The month of May is here, and for gardeners, this signals that planting season has come. The rule of thumb is that, at least in this area, it is wise to wait until around Mother’s Day before planting annual flowers as well as vegetables. Late frosts can and do happen, which can kill things that are planted too early. And now, the time has arrived for planting.
The photo here is of a new community garden at the church where I serve as pastor. This project is a new initiative that has been several years in the making. It came as an outgrowth from a summer sabbatical that I was blessed to receive in 2023. One of the intended purposes of this sabbatical was to examine more closely the care and stewardship of God’s creation, and to visit gardens in various places. Following the sabbatical, in Fall 2023, I taught a Sunday morning Bible class on this subject, and then brought to the Church Council a proposal to establish a task force to explore the feasibility of a community garden here on church property. A wonderful team of people from the congregation came together and embraced this idea, learning much along the way as we discussed, prayed, and visited other churches who already had community gardens in place. From this, plans were drawn up and a recommendation was brought before the Church Council in October 2024 to proceed with a community garden here at St. John’s Lutheran Church. The Church Council approved this recommendation, and this was then shared with the congregation at the December 2024 voters meeting. Construction of the garden itself – installation of posts, fencing, gates and arbor, entrance pavers, and raised beds – all came about through the dedication and “sweat equity” of individuals who have freely offered themselves, their time, and their energy to make this vision become a reality. I am so very grateful to each and every one who has helped with this project.
The team decided it was best to start off with something manageable size-wise. As the photo indicates, the enclosed garden is not overly large (18 x 26 feet), but allows for enough raised beds to accommodate a good number of plants. Still to come are compost bins as well as a storage shed for tools. The fence is high enough that deer should not (we hope) be able to get into the garden and make this their personal salad bar. The gates have a lock already installed to keep this space secure. Soil and organic materials for the raised beds are now in place. Plans even include a sign to hang over the entrance with an appropriate passage from Scripture: “Their life shall be like a watered garden” (Jeremiah 31:12). And now we are ready for planting season!
Within the Easter season, there is a long-standing Christian custom of something called Rogation Days. Traditionally, these are days of prayer and fasting, and in some places, have been observed with processions. The word “rogation” comes from the Latin, rogare, meaning “to ask,” denoting asking the Lord God to protect His people from calamities, as well as to bless both seed and soil in the spring planting season. Different traditions associate April 25, as well as the Monday to Wednesday before Ascension Day, as Rogation Days. Ascension Day, forty days after Easter and always on a Thursday, is on May 29 this year. Within Lutheranism, the Fifth Sunday of Easter has traditionally been called Rogate Sunday, and so there is a connection between this day and asking the Lord’s blessing on springtime planting. With our new community garden now in place, and with the planting season now upon us, it is fitting and proper to ask the Lord’s blessing upon seeds and soil for an abundant harvest in due time.
This begs the question: What will we do with the vegetables that are produced in this new community garden? The decision was made early on that all produce from the community garden would be given to Koinonia, the local community service agency (http://www.koinoniacare.org). Helping our neighbors in need by providing fresh produce would be a great way to support what God is doing through Koinonia.
It is planting season, and so we pray not only for ourselves, our own gardens at home, and our new community garden at church. We also pray for God’s blessing on all who serve in agriculture, not just in rural areas, but in all areas, our own area included. In this planting season, I invite you to join with me in the prayer below:
O Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater: nourish, protect, and bless the seed which is now being sown and planted in hope; so that by your good ordering and bountiful giving, it may bring forth fruit in due season, and be harvested with thanksgiving to satisfy the desires of your people with nourishing food; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.