Today's sense is that of taste. Just think of the many wonderful meals, cakes, drinks, soups etc we enjoy in church. Harvest supper/lunch is a spectacular affair and always hugely well supported. Food and drink in church always go down well and St Tathan does a good number in mulled wine at Christmas as well! Who could forget Jan's brilliant lunches?
Taste and smell go together well. So often the smell of a meal cooking sets the gastric juices going and equally how many times have you been in a hall where the pervading smell of yesterday's cabbage is overpowering! It certainly may have put you off your tea that night, and cabbage for a while! I sometimes think that the smell of gruel in the workhouse must have made many feel poorly.
As we mature so out palate changes and in itself matures, but we still need food and like a varied tasty diet. I am not sure we would be happy just eating the diet that Jesus ate and we might demand something more tasty and varied.
Psalm 119:103 (NRSV) v103
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
So we are in our faith - we all enjoy changes and differences. We like to be stimulated. We remember that Jesus so often used food and drink to teach and stimulate the crowds and disciples. These were the normal everyday things of life - the bread and fish of the Feeding the Five Thousand, the wedding feast, the breakfast on the lakeside, the Last Supper to name some. Jesus knew the importance of sharing a meal together, not only for the ingredients themselves when in need of sustenance because, tired and weary, but also for the richness of sharing conversation together over the meal. How many of you have missed that in lockdown? I have heard of ingenious ideas around the parish, socially distanced coffees, picnics in the garden with our bubble, meals in the sunshine, drinks over the garden wall etc. Today, now pubs are open, there might well be a quieter drink outside than if it had been a blazing hot day and especially as it is a Wednesday not the weekend.
There is no doubt that for us, as was for Jesus, meals and socialising with food and drink are very important. We long to share a coffee together after church, but only when it is safe to do so, we might long for an extravagant cake, or a fabulous bowl of soup, but are just waiting for it to be safe to venture into cafes and tea rooms etc. We miss things that surround our sense of taste. Under normal conditions we would have had a meal out for my birthday with friends and family, the wake after a loved ones funeral would have been an occasion to share food and a drink or two as we relived events form the past of the deceased and laughed, and just remember how important it is to share in a wedding breakfast after the solemnity of the wedding.
For many Christians and non Christians the mystery of the Eucharist remains, the greatest meal, where Christ is received amongst friends and the church family. It is something which many have missed greatly and many wish to partake again. I remember a survey that I was once involved in when about 120 people out of 145 responded, mainly of no church connection and faith, rated Communion, the receiving of bread and wine, as the most important thing for them, though they didn't understand it or why it should move them so. It was that that summed up Church and something they wanted to be a part of. How open are we to allowing visitors to come and receive and to hear about their journeys? It may not be an orthodox route into Church but they are so very welcome and wanted.
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