Hymn, readings and prayers for Sunday

The collect for Rogation Sunday.

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 your Son our Lord. Amen.

Rogation Sunday is the day when the Church offers prayers for God’s blessings on the fruits of the earth and the labours of those who produce our food. With all that is going on in the world at the moment, our farmers, growers and those in charge of our food supplies are greatly in need of our prayers. Climate change is beginning to have a marked impact while economic and political uncertainties, let alone the conflict in Ukraine, are creating anxieties for those who grow and supply our food. Remember too the people of Gaza where food is callously being used as a weapon.

First Reading:  Acts 16 v 9 – 15.

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptised, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us. 

Here we read of the very early days of the Christian church. When on missionary journeys, Paul usually went to the local synagogue. A synagogue would only be established if there were at least 10 men to support it. On this occasion Paul went to a place where it was known that women met to pray. Here we see God speaking through St. Paul and Lydia in response asking for her household and herself to be baptised.

Psalm 67:

 May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of his countenance and come to us.

 Let your ways be known upon earth,  your saving health among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations upon earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has brought forth her increase; may God, our own God, give us his blessing.

May God give us his blessing, and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

Second Reading  Revelation 21:10, 22- 22:5  In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.  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 is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day – and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practises abomination or falsehood, 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, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. 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 there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.

The Temple, and before that the tent of the Tabernacle, had for generations been the sign of God’s presence with His people.  Now there is no need for a sign as God Almighty and the Lamb are there. The sign has been replaced by the reality.

Gospel reading: St. John 14:23-29 

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.’

Duccio: Christ taking leave of the apostles

The Gospel reading looks forward to Ascension Day which is this Thursday.  In his words of farewell to the apostles, Jesus was laying the foundation so that once the events about which he was speaking began to unfold, they would be able to believe.

We thank you, Lord of all creation, for the wonder of the world in which we live, for the earth and all that springs from it,  and for the mystery of life and growth.

We pray for the Church that it may continue to witness to the love of Christ through prayer and through service to others.

We pray for the world: that the nations may join together to bring an end to poverty and that peace will come to the communities where violence and destruction are part of everyday life.

Especially today we pray for the farming community:
For our own farmers seeking to balance the demands of commerce and the care of land and livestock, 

for subsistence farmers in the developing world, that they may feed their families, 

for all who work in the countryside, 

for scientists and agronomists seeking ways of feeding the world’s population without endangering its resources. 

We pray for those known to us who are in poor health, thinking especially of .................................................May they know the strength and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have recently departed this life … and bring before you all who are deeply missing loved ones through bereavement.