The following poem was sent to us by former parishioners Bill and Barbara Birmingham telling of their memories of Rogation Day.
Prayer comes the Rain
For many months there’d been no rain
The farmers started to complain.
The fields were dry throughout the nation.
The church gave farmers intimation
That on the Sunday called Rogation
The Vicar and the congregation
Would come into the farmers’ fields
To pray for rain and pray for yields.
So on that Sunday half past two
The Vicar, choir and others who
Had come to join the time of prayer
Processed from church to fields quite bare.
They walked along a little lane
So at the farm could pray for rain.
The farmers wanted to oblige a
Group of pray-ers like Elijah.
When in the field they came together
They looked to see what type of weather.
Looking up, the skies were blue
The sun was shining hotly too.
The Vicar started leading prayer
To God who for all folks takes care.
Please, Lord, we pray to you for rain.
The farmers all are under strain.
We pray they’ll have a decent yield
From crops they’re planting in these fields.
Although this year the fields look blank
May we at harvest come with thanks.
On Monday morning came the rain
From then on rain did never stop.
It soaked the fields and grew the grain.
The once dry fields they copped the lot.
When harvest came what celebration
In the church’s congregation
All rejoiced and gave God thanks
For cabbages the size of tanks.
It showed that when to God we pray
He’ll hear and answer right away
Out in the fields amazed were all
To see that maize was 8 foot tall
For when we joined in prayer from Copp
The Lord provided such a crop.
The above is reminder of the 4 years when we lived in Great Eccleston and worshipped at Copp.
Barbara and Bill