Spring Planting Project Liturgies

Here are three liturgies to read as a family at each of the three stages of the Spring Planting Project for Kids.

FOR THE PLANTING OF THE SEED

Oh Lord God, who formed the deep crusts of the earth at the foundation of the world, bless this soil now as we plant this seed, and fuse together the death of this seed with the life of this soil that, resurrected in a new form, this seed may flourish in the brilliance of the morning light. And as our fingers sift through the dirt to make a bed for this seed, may we remember that it was from the dust of the earth through which we were made, and it is to new life through Christ that we have been transformed and remade. So, too, let this seed rise from the dirt as it transforms from a broken shell into a tender stalk – peering out of the dark and into the light, claiming a new beauty, rising to a new life.

FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE SEED 

Oh God of life, we praise you for the birth of this little green shoot – may you bless it and imbue it with fresh strength as it pushes up through the dirt to find its life in you. Just as we, your children, are reborn into new life, may you bless this little shoot with the growth and grace that accompanies the journey from the womb to the world; from soil to sunlight; from darkness to light. May your gaze fall lovingly upon it as it braves the struggles of the atmosphere, and may it flourish in the constancy of your presence. And, like the daily struggles of this little shoot against the nefarious forces of nature, may we remember that as we struggle against those same forces, it is our faithfulness and not our success that you seek, and that being birthed into the world of the Spirit requires a humble faith in you, the Great Gardener, who sows the soil of our souls. For it is our faith that produces perseverance, and perseverance that produces endurance, and endurance that produces an everlasting hope. It is within that hope that we flourish. Therefore let us remember, that, like the journey of this little seed, the rebirthing of our souls is a reemergence from darkness to light, and that we, too, must abandon our habitat of darkness to embrace the grandeur of the light.

FOR THE DYING OF THE SEED

Lord of Heaven and earth, you are the God of the living and the dead, and in you all things hold together. Help us to trust that, as this young plant dies the death of all living things, its glory is held in your loving hands, and as it withers and curls its tendrils towards the earth, it yet holds your favor and is looked upon with your love. Though it passes from life to death, your pleasure in this little seedling and its faithfulness to your design upon all the greenery of the earth, remains. We, too, like this little plant, are creations of your pleasure and people of your favor. May we remember that we are held in your hands even more tenderly than this plant, and just as your touch of creation and redemption rests upon this earth, so does your promise of restoration. For embedded in death is resurrection, and in resurrection is the restoration of life. Help us to understand that, even as this little plant dies, the earth trembles with the hope of the whole world.

Downloadable pdf  ~Liturgies for the Seed -Christina Brown

The featured image is courtesy of Julie Jablonski and used with her gracious permission for Cultivating and The Cultivating Project. 

Christina Brown

A founding member of The Cultivating Project, Christina has been fascinated by beauty her whole life. Color, texture, pattern, fragrance, melody, light – all of the boundless ways in which creation shines – ignites her imagination, compelling her to create. Even as a wee sprite, Christina was dedicated to wordsmithing and sketching her way through its marvels in an attempt to capture, at least partially, the imprint of the Creator within it. But writing and drawing are not her only creative endeavors; several years ago she took on the laborious (but rewarding) task of nurturing a garden in the dismal soils of the Rocky Mountain foothills, and has eagerly employed her spade (alongside her pen) as a tool to cultivate and curate the beauty around her. 

She has two little gardeners-in-training who embody all these marvels and more in their merry little faces. She and her husband Brian are the founders of the Anselm Society based in Colorado Springs, whose mission and calling is a renaissance of the Christian Imagination. She serves as the Director of the Anselm Society Arts Guild and her creative work can be found at LiveBeautiful.today and on Instagram.