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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"You Really Are A Breath Of Fresh Air"
May 20, 2009
I just sat down with my sub when the aroma of fresh cooked, crispy bacon
filled the air. It was so strong that I seemed to rise about three inches out of
my seat with my nose in the air. I felt like one of those cartoons characters
that you'd watch float through the air on the trail of some special treat.
In the blink of an eye I came back to reality and looked down at my savory
turkey breast on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and
pickle. All of a sudden it didn't have the same appeal it did just moments
before. I couldn't get the thought of bacon out of my mind.
Our sense of smell is a powerful thing. It can transport us back in time to
another place. When I think of bacon, I remember my mother making
BLT's for the family. I was only eight years old at the time. It was before
my parent's divorce and it is a happy memory for me.
The reason for this is simple. The sense of smell is the only sense with
direct access to the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. As a result,
every smell has the power to evoke strong memories. In other words,
smells remind us of all that is good or bad in our lives.
Long before modern science stepped in to help us understand this, the
Apostle Paul showed his knowledge of this phenomena by urging us to
present ourselves as a pleasant fragrance in the world. He writes to the
Corinthians "for we are to God the aroma of Christ to those who are being
saved."
To put it quite simply, Paul call us to be a breath of fresh air in a world that
stinks of hatred, greed, corruption and self indulgence. We are called to
bring a whiff of love, grace, peace and joy into every room we enter. For in
Christ, we bear the fragrance of God's redeeming love in our very being. So
he encourages us to let it out.
The truth is that when someone reaches out to us in a gracious act, it too,
reminds us of how much God loves us. The kindness, the blessing, the
smile is a gift that touches our souls. You and I have the power to share
because Christ is in us. So what are you waiting for? Go out and bless
someone. Be the aroma of Christ that points people to God today.
God Bless! See you in Church. Cal
May 20, 2009
I just sat down with my sub when the aroma of fresh cooked, crispy bacon
filled the air. It was so strong that I seemed to rise about three inches out of
my seat with my nose in the air. I felt like one of those cartoons characters
that you'd watch float through the air on the trail of some special treat.
In the blink of an eye I came back to reality and looked down at my savory
turkey breast on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and
pickle. All of a sudden it didn't have the same appeal it did just moments
before. I couldn't get the thought of bacon out of my mind.
Our sense of smell is a powerful thing. It can transport us back in time to
another place. When I think of bacon, I remember my mother making
BLT's for the family. I was only eight years old at the time. It was before
my parent's divorce and it is a happy memory for me.
The reason for this is simple. The sense of smell is the only sense with
direct access to the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. As a result,
every smell has the power to evoke strong memories. In other words,
smells remind us of all that is good or bad in our lives.
Long before modern science stepped in to help us understand this, the
Apostle Paul showed his knowledge of this phenomena by urging us to
present ourselves as a pleasant fragrance in the world. He writes to the
Corinthians "for we are to God the aroma of Christ to those who are being
saved."
To put it quite simply, Paul call us to be a breath of fresh air in a world that
stinks of hatred, greed, corruption and self indulgence. We are called to
bring a whiff of love, grace, peace and joy into every room we enter. For in
Christ, we bear the fragrance of God's redeeming love in our very being. So
he encourages us to let it out.
The truth is that when someone reaches out to us in a gracious act, it too,
reminds us of how much God loves us. The kindness, the blessing, the
smile is a gift that touches our souls. You and I have the power to share
because Christ is in us. So what are you waiting for? Go out and bless
someone. Be the aroma of Christ that points people to God today.
God Bless! See you in Church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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