From the sixth century the sixth Sunday of Easter and the three days leading up to Ascension Day have been known as Rogation Days. Rogation is the flipside of Harvest; you pray in intercession as you plant the seed, and you pray in thanksgiving as you harvest the crops. Parishioners would beat the bounds, originally whipping younger members of the community, in due course transferring their aggression to boundary markers. So this is a short season of hope and expectation – and recognition of our dependence on God and connection to the soil.
In his 1633 book The Country Parson, George Herbert describes the tradition of Rogation Sunday as 1) a blessing of God for the fruits of the field; 2) Justice in the preservation of the bounds; 3) Charitie, in living, walking and neighbourliy accompanying one another, with reconciling of differences at that time, if they be any; 4) Mercie, in relieving the poor by a liberal distribution of largess which at that time is or oght be made.
This year Rogation Sunday coincides with our annual meeting. George Herbert’s summary is a timely reminder of the deeper character of an annual church meeting. Like him, we give thanks to God for giving us our daily bread. Like him, we recommit ourselves to be a people who seek God’s justice for all who live with their backs to the wall. Like him we seek to be people of reconciliation, walking with one another and finding common cause beyond our differences. Like him, we strive to be people of mercy, always aware of those whose plight is greater than our own, and working to alleviate it.
There will always be money to talk about and remarks to be made and plans to be discussed; but Rogation Sunday is about reconnecting us with our dependence on the earth, on one another, and on God. As we review the last year and anticipate the next, there could be no three more important things to remember.
Revd Dr Sam Wells
