The modernization of Plough Monday was brought about by Reverend Canon David Parrott of the St Lawrence Jewry church of the Church of England in London. Plough Monday was the medieval “back-to-work” ceremony in which plows were blessed on the first Monday after Epiphany.
Noting that today’s parishioners rarely make their living behind a plow, the Vicar placedr with two laptops and four smart phones on the alter. He said: “It’s the technology that is our daily working tool and it’s a technology we should bless.”
Asking his congregation to hold up their electronic gadgets above their heads he gave this blessing: “By your blessing, may these phones and computers, symbols of all the technology and communication in our daily lives, be a reminder to us that you are a God who communicates with us and who speaks by your Word.” The Reverend ended his blessing with this supplication: “May our tongues be gentle, our e-mails be simple, and our websites be accessible.”