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Does Your Church Smell?
- By Mark Matlock
- Published 02/15/2009
- Theological Themes
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Does Your Church Smell?
This past Thanksgiving dinner my cousin Connor, who has autism, was able to sit at the table with us during mealtime for the first time. It was a very special moment for all of us. Typically Connor runs around the backyard during our family gatherings and my aunt and uncle spend most of their time following him.
Not so this year. Connor has been in a program that has led to some incredible changes in his social behavior that were so impressive and amazing to witness. He even interacted with me in ways I hadn't experienced since his infancy before the signs of autism began to show.
At one moment he gave me a big wet, open mouth kiss (his mouth was open mine was not!) and then gave my brother Josh a big embrace as we sat on the couch. Surprising as that was, he then stood up, said some words in "Connor speak" (which I have not yet learned to interpret) then blurted the word "CHURCH".
I was totally shocked. Both my brother and I are ordained ministers, my brother is a senior pastor. Had Connor sensed our involvment in ministry?
He looked at his mom, spoke the words only she could understand and then blurted out the word "CHURCH" once again pointing at my brother on the couch.
My aunt laughed and translated, "Connor says you smell like our church. Connor loves church*."
I laughed kind of wondering what "church" smelled like.
That reminded me of a passage in the second letter to the church of Corinth:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
So...What does your church smell like?
Not so this year. Connor has been in a program that has led to some incredible changes in his social behavior that were so impressive and amazing to witness. He even interacted with me in ways I hadn't experienced since his infancy before the signs of autism began to show.
At one moment he gave me a big wet, open mouth kiss (his mouth was open mine was not!) and then gave my brother Josh a big embrace as we sat on the couch. Surprising as that was, he then stood up, said some words in "Connor speak" (which I have not yet learned to interpret) then blurted the word "CHURCH".
I was totally shocked. Both my brother and I are ordained ministers, my brother is a senior pastor. Had Connor sensed our involvment in ministry?
He looked at his mom, spoke the words only she could understand and then blurted out the word "CHURCH" once again pointing at my brother on the couch.
My aunt laughed and translated, "Connor says you smell like our church. Connor loves church*."
I laughed kind of wondering what "church" smelled like.
That reminded me of a passage in the second letter to the church of Corinth:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
So...What does your church smell like?
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Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by Zach)
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I have to admit, before I read your side note, I thought of some of the churches in North East Tennessee and Virginia that I've been in that smell like old carpet, old people and ancient hymnals all mixed into a hybrid smell that cannot be separated. They say the sense of smell is the strongest one tied to memory.
