Our Sensuous God

14 October 2015

Melide

Our Sensuous God

We have had two spectacular days of walking through the Galacian forests, quaint villages, and farmlands. The trails zigzag up and over small hills and bank along a trail that tunneled trees and shrubs for which the Camino to pass. Walking under a huge canopy of trees has always made me feel like being blanketed in a warm and toasty peace. These monstrous trees stretch some 75 feet or taller and stand like sentinels while pilgrims saunter along. I so love this stretch of the Camino.

My reflection these two days has been simmering with a new perspective I've grown attached to in my relationship and imagery with God. It started with my experience while walking along these forest trails. The Camino is lined with long distances of Aspen and Eucalyptus trees. The color is just starting to change in this area, but it hasn't been the color so much that caught my attention. It's the sounds. The Camino trail serves as a wind tunnel and the leaves of these trees come alive and dance in the strong breezes. Because of this being autumn though, the leaves are drier and the wind rustling through them creates a symphony of baby rattles. It has volume, but it is not offensive in the least. The feel of the strong breeze and the distinct leaf rattling overhead is soothing. Add to this, it has been stunningly beautiful weather with temperatures in the low 70's. There are beautiful, clear blue skies with sunlight piercing through the trees' canopy. It's been all so lovely to experience. Can you recall your stunning autumn day with wind and sun? It's moving. True?

While I walked along in all this enchanting nature, a scripture connection came to mind. It is in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles "like a strong wind." My imagination led me to consider what a Spirit wind might sound like. Could it relate to the wind I heard today in the forests? Perhaps in a small way. I'd imagine a Spirit wind to be a more dramatic wind. However, the more I contemplated this scripture scene, the more I came to appreciate that our God chooses to be present and grace us with experiences we can actually feel. The apostles must have felt the strong wind, heard its entry and presence against their skin, seen the light of tongues of fire dancing above them, the light it produced within the room, and felt the flame's warmth. All of these elements would have stirred their senses so.

This consideration enlivened my senses while I sauntered along the Camino through the forests. I thought, "How great it is that God valued the human element of us so much that He would provide such an Upper Room backdrop filled with so many senses within it to help us actually feel and better grasp this introduction of the Holy Spirit."

I started today with a second day of contemplating this whole idea of the senses that are engaged in the scripture stories. How often gave little notice of them. With a little attention, I came to see that the scripture writers really did use such vivid descriptions that engage our senses all for the greater purpose of allowing us to actually feel the stories more intimately.

Here is where I realized how I had limited some of the richer meaning in the scripture. Jesus engaged our senses in telling His stories. Consider the Wedding Feast at Cana- the best tasting wine. Spitting into the dirt to make mud to massage into the blind man's eyes-I wince at a dust speck in the eye, but mud?! Then there was the woman who broke the alabaster jar of perfumed oil. The fragrance that filled that room floated Jesus' acceptance of a woman all had judged and shunned. Not to be overlooked, the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. The imagination of how comforting a sensation that must have been carries another storyline of Jesus' unconditional love and mercy. There are so many others. Closer attention to the senses engaged in the stories enriches the meaning.

I went on and on considering other scripture stories and senses that empowered the messages. So many have sensual threads through them. May I add, I recognize, for some, this word carries a sometimes sexual message. I make no reference in any such way. Nonetheless, many senses are enlivened in the telling of the stories. In that way, they are sensual.

So why would God use sensual connections within the scripture messages? Simple. We humans are sensual. We experience life through our senses. He created us and understands the power of our senses in motivating us, inspiring us, teaching us, connecting us to others, connecting us to Him.

Is it no wonder that so many sensual elements are included in our worship services? Music, burning candles and incense, communion that starts as bread and wine, anointing and healing oils, holy water for blessing ourselves, and handshakes of peace and welcome with others. All of these activities awaken our senses.

I grew to love God more by realizing how He loves us so much that He created us with such fine senses so that we might actually feel His presence in the world around us. A rainbow in the sky to remind us of His promise, the warmth of His sunlight to remind us of hope, the touch of another to awaken the feeling of love. Our senses are not to be taken for granted. God designed us to enjoy those five precious senses as gifts to enjoy life and to share it more meaningfully with others.

Are we not made in the image and likeness of God? We are sensual because our God is sensual.

Consider this opportunity. Take a long and careful study of nature. Listen to the quiet places where He speaks so loud, like the rustle of the wind. Feel the wind and sun upon you. At meal time, be mindful of the gift of the taste and smell of His bounty.

Our God is sensual. He can be experienced more intimately but taking more careful notice of our own senses. I came to experience and believe this during my walk in the forest. I am richer for it.

I pray your pause to notice the senses alive in you will make you richer as well.

In His embrace,

Deacon Willie, DW