Perfume and Baking Bread

On the way to 5 Senses to Prayer Book 2 - #28

Hi friends

Today’s offerings are both smell-based prayers. I find smell based prayers one of the most tricky to write. Our sense of smell is one of the strongest senses we have to connect us to memory. A familiar smell can transport us back to a different time in our lives. These memories can be welcomed and nostalgic or frightening and cause us anxiety. When sharing prayers based on our sense of smell, I may write a prayer intended to provide comfort, when it evokes a completely different response.

We all have different sensory preferences. What smells good to one person, without the memory aspect, may smell terrible to someone else. Then there’s the intensity of smell to contend with too. A little smell may be pleasant but at higher strength becomes unpleasant. A prayer written about a smell that is pleasant to me may not land with others because the smell is unpleasant.

Smells we don’t like can give us headaches, nausea and have an effect on our emotional regulation, making us feel out of sorts and grumpy. On the otherhand, when we smell something we do like it can make us feel invigorated.

I know much more about our nervous system and our senses than I did when I first started writing and using sensory prayers. Now I’d suggest in group settings to proceed with smell based prayers with caution and allow flexibility for people to leave the space or not participate if the smell is not supportive for them.

We’re moving things a little in our current theme ‘On the way to 5 Senses to Prayer Book 2’. I’m getting near having shared almost all of the175 prayers from the manuscript book in our Virtual Prayer Room. There’s 30 prayers I haven’t yet shared since I started the Virtual Prayer Room in 2018… and of these there’s 15 not yet written and 15 I’m not overly inspired to include.

I’ve invited paid subscribers to contribute an object, activity or action for me to write a prayer and possibly include the prayer in the next book. So for the next ten to twelve weeks our prayers will be inspired by readers. If you want to join in, why not become a paid subscriber for a month or two.

I was given two prompts for today’s prayers. I was intrigued how both prompts were each accompanied by a story of a memory, recalling a time which brought joy and comfort. Thanks to Yolanda for her offering of perfume and Margarate for offering bread.

I hope today’s prayers do provide comfort. If the smells don’t appeal to you, I invite you to think of other smells which do bring you comfort. Maybe I could write a prayer on them one week.

Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble. We share in the terrible sufferings of Christ, but also in the wonderful comfort he gives.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (CEV)

May our God bring you comfort and joy in this week ahead

On the journey

Caroline

Perfume Preference Prayer

Sense of Smell – (R.SM.10)

Preference for fragrance differs between people. A smell that one person finds pleasing, is not so appealing to another person. In our lives we experience many things that are influenced by our preferences. These preferences are not thoughts-based, but related to the way our unique brain works and interacts with the world around us. Smells can trigger old memories, evoke feelings or prompt a line of thought. Line up a selection of perfumed essential oils or natural perfumes. Invite participants to work through the selection, smelling each one and offering a prayer of response to each fragrance.