This appears to be a very ancient festival, revived by the Victorians. Traditionally it’s celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany, January 6. Often the plough was feted and drawn through the streets to be blessed in church. This was thought to ensure food for the coming year. The following day, Plough Monday, was the first day that work in the fields re-commenced after Christmas.

Nowadays, of course, a good deal of ploughing takes place in the autumn so this service may be held on any appropriate Sunday.

A ploughshare is brought to the door of the Church or Chapel, escorted by those who are to take a speaking part in the service and by other representatives of farming life. The Minister and choir receives them at the door.

The Welcome

We come as representatives of our community

to offer our work to the service of God.

We welcome you in the name of the One who made us all, people, animals and all the earth.

Hymn We plough the fields and scatter

The Minister and Choir lead the way into the Church or Chapel,

followed by those carrying the ploughshare which is placed at the front.

Psalm Verses from Psalm 104 to be said in alternate verses.

Praise the Lord, 0 my soul.

O Lord my God, you are very great;

you are clothed with splendour and majesty.

wrapped in light as with a garment.

You make the clouds your chariot,

you ride on the wings of the wind.

You make winds your messengers,

flames of fire your ministers.

You make springs gush forth in the valleys

they flow between the hills, giving drink to every creature.

You cause grass grow for the cattle,

and plants for man to cultivate,

to bring forth food from the earth:

and wine to gladden the human heart,

oil to make the face shine,

and bread to strengthen the human heart.

The moon marks off the seasons,

and the sun knows when to go down.

You bring darkness, it becomes night,

and all the beasts of the forest come creeping out.

The sun rises, and they steal away;

they return and lie down in their dens.

Then people go out to their work,

to their labour until the evening time.

How many are your works, 0 LORD!

In wisdom you made them all;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live

.OR

The earth is the Lord’s:

The wide extent of the world:

The Lord looked upon the earth:

As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest

When farmers ploughs for planting, do they plough continually?

When they have levelled the surface, do they not plant wheat in its place and barley in its plot?

0 Creator God, who works through our hands and our minds, as we strive to renew the face of the earth and bring your kingdom, help us to feel reverence for the power you give us, and to love the small part of your creation which you have entrusted to each of us. Amen.

Our acknowledgement of sin

When we are ungrateflul for the rain, sun, frost and snow,

When we are blind to the mystery of germination

When we are careless with our beasts.

When we are unkind to those who work with us,

When we are careless about our work.

When we ill-treat the land

Forgiveness

May God the Father forgive your/our misusing of His creative work

May God the Son take up into His cross the sufferings of your/our land, your/our animals, your/our families and yourselves/ourselves.

May God the Holy Spirit give you/us the strength and power to overcome your/our troubles, weaknesses and temptations. May God the Holy Trinity forgive you/us all your/our sins. Amen.

Let us pray the prayer given us by our Lord:

Our Father in heaven or Our Father which art in heaven

Hymn God whose farm is all creation

Our gratitude for God’s gifts

From God comes every good and perfect gift:

The rich soil, the smell of the fresh-turned earth:

The keenness of a winter’s frost, our breath steaming:

The hum of the tractor, the gleam of a cutting edge:

The beauty of a clean-cut furrow, the sweep of a well-ploughed field:

Blessed be God in all his gifts:

Hymn

0 Christ who holds the open gate,

0 Christ who drives the furrow straight,

0 Christ, the plough, 0 Christ, the laughter

Of holy white birds flying after.

Lo, all my heart’s field’s red and torn,

And thou wilt bring the young green corn,

The young green corn divinely springing.

The young green corn for ever singing;

And when the field is fresh and fair

Thy blessed feet shall glitter there,

And we will walk the weeded field,

And tell the golden harvest’s yield,

The corn that makes the holy bread

By which the soul of man is fed,

The holy bread, the food unpriced,

Thy everlasting mercy, Christ.

(suggested tune WAREHAM)

Address

Hymn For the beauty of the earth" (or other) (collection for Rural Crisis Network or similar)

1st Speaker: The plough is the foundation of our work and a symbol of our labour:

2nd Speaker: For the soil to be broken up and the seed sown, we must first plough the fields.

3rd Speaker: For the green corn to grow and the ripe grain to be reaped, we must first plough the fields.

1st Speaker: For the bread to be baked and the people fed, we must first plough the fields.

2nd Speaker: For prosperity to come to our farms and families we must first plough the fields.

3rd Speaker: So we bring this ploughshare here for you to give your blessing to it and to all the work done on our farms.

OR

1st Speaker: God speed the plough:

the plough and the ploughman,

the farm and the farmer.

2nd Speaker: God speed the plough:

the beam and the mouldboard, the slade and the sidecap, the share and the coulters.

3rd Speaker: God speed the plough:

in fair weather and foul, in rain and wind, in frost and sunshine, in success and failure:

Let us pray

O God, who gives each of us work to do for your sake. we ask for your blessing on this plough

and upon all the machines that enable us to do our work upon the land. We ask you to prosper throughout the year the work done on the farms of our neighbourhood.

May the farmers’ hopes be fulfilled in a plentiful harvest. May your people be fed with wholesome food; May town and country. united in gratitude to you, be drawn nearer to the understanding and true service of each other: through Jesus Christ our Lord.

OR

God who hast entrusted the soil to our keeping, help us to give you a good account of our management: that as we keep our land in good heart, so we may ourselves be kept rich in Christian living: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing of the people and Dismissal

May God bless you in winter and summer,

at your ploughing, your sowing and your reaping.

May God give you sunshine and rain in due season:

May God, who gladdens the face of the earth,

give you joyfulness of heart.

May God, who has called you to work on the land

set your affections upon himself.

And may the strength and the companionship

Of God, Father, Son and Spirit

be among you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

Hymn Immortal, invisible, God only wise (or other)