[Friday's Devotional] - Smell

Smell As with taste, smell can be used to as an enticement or a warning. Scented flowers attract bees for pollination. Good smells encourage us to taste. Consider how some bakeries, coffee shops and chocolate shops channel the smell of their product outside to entice shoppers in. Bad smells indicate neglect and decay, often warning us of infection. In the story of Jesus raising Lazarus, stench is proof that the physical body is dead. Smells can be really evocative. They can take you back to significant moments in childhood. I remember so well the smell of wood fires in my Granny's house. The smell of wood smoke brings me back to the memory of happy Christmases and cosy family times. But I also remember the distinct smell of church – polish and heady flowers and old books. That smell brings back mixed feelings! I know plenty of people who use scented candles or sweet-smelling bath oils to help them relax. Many religious traditions use incense to generate an atmosphere of holiness, of peace and of tranquillity. Pleasant smells are associated with worship, and prayer rising heavenwards. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2 [NIV] How could we use the power of smell to enhance our own times of worship? Mairi Mowbray Twitter Website Copyright © 2018 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!