The fragrance is overwhelming.
There is a worship wisdom that unmistakably emanates from the historic writings of many past and ancient Christians. While writing from their unique times, unique places and unique worldviews, one only needs to read a few words from Therese de Liseux, Bernard of Clairvaux, or Irenaeus of Lyon to sense something desperately needed in our times. In the face of their own seemingly insurmountable challenges, their words are often fragrant with the scent of hope. Living in hope is a formidable task in our generation. Life is hard, and while the culture around us can be beautiful, it can also be dehumanizing.
The role of the lead worshipper in a community, leading with new songs or with ancient liturgy, is to support the Christian in living in hope. Strong lyrics, music, images and art can carry aromas that draw us to embrace once again a God-centric worldview. Art and music can be aromatic with an expectation that heaven’s reality will bleed into our daily reality, and can restore the memory to us that new creation and right-relationships are “the order of the day” for the follower of Jesus.
Such worship incense can lift the soul beyond the pain of existence, into a living hope. Hope, in the 21st century world, is the perfume of God’s presence.
Suggested Reading: Devotional Classics, edited by Richard Foster and James Bryan Smith
