Homilies
Not just Thankful, but responsible too.
Good afternoon, everyone!
Today is a special kind of service – a Rogation service. That’s a word we don’t hear often anymore, but it comes from the Latin word rogare, which means to ask. Traditionally, people would walk the boundaries of their village, praying for God’s blessing on the land, the crops, the animals, and the people who work with them. They asked for God’s provision – rain, sun, good harvests – but they also gave thanks for all that God had already given.
So today, we come to do two things:
To ask – for God’s blessing on our land, our work, our food, and our community.
And to give thanks – because everything we have is a gift from God.
We might all have heard the story of the young child who when asked: where does your breakfast come from? answered “The shop!”
But really – it starts way before that. The bread comes from grain that was grown in a field… The milk from cows cared for by farmers… The eggs from chickens… The fruit from trees and bushes… And all of that – the sunshine, the soil, the rain, the animals, even the people who harvest and prepare our food – are part of God’s creation.
Psalm 104 says: “You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills… You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use…”
It’s a beautiful picture of how God provides abundantly. Not just for people, but for animals, birds, fish – for the whole of creation.
So the first part of our Rogation service is simple: Thank you, God, for your good gifts.
But Rogation is not just about being thankful – it’s about being responsible too.
Jesus said in John 15: “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”
Jesus uses this image of a growing plant to remind us that when we stay close to Him – when we listen to His voice and live in His love – our lives will be fruitful. That doesn’t just mean doing good things, but living in a way that brings life, hope, and goodness into the world.
God has given us this beautiful world – but we are stewards, caretakers of it. That means we need to care for the land, not waste what we have, and make sure everyone in our community has what they need – especially the poor, the hungry, and those who feel forgotten.
For children, that might mean not wasting food or littering. For adults, maybe thinking about how we shop or recycle. But for all of us, it means loving God’s creation – and our neighbours.
This service is also about our local community. Many people here are involved in growing food, cooking meals, working in shops, helping neighbours, caring for the land. We might not all be farmers anymore, but we are all part of the harvest – part of the community that God provides for and through.
So today we ask for blessing upon our homes, our gardens, our work, and our shared life. We ask for God’s blessing on our community – not just so we can have more, but so we can be more generous, more loving, more like Jesus.
So let’s really try to do what Rogation invites us to do:
Let’s ask boldly – for rain, for growth, for justice, for provision.
Let’s give thanks – for every blessing, every meal, every moment of beauty in creation.
And let’s live faithfully – as good stewards, kind neighbours, and grateful children of God.
Amen.