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Phew! What smells?
By Kay Bonikowsky Thursday, October 16th, 2008
Proverbs says that perfume and incense bring joy to the heart! After watching Perfume: The story of a murderer*, I wondered at the power of smell.
My favorite smell
The most poignant smell in my life is the smell of mildew. That is because my earliest memories are from the Amazon Rainforest where you can whiff the dampness getting off the plane. I remember stuffing my nose in my sister’s suitcase when she returned for furlough, wallowing up the wonderful feelings of childhood in Brazil. On hot days, I get a suggestion of that smell off little girl’s sweaty heads. Gross, huh? Nevertheless, I continue to sniff deeply in dank, moist places hoping to be transported to that happy time of life. Smell is my way of time travel.
The smell of worship
When the Hebrews were wandering In the desert, God instructed the perfumer to mix a special fusion to anoint the tabernacle, the holy utensils and the priests. The recipe included the essential oils from myrrh, cinnamon, cannabis (the herb that produces marijuana), cassia (a type of cinnamon) mixed with olive oil. Likewise, the perfumers were to create a powder that would continually burn before the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The recipe included the resin from frankincense; a fixative made from the mollusk shell; the resin from a bitter, musky herb; pure frankincense and salt. It was forbidden to use these perfumes for any other purpose than in the tabernacle. God designed the power of scent. He understands its power. This was the special smell of worship.
God’s favorite smell
There are many verses that say a smell pleased the Lord. He smelled the sacrifice of burning flesh after the flood and swore never to destroy the earth with water again. The fragrant incense involved in temple worship is an offering that softens His ear to hear the repentant prayer. God smelled Christ’s death in its pure perfection. In the New Era, repentant Christians are themselves a pleasing odor that makes Him happy.
But of all the smells that fill heaven, the one that is most dear is our prayers. In Revelation, we get a glimpse of heaven. Angels lift up golden bowls that waft the aroma of spicy prayers into the nose of our God. Imagine that! Maybe when we get our new and improved noses, we’ll enjoy the wonder of smelling words as well. In the meanwhile, I rejoice that I can transport God through my odiferous supplication.
→ 2 CommentsTags: Smell of worship, smelling prayers
Awana Grand Prix 2008
By Kay Bonikowsky Tuesday, October 7th, 2008Pictures by Beth Bruno.
Our club meets at Cypress Community Church in Lynnwood, on Sunday nights at 5:00 – 6:30 pm.
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Patience is a lost virtue
By Christy Rood Wednesday, September 24th, 2008I am an impatient person. When I was 3, I wanted to swim in the river with my older sister and brother, and almost drowned. When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be in high school. When I was in high school, I wanted to be in college. When I was in college, I wanted to be married. When I was married, I wanted kids. Now that I have young kids, I can’t wait until they are old enough to be more independent.
I’m an impatient driver. My driving is in some ways a metaphor for my life. It is a race. I get behind the shortest line at the red light. If the lines are equal, I get behind the car I think will go fastest. I get frustrated with slow drivers, bad drivers, traffic, construction, red lights. I’m impatient in the store. I try to find the line that will move fastest, and if there is a long line, I love the self-checkout lane! I can’t handle a slow internet connection, or cassette tapes, or CD’s for that matter.
I’m not alone. There is an epidemic of impatience in America today. We can find out the sex of our babies through DNA testing in the first 6 weeks of pregnancy. We are suddenly dissatisfied with our current operating system whenever we learn there’s an even faster one coming out. There is even a term for it called The Economics of Impatience – which is basically banks and retailers using our impatience to their companies’ advantage.
It used to be that impatience was something you grew out of when you became an adult. When you’re a kid, your parents and teachers continually drilled into you the foolishness of impatience. Think about the children’s stories that deal with impatience – The Tortoise and the Hare and The Three Little Pigs to name a few. And then there are the “wise sayings” adults loved to say to you when you were a kid like “Haste makes waste”, and “All good things come to those who wait”, and “Practice Makes Perfect”, and “Fools rush in.” But now, it seems like patience is no longer a sign of maturity. In many ways, impatience is held up as more virtuous these days.
Albert Einstein understood the impatience of youth when he said, “the faster you go, the shorter you are.” And Saint Augustine placed high value on the virtue of patience when he said, “patience is the companion of wisdom.” Why are we more wise when we are patient? Well, the first reason I can think of is that patience is a fruit of the spirit. But, the second reason I can see is that our example, Christ, was a patient man. He waited 30 years to begin his ministry, when he knew he would only live to 33. He was continually patient with the humanity of his disciples (especially Peter). He was never in a hurry. He stopped to play with children. He stopped at a well and struck up a conversation with a Samaritan woman. If you were God, and you knew you only had 2 ½ years to prove it to the world, wouldn’t your life take on a frantic nature?
Our greatest mandate as Christians is to love God and love others. How can we love them if we’re so darn impatient with them all the time? Think about the number of times in your life you have gotten antsy waiting for God to work things out, so you just took the matter into your own hands. Proverbs 23: 14 says, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” And I can’t even count the times when I’ve gotten impatient with other people, completely ignoring my own faults and weaknesses. One of the great church fathers Tertullian said, “Patience is the mother of mercy.” I’d say it can go the other way too – the more merciful we are with people (recognizing that we are all flawed humans in need of God’s grace), the more patient we can be with them. Aren’t you glad God isn’t as impatient with you as you are with others?
So, let’s take a deep breath and live a little more patiently. Let’s take a walk with our kids and let them explore along the way without hurrying them along. Let’s leave our blackberries and cell phones at home once in awhile. Let’s save up the money for a new couch instead of putting it on credit. Let’s take the virtue of patience off the shelf, dust it off, and put it to good use.
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If you are sick, please stay away!
By Kay Bonikowsky Friday, September 19th, 2008
What happened to the Christian practice of visiting the sick? It seems we have traded our compassion for judgmental quarantine along with the rest of society. Here’s a glimpse of our worldly mindset. Bear in mind, those who profess the love of Christ are speaking.
“Honey, don’t play over there. Jeanie has a runny nose.”
“A family who has had sick kids all week with a stomach bug are planning to attend my kids’ party this weekend! How can I politely ask them to stay home, without hurting their feelings?”
“Did you see that kid coughing in the nursery? I’m going to get my child and go home. I’ve had enough of my kids being sick this year. I’m not going through that again.”
“How dare Bob come to work today spreading his germs around to the rest of us? I can’t afford to get sick.”
“What are the Johnson’s thinking, taking those beautiful children to the mission field? Who knows what kind of disease they will expose them to!”
I will not jump on the bandwagon and comment about the “irresponsibility” and “thoughtlessness” of the ill being present in public situations. We have become overbalanced on that issue. The church needs to hear some shouting on the other side of the scale to which I’ll lend my voice. WHY ARE WE AFRAID OF THE SICK? I think if you weigh your answer, you’ll find it wanting.
In the early days of Christianity, the Christians heroically embraced the sick in times of pestilence. Roman historians contrasted the concern of the Christians with the indifference of the general population. They were known for hastening to side of the unhealthy as others were rushing away. Christians stood out because they were not afraid of sick people. And this wasn’t the common cold or flu we are talking about, but plagues and poxes! It wasn’t a lingering cough or sore sinuses they were chancing, but a painful death, maybe without the same compassionate care they were offering others. It was nobility of the highest order, that had no thought for it’s own welfare.
“I was … sick and you visited me … ” Jesus said.
The righteous will reply, “Lord, when did we see you sick and visit you?’”
The King will reply, “The truth is, whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did for me.”
I think its time we traded our vehement self-concern for sympathetic regard; a kind touch instead of turning away; and a gift of hot soup instead of a cold shoulder.
Further resources
This site offers ten tips when visiting a sick friend.
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, preached a sermon reminding his flock to visit the sick.
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Feminine or Feminist
By Brent Rood Monday, September 8th, 2008In light of the recent buzz over Sarah Palin’s nomination as Vice Presidential Candidate of the Republican Party, I thought I would come out of my blog fast to possibly offend a lot of people. Palin, an attractive woman, proud mother of five, articulate speaker, supporter of moral values, accomplished governor, and strong supporter of women’s equality, would seem to be the perfect icon for women around the world. Yet the media is attempting to tear her apart. Particularly the left-wing feminists are having a field day with Palin.
Why? Palin is a threat to feminists because she is too feminine. Feminists hate femininity. They hate women who are attractive without being vain, affectionate but not slutty, vocal but not bitchy, ambitious but not at any moral cost, supportive of a masculine husband without being a doormat, educated but not arrogant, leading but with the heart of a public servant.
Feminists are embarrassed for being women. They believe “men should be men and women should be men too.” (All the while hating men – go figure.) They want to look like men with their butch hair-cuts parted on the side and their power business suits. They work hard at being cold and unemotional. They want all other women to be embarrassed of their gender. They want women to hate having breasts and ovaries, and long for the same flow of testosterone that men have. If a woman dares to be feminine and is proud of it, she is seen as weak, misdirected, or male dominated. If a woman doesn’t believe being a girl and acting like a girl is somehow degrading, she is viewed as naïve.
Feminists hate mothers. The Mother represents all that is pitiful and primitive in today’s women. The feminine woman is the she-bear who will tear limb to limb anyone who would harm her cub or her family; who would sacrifice even her own life in order to save the life of her kids. The Feminist is the Praying Mantis who would rather eat the head of her male partner than have a life long healthy relationship or commitment to a family unit. The feminist would even kill her own child in order to protect her “rights”. The right to choose is actually the duty of all women to choose to reject their femininity – to reject the natural bond and protective spirit of every mother to her children, born and unborn. It is to murder the innocent out of self-interest that is to kill what makes her feminine.
So don’t let the word “Feminist” confuse you. There is nothing feminine about it. Feminism may one day be successful in converting the planet to its sick ideology but then that will be the end of the human race. Why? Because the dirty little secret no one seems to want to admit is that few real men want to marry and have a family with a “liberated woman”. So unless artificial insemination becomes the primary mode of reproduction, there will be a planet full of angry Feminists with no one willing to copulate with them.
→ 9 CommentsTags: feminine, feminist, Palin, politics
