good afternoon and welcome to the deanery garden at canterbury cathedral on this regation sunday regation sunday in our calendar is a time when it's good to be outside even if our churches were not locked we should be outside and last year the archbishop himself led the great procession across the green court into the deanery garden for it's a day of giving thanks for new growth asking god's blessing upon the crops asking god's blessing on our lives that we may share the bountiful fruits of the earth right across the world those of you joining us from other lands will have harvests and seasons of growth at different times but this is the spring of growth in england regation is also about boundaries many parishes beat the bounds of their boundaries to mark the location in which their ministry is situated and always has been and there's no better place than sitting here for tea beside the the brook which runs through the general garden through mossy stones but also beside me is the wall the wall of the garden which is also the wall of the cathedral precincts and the old roman wall of the city of canterbury which has been built on the same foundations many times i'm going to start with a poem by the famous american poet robert frost he calls it a prayer in spring it includes certainly a bird which is not found in england the hummingbird so beautiful so fast and with its needle-like bill but also it speaks of the fact that our work is never really finished even the work of love only god sees the fulfillment in a future far beyond which is the gateway to eternity so here is frost's prayer in spring for this beautiful rogation sunday oh give us pleasure in the flowers today and give us not to think so far away as the uncertain harvest keep us here all simply in the springing of the year oh give us pleasure in the orchard white like nothing else by day like ghosts by night and make us happy in the happy bees the swarm dilating run the perfect trees and make us happy in the darting bird that suddenly above the bees is heard the meteor that thrusts in with needle bill and offer blossom in mid-air stands still for this is love and nothing else is love the which it is reserved for god above to sanctify to what far ends he will but which it only needs that we fulfill [Applause] oh lord open thou our lips and our mouth shall show forth thy praise oh god make speed to save us o lord make haste to help us glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen praise ye the lord the lord's name be praised the 17th day of the month gives us in the evening psalm 89 so we say the first 17 verses of that sound my song shall be alway of the lovingkindness of the lord with my mouth will i ever be showing thy truth from one generation to another for i have said mercy shall be set up forever thy truth shalt thou establish in the heavens i have made a covenant with my chosen i have sworn unto david my servant thy seed will i establish forever and set up thy throne from one generation to another o lord the very heavens shall praise thy wondrous works and my truth in the congregation of the saints for who is he among the clouds that shall be compared unto the lord and what is he among the gods that shall be like unto the lord god is very greatly to be feared in the counsel of the saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him oh lord god of hosts who is like unto thee thy truth most mighty lord is on every thou rulest the raging of the sea thou still is the waves thereof when they arise the heavens are thine the earth also is thine thou has laid the foundation of the round world and all that therein is thou has made the north and the south tabor and hermann shall rejoice in thy name thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand righteousness and equity are the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shall go before thy face blessed is the people o lord that can rejoice in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance their delight shall be daily in thy name and in thy righteousness shall they make their boast glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen our two lessons both give a vision of the eternal city jerusalem the old testament lesson from zechariah an idealized picture of an exile longing for home in the earthly jerusalem remade in an ideal way even on this earth and the second lesson a picture of the holy city new jerusalem the eternal city in the heavens but first zechariah chapter 8 beginning at the first verse and the word of the lord of hosts came saying thus says the lord of hosts i am jealous for zion with great jealousy and i am jealous for her with great ross thus says the lord i have returned to zion and will dwell in the midst of jerusalem and jerusalem shall be called the faithful city on the mountain of the lord of hosts the holy mountain thus says the lord of hosts old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of jerusalem each with staff in hand because of great age and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thus says the lord of hosts if it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days should it also be marvelous in my sight declares the lord of hosts thus says the lord of hosts behold i will save my people from the east country and from the west country and i will bring them to dwell in the midst of jerusalem and they shall be my people and i will be their god in faithfulness and in righteousness so we say the canticle of mary's obedience the magnificat my soul does magnify the lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in god my savior for he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden for behold from henceforth all generation shall call me blessed for he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is his name and his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations he has showed strength with his arm he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts he had put down the mighty from their seat and has exalted the humble and meek he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away he remembering his mercy hath opened his servant israel as he promised to our forefathers abraham and his seed forever glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen [Applause] a lesson from the revelation to john the 21st chapter beginning at the 22nd verse and i saw no temple in the city for its temple is the lord god the almighty and the lamb and the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it for the glory of god gives it light and its lamp is the lamb by its light will the nations walk and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it and its gates will never be shut by day and there will be no night there they will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations but nothing unclean will ever enter it nor anyone who does what is detestable or false but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life then the angel showed me the river of the water of life right as crystal flowing from the throne of god and of the lamb through the middle of the street of the city and also on either side of the river the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each month the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations no longer will there be anything accursed but the throne of god and of the lamb will be in it and his servants will worship him they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads and night will be no more they will need no light of lamp or sun for the lord god will be their light and they will reign forever and ever [Applause] lord now let us thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of thy people israel glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen i believe in god the father almighty maker of heaven and earth and in jesus christ his only son our lord who was conceived by the holy ghost born of the virgin mary suffered under pontius pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead i believe in the holy ghost the holy catholic church the communion of saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting amen let us pray lord have mercy upon us christ have mercy upon us lord have mercy upon us our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done in us as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil amen o lord share thy mercy upon us and grant us thy salvation o lord save the queen and mercifully hear us when we call upon thee endure thy ministers with righteousness and make thy chosen people joyful o lord save thy people and bless sun give peace in our time o lord because there is none other that fighteth for us but only thou o god oh god make clean our hearts within us and take not thy holy spirit from us oh lord from whom all good things do come grant to us thy humble servants that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same through our lord jesus christ amen oh god from whom all holy desires all good counsels and all just works to proceed give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness through the merits of jesus christ our savior amen lighten our darkness we beseech thee o lord and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night for the love of thy only son our savior jesus christ amen the first three days of this week which follow this rogation sunday when we ask god's blessing on the growing harvests of the world and the work of humanity in whatever skills and creative arts the first three days until ascension day are rogation days and we pray on those days for the fruitfulness of our own work not only in fields and gardens but in workshops in schools and colleges places of learning and particularly at this time places of medicine and healing we remember the vision of st john the divine the vision of the new jerusalem where god himself is the light of that place and no lamp or even earthly sunshine is needed for the brightnesses of the eternal presence but meanwhile we reflect that brightness in the love that we show day by day as robert frost said that's an incomplete work only god has the fruition in store for us and the fulfillment but meanwhile there are signs all around us in life and in situations that we find ourselves in of god's presence and the particular work that he calls us to do it's a wonderful thing to sit beside this flowing brick but brook as it runs down through the mossy stones very cold and clear water and around the flowers of springtime here in this part of the northern hemisphere it causes us to be thankful for all god's gifts but to pray for a spirit of sharing remembering that the gift of the tree of life standing on the sides of the crystal river which runs through the holy city the sign of that is a sign of the healing of the nations to me that's a a breaking down of barriers and bounds and rogation sunday is therefore not only about the definition of community with the beating of the bones but also in a great way the opening out of one community to another so that the particularity of each can be shared and love and companionship can be shown across the world encouragement and the sharing of resources christina rossetti wrote the most lovely poem for this particular lesson she called it the river of the water of life it's just four verses but here it is we know not a voice of that river if vocal or silent it be where forever and ever and ever it flows to no sea more deep than the seas is that river more full than their manifold tides where forever and ever and ever it flows and abides oh goodly the banks of that river oh goodly the fruits that they bear where forever and ever and ever it flows and is fair for low on each bank of that river the tree that is life-giving grows where forever and ever and ever the pure river flows that speaks of the heavenly river but on this rogation sunday thank you for joining me on the banks of this little stream of flowing water as a reminder of the gifts of god's fruitfulness given to his creation to invite us into creativity with the gifts he has given uniquely to each one of us we give thanks for seasons of growth we give thanks for all the seasons and on this afternoon as we say our prayers we give thanks for the company of each other let's keep silent for a moment and make our prayers for any whom we would want to pray for on this rotation sunday afternoon almighty god who has given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee and has promised that when two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests fulfill now o lord the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth and in the world to come life everlasting amen the god of peace who brought again from the dead our lord jesus that great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you and upon all whom you love and would pray for this afternoon and always amen [Applause] me [Applause] [Applause]