good morning and welcome to the garden of the deanery at canterbury cathedral on this morning of the sixth sunday of easter tide which is normally called rogation sunday when we ask god's blessing upon the growing harvests of the world now wherever you are in the world your harvests will be growing at different times and be collected at different times but our prayers are for all of human work mixing with god's creation on this regation sunday morning we've come into the the greenhouse because this isn't about the collecting of the harvest it's about setting in motion the plants outside which have been fostered from seed time and these vegetables and fruits will then go on to grow and you will have harvests similar to that but at different times of year and with different crops we give thanks for the bounty but also pray for a spirit of sharing particularly with those whose harvests are poor or have failed or who have nothing oh lord open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise in your resurrection oh christ let heaven and earth rejoice hallelujah christ our passover has been sacrificed for us so let us celebrate the feast not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth christ once raised from the dead dies no more death has no more dominion over him in dying he died to sin once for all in living he lives to god see yourselves therefore as dead to sin and alive to god in jesus christ our lord christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits of those who sleep the night has passed the day lies open before us let us pray with one heart and mind does we rejoice in the gift of this new day so may the light of your presence o god set our hearts on fire with love for you now and forever amen psalm on the 17th morning of the month psalm 87 her foundation is on the holy mountains for the lord loves the gates of zion more than all the dwellings of jacob glorious things are spoken of you zion city of our god i record egypt and babylon as those who know me behold philistia tyre and ethiopia in zion were they born and of zion it shall be said each one was born in her and the most high has established her the lord will record as he writes up the peoples this one also was born and as they dance they shall sing all my fresh springs are in you on this brigation sunday morning we're going to read two short lessons one is from the book of genesis and it is from the eighth chapter and beginning at the 13th verse in the 601st year in the first month the first day of the month the waters were dried from off the earth and noah removed the covering of the ark and looked and behold the face of the ground was dry in the second month on the 27th day of the month the earth had dried out then god said to noah go out from the ark you and your wife and your sons and your son's wives with you bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth that they may swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth so noah went out and his sons and his wife and his son's wives with him every beast every creeping thing every bird everything that moves on the earth went out by families from the ark and when the lord saw that the earth was dry the ground because of man he made this promise never again will i strike down every living creature as i have done while the earth remains seedtime and harvest cold and heat summer and winter day and night shall not cease and from the gospel of saint luke some verses from jesus himself which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him friend lend me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey i have nothing to set before him and he will answer from within don't bother me the door is now shut my children are with me in bed i cannot get up and give you anything i tell you though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs and i tell you ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks receives the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened this sunday takes its name from the latin word i ask rogo rogation sunday and we ask of the lord that he will bless the work of our hands as we work in tune with his creation in this beautiful gift of the earth that he has given us this is a day when we recognize our responsibility for this planet on which we live we have learned so much about how to look after it we've also learned so many things about what causes harm but at the same time we've learned so much about harvesting crops and the lesson today for those as they begin to grow and as we plant is a lesson of sharing jesus teaches us to pray in our prayers and to look around for lessons of creation we are never nearer to god than when we're being created for his very nature is to be the creator every gift we have is from him and jesus reinforces that some of the best gifts we have are the companionships and love of one another and that too must be carefully tended these are difficult times when we can't meet each other physically in lockdown and we pray that these times will soon be over but in them we learn lessons of how precious those gifts of god are to us and it causes us to to look around at the earth and see how precious that gift is so let this regression tide as we enjoy the sense of being able soon to step outside and have fresh air again from our lockdowns but also think of each other wherever we are in the world let us treasure the preciousness of that gift and know that every gift is made more precious from the moment we begin to share it so we say first the special prayer for this sunday of easter and then a regation tied prayer god our redeemer you have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your son grant that as by his death he has recalled us to life so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy through jesus christ our lord amen god our father you never cease the work you have begun and prosper with your blessing all human labor make us wise and faithful stewards of your gifts that we may serve the common good maintain the fabric of our world and seek that justice where all may share the good things you pour upon us through jesus christ our lord amen as we think of our own responsibility for the earth and for each other so we say the prayer our lord has taught us in whichever language and whichever way we would normally use our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever amen a few moments of silence as we ponder the messages of this day of rogation and growing crops god of peace who brought again from the dead our lord jesus that great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you this day and upon all whom you love and would pray for now and always amen