of Luke/Acts was a Gentile, possibly from Syrian who converted to Judaism and then to Christianity

According to Raymond Brown, a foremost authority on the New Testament: The Luke/Acts series was written between 80 and 100 CE. Like most books of the era, Luke/Acts is not a clear chronological historical account of the events. However they tell a fairly accurate story of what transpired through the life of Jesus and the communities of faith that grew up in response. The purpose of the Book of Acts seems to be one of telling the story of how Jesus was crucified by Roman officials and yet -  that was not the end of the story. Amazingly, the teachings of Jesus moved through the region, even into Rome, where churches were established and lives were transformed.

Bruce Epperly, a noted Spiritual Director and author, says this about our reading this morning (it) “describes a community of prophetic hospitality in which justice and compassion characterize social relatedness”…thus forming relationships focused on radical hospitality, justice, and compassion.

The Book of Acts is filled with stories and characters who struggle to live into the reality of Jesus’ teachings – to love God, love self, and love others. They struggled with how expansive this hospitality, love, justice, and compassion was intended to be. In particular the struggle was to determine who could be a member of the community, of the church, and who could not. This struggle manifested in the relationship of a dominant Jewish community and its Gentile sisters and brothers. These Gentiles were raised in radically different ways than the Jewish followers of Jesus, they did not practice or follow the teaching of the Jewish faith. They did not look right, they did not eat the right things prepared in the correct manner. These Gentiles had much to learn about Jesus and Jewish prayer and practice. The early church fought over the details of what was important and what was not important in order to become a faithful follower of Jesus. One of the earliest arguments, one that nearly fractured the church in Jerusalem, was about circumcision. Circumcision was a requirement for Jews, unheard of for Gentiles. James addresses this argument and settles it with gracious hospitality…James provides a model for moderating all conflicts in the church. In the end two primary practices prevailed – baptism and Holy Communion.

The season of Easter is a season focused on Baptism. Baptism is the rite that makes us Christian and defines, in the baptismal covenant, how we are to live as Christians by sharing, teaching, and treating others with dignity and respect. Easter is also a season when, in the ancient church, those newly baptized receive Holy Communion for the first time. Now, full members of the community, the newly baptize enter completely the Christian story by sharing the sacred meal of bread and wine. Baptism and Communion define us as Christians, and are lifted up in the Season of Easter. Thus the baptismal font is filled with water, and blessed, as a reminder of our baptism and the promises we have made. The Paschal Candle is lit and reminds us of the light of Christ shining in the world, shining in and through us. The communion bread and wine are light and sweet, a celebration of the love God made known in the person of Jesus. And the confession is eliminated for the season of Easter, reminding us that we spent the season of Lent considering the ways we are broken, the ways we contribute to the brokenness in the world, and what we can do to mend the brokenness. Now in the season of Easter our focus is on being made whole and our efforts, by the grace of God, to bring wholeness into the world.

This is our story as a people of God  - who through the grace of God -  are called to bring wholeness into the world through radical hospitality, gracious love, and acts of justice and compassion.  

Unbelievable....Easter!

A reflection on the Gospel of John 20:1-18 for Easter.

Although the house resided on a busy four lane street, it had a wood deck off the back, that over looked 2-1/2 acres of grassy yard and a narrow strip of woods. After we moved in we realized that under the deck various animals had built dens: woodchuck, possum, rabbits.

One year we were startled to discover that a red fox had moved in under our deck. Actually it was a couple, a male and a female red fox. By late winter, the baby foxes made an appearance.

As spring unfolded we were delighted to see the fox family, usually late at night, out in the yard, playing. Papa fox would place himself way out on the perimeter of the yard to act as watch guard – his eyes intent, surveying the area, protecting his brood. Meanwhile momma fox brought one or two babies out of the den and taught them to follow, and play, and become fox. Although we only saw one or two at a time, as they grew in size, we saw more and more, a total of 8 baby fox. For the next few months the fox family and the Pilarski family learned to live side by side. Even our dogs would watch quietly through the sliding glass door as the fox babies played and learned about life.

Easter came early that year. I remember celebrating at church and then with family. It was late when we finally headed home. I anticipated a quiet cup of tea. But no sooner had we arrived home than we discovered that something was amiss. Our animals knew it first – the dogs were pacing and grumbling, the cats positioning themselves in one window, then another, exuding a low yowl. Dan and I began to investigate the situation. We discovered that one of the baby fox had fallen down a window well. Three feet below the surface of the ground, the baby was stuck at the basement level of our house. It appears that in their nocturnal playing the baby had wandered off and fell into this open chasm. The momma fox was beside her self, trying to look out for the other seven babies and call her fallen baby back to her. But the baby was unable to climb up a three foot drop lined in sheet metal. The pitiful cries of the momma and the frightened mewing of the baby fox set my dogs and cats on edge.

Dan and I called the wildlife rescue company, but they would not intervene. . We knew better than to try and fish the baby out with our hands, and we didn’t have a long net. Nor could we open the window from the basement and grab it. We knew we had to find a way to get the baby out, if for no other reason than the crying of the baby fox was upsetting everyone. There would be no sleep until something was resolved. Finally Dan decided to build a ladder to put into the well and hope the baby could and would climb out.

And so we did. Using a 1 x 6 board as the base, we nailed wooden strips across the board creating a solid platform with steps. As we built the ladder, the crying escalated. The dogs got more anxious, the cats yowled louder, and it took more effort to keep our kids calm. Then, as if the chaos wasn’t bad enough and the anxiety high enough, and our fatigue great enough, we realized that a second baby fox had fallen into another well, and so we now had to build two ladders. The screech from sawing wood and the pounding clamor of hammering nails added to the cacophony.

But at last the ladders were built. Uncertain what the momma fox would do, we cautiously went outside. Hearts thumping we wondered if her protective instincts would prevent her from letting us help? I kept a careful eye on momma fox, while Dan slowly placed a ladder in each of the wells. The momma watched intently, never moved. She seemed to trust us, to understand that we were trying to help. Silence filled the air, sharp with anticipation.

Back inside the house, we turned off all the lights. In the dark we watched as the momma fox gently called the babies. To our amazement, one baby figured out how to climb the ladder. As the baby came to the surface of the ground the momma caught her by the scruff of its neck and hauled it to the safety of the den. And, then the second baby climbed out. And the momma grabbed it too and brought it to the den. Within thirty minutes of placing the ladders in the wells the babies were safe. And our house was quiet.

Its morning and Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb where Jesus is buried. She’s traumatized from the brutality of the day before. Weeping, distressed, wild sounds escape from her lungs. Then someone calls her name, and like the baby fox climbing from the depths of the well, Mary’s awareness rises, and a new clarity emerges. She recognizes the voice. It is Jesus, Rabbouni, the teacher, it is the resurrection. It is new life.
The resurrection is the great mystery of the Christian faith. We call the resurrection the “Paschal Mystery.” It means God’s love poured out anew in the light of Christ, symbolized by lighting the tall Paschal candle. For Christians, Jesus is the fullest expression of God’s love. Jesus manifests God’s love through acts of compassion and justice. God uses human hands and hearts to manifest God’s love, through Jesus, and through us. We help build new homes after the destruction of a tornado or hurricane. We give food or money. We sit and listen. We hold a hand. We share in laughter. We wipe tears. We gather as a community of faith; we light a candle, sing some hymns, say a prayer, and share the cup of wine and the bread.

Lent and Holy Week call us to pay attention, to be mindful of the needs of the world, and to invest our lives in healing the brokenness in and through our lives, in and through the world. Lent, Holy Week and Easter are liturgical reminders that healing is a process, it takes time to fine wholeness once again. Easter embraces the healing process.

As my friend Janine wrote in her reflection for Easter: “Easter is not a time when we are required to be happy because everything is fixed and figured out. It is a time when even the most wounded of us can assert that Jesus is not in the tomb even as we face that our loved ones will not come back (and we will still struggle and suffer from the circumstances of life). Jesus has transcended death. We don't know all of what that means; we don't have to. We can be trembling and astonished, but fear is not the point. We can still meet Jesus and be with him without trying to be stronger or happier or wiser than we are. We can be afraid, confused, and grieving, even as we believe that the Lord is risen indeed.”

Easter reminds us that the deep truth of the Paschal Mystery emerges in and through all of life. In times of sorrow, tragedy and chaos God tends to us. God’s compassion is like a ladder, offering us a way up from the well of despair. Jesus called to Mary, and in response, she rose from the well of despair with a new awareness, a new sense of reality. It’s Easter. Nothing has changed, and yet, everything is different. In the resurrection Jesus assures us, God, is with us. Always.