Pastor Kevin began the sermon by lighting a candle. A vanilla-scented candle because, he said, he thinks God smells like vanilla. Which is a nice thought if you are into smells. I am.

Certain smells carry a memory for me. Ivory soap reminds me of Granny Leona. Coal reminds me of Pap Spears. Urine reminds me of Granpa Harve because he kept a Maxwell House can under his bed that he peed into every night and we had to empty every morning.

Chanel No. 5 reminds me of Mama. Charley reminds me of an old boyfriend. Tabu reminds me of Mayor Allen's daughter because she used to douse herself it with every morning before school.

Sunshine has a smell. It smells like clothes drying on a line. And I love the smell of a new book. It smells like hope. Maybe if more people read our world wouldn't be in such despair.

This world can seem dark at times. Pastor Kevin said believers act as though God is playing a game of hide-n-seek. Like God is hiding behind the couch with the Cheetos and dust balls. If we stumble upon him, we call all our friends and tell them, "i found him! I found him!"  

As if God was lost and we were doing the finding, when in truth, it is us that does all the hiding.

Kevin said he feels closest to God at church on Sundays. But on other days of the week, he doesn't feel God's presence so much. One night, when he was working late, in the dark, all alone, Kevin heard a knocking noise. It sounded like footsteps. God-size footsteps. Kevin grabbed a knife from the kitchen, and went creeping around the church, clutching that blade, talking in a deep voice, urging whoever it was to get out, now!

Turns out it was only the pipes in the floor.

Sometimes we act like that. Creeping around in fear, expecting God to be hunkered down behind a couch or a door, snickering over our half-hearted attempts to chase away the bogeyman. 

If we knew God better, we'd know that he doesn't play hide-n-seek. And he wouldn't snicker at us about anything. He doesn't want us to be afraid, ever.

Maybe the next time we feel threatened, or under attack, instead of being on the defense, we ought to sit down, be quiet, shut our eyes, and breath in the vanilla scent of God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6yhgFxDQMw