God has given each of us many different callings in life and this world. As we notice and give thanks for people’s many callings, one of the most evocative is the planting of seeds, primarily in the springtime, but in other times of year as well.
Seed catalogs are arriving in our mailboxes to remind us of our flower and vegetable gardens. Farmers and other rural folks are excitedly planning for spring. While at the same time, we are called to plant seeds of faith, hope, and love. Jesus taught about how a sower starts with a seed. The Great Sower of the Seed sows with generosity and abundance into our lives and world. As we listen to the parable we all can relate. We also hear it as a puzzle with multiple layers of meanings.
2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!” -Mark 4:2-9
As you look into the spring, I invite you to imagine and plan around the idea that it all starts with a seed. A Blessing of the Seeds liturgy can be more or less formal. Blessing of the Seeds (sometimes known as Rogation Sundays) invites us to think about the blessing of new growth for plants, creatures, people, and communities. You may want to create some resource that serves your context. If you need some ideas, here are resources from a variety of traditions. The date is less important in my opinion than the practice. We’d love to hear if you have used any of these or similar liturgies in your ministries, and how they went.
Resources:
- https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/What_are_Rogation_Days.pdf
- https://synodresourcecenter.org/wma/worship/occasional/other/0015/rogation.pdf
- https://catholicrurallife.org/resources/spiritual/calendar-of-blessings/4-april-blessing-of-seeds-and-rain/
- https://worshipwords.co.uk/liturgy-for-blessing-gardens-and-gardeners/
- https://www.webofcreation.org/Worship/liturgy/blessings.htm
- https://www.webofcreation.org/Worship/services/rogation.htm
