I was surprised yesterday to find out it was Plough Sunday in the Anglican Church.
At about 11 minutes into Morning Prayer Dean Robert explained what it is about:
Morning Prayer – Sunday, 10th January 2021 | Canterbury Cathedral
I found this brief less than ten minutes scholarly explanation
Sacred Calendars; Plough Sunday with Alison Milbank
And here are some interesting examples
Plough Sunday Service from Grouville Parish Church
Virtual choir; 45 min
Another Led by Rev Lindsay Yates, the service comes from Octagon Parish
32 min
Carlton and Drax church Church of England
23:56
Torridge Team Churches 10th January 2020
49:04
While today Monday was the traditional day to go back to farm work after the Christmas holidays, it is also the time when I am beginning to set up my growing space for seedlings downstairs.
I have invested in a new LED grow light, so I really need a blessing for grow lights.
And, of course a blessing for seeds. There is some of that here in these services, although I think the main blessing of seedlings came during the rogation days in the spring.
Now the Theophany Blessing does provide water for the seeds.
The New Moon is tomorrow so I will plant some seeds in the next week or two since is was my Lithuanian grandmothers custom to plant seeds during the waxing Moon. It is rather early but the LED grown light is 80 watts (whereas my present one is 40Watts) and they advise you to place it 12 or more inches above the plants. So I am going to start seeds now to see what adjustments I have to make next month when the real seed planting will begin. Also to decide whether I want to replace all three grow lights.
Blessings on your efforts! I have been making sketches and lists of things to put in my two small perennial gardens this spring.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your gardening efforts!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a green thumb (that is code for, I'm lazy). But I love looking at seed catalogs and garden magazines this time of year, and think spring thoughts.
Thank you for the links about Plough Sunday. I didn't know about it. Dean Robert's explanation was good.
ReplyDeleteI do remember that we used to have rogation days, but that was later in the spring.
Slight point of correction: Plough Day is one of those Church of England observances that doesn't translate to the calendars of other Anglican denominations. I've always thought I should research whether there is some universal Anglican calendar that all Anglican churches recognize with additional national observances added in.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about the C of E calendar is that it often reflects the agrarian society of pre-Industrial Revolution times. In addition to Plough Sunday, there are Rogation Days (mentioned above), Lammas, and Harvest Thanksgiving. Each of these has its own liturgy. https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/times-and-seasons-4
I hadn't heard of Plough Sunday before, so thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteJust a handful of church calendar days sort of rise above the ecclesial water mark to enter mainstream consciousness. Christmas and Easter, of course, and we can probably put Good Friday and even Ash Wednesday on the list. We can add St. Patrick's Day, and possibly St. Joseph's Day. St. Valentine used to be on the Roman calendar, I'm told, and still is for the Anglican Communion, Lutherans the Eastern Orthodox. I suppose not one in a thousand Americans reflect on there being a saint for the day when February 14 rolls around every year.
Do you remember ember days? They used to be days of partial fast and abstinence.
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