What makes summer special to you and what pictures come into your mind when you think of summer – lazy days, the beach, sun lotion, gardens in full bloom, the sounds of children playing, the taste of fruit and the smell of roses and barbeques, or the feel of the warm sun? These are just a few things that spring to my mind. The stirring of our senses, bring us closer to God and to creation.
Summer can be a time of rest and relaxation, or it can be a time of exploration and adventure. However we spend it, we can stimulate our senses by stopping to look and wonder, by listening and learning. It can be a time to be creative – whether it be making a meal, singing a song, writing a poem, a prayer or by spending time in the garden. We can find inspiration in the world around us, find beauty and the presence of God in unexpected places; but we need to look! Using all our senses in worship can be a time of real blessing when we can enter into it with our whole being. Using our senses of touch, hearing, sight, taste and smell can add a new dimension, bringing us closer to God.
So, I invite you to take the opportunity, this summer, to take time away from the busyness, to use your senses, to look for the unusual, experience new things and enjoy the world around you to help make this a very spiritual summer. Let us experience the handiwork of God so that we may be thankful and offer our praise. I am reminded of the hymn ‘Summer Suns are glowing’ by William Walsham How (Hymns and Psalms 361)
‘Summer suns are glowing
Over land and sea,
Happy life if flowing
Bountiful and free;
Everything rejoices
In the mellow rays,
All earth’s thousand voices
swell the psalm of praise.’
Prayer
Loving and eternal God, we thank you for the gift of our senses. Help us to use them to interact with each other and to find you in everything we see, hear, feel, smell and taste. We thank you for the summer months and times of rest and relaxation. We pray that we may experience the world as you do through the help of the Holy Spirit. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen
