Ephesians 5:2 – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a sweet smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

"To live is to taste and touch, to smell and see and listen to, the good things of the earth and rejoice in them." Fred Beuchner

Protestant denominations in the Calvinist tradition are sometimes so word-oriented that we forget about the power of image, of silence, of symbol, of taste and touch, of sound. So let us take a quick look at the power of the senses to lift the spirit, today concentrating on Smell.

Who doesn't love the smell of a "real" Christmas tree?! Pine or spruce, cut wood, the forest, mountain air — the installation of a living tree into our living space creates a feast for the olfactory glands. More than many of us realize, smell has the ability to evoke memories, to recreate space, to embody joy in our midst. Returning from exile in Manitoba after four years' service to the church, Jeanne and I could literally smell the sea here in the Maritimes and we spent the last hours in the car sharing old memories provoked by the smell of the salty sea. Lake Winnipeg is no real substitute!

Christ made an offering the Bible calls a 'sweet-smelling' sacrifice for our salvation. That simply means a sacrifice that was pleasing to God. Like all smells, Christ's offering invokes memory and for these memories, we give thanks

Prayer: Praise be to you Lord Jesus Christ for offering yourself for us, a sacrifice sweet and sufficient for our salvation. Praise be to your name for ever and ever. Amen.

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About the author:

Kenn Stright <kennethstright@yahoo.ca>
West Petpeswick, Nova Scotia, Canada
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