Sharing The Scent

Ever notice how a dog will find something really stinky and rub its ears in it? I think that they are looking for neutral scents that are strong, mixing with their own sent to mask it or add, well, more stink to it. Stronger is better I guess. However, these same dogs love to rub up against you and have you pet them around those same ears that they just rubbed on a dead mouse out in your yard. That of course is why I wash my hands after petting a dog.

However there are several reasons why a dog likes to be pet by his people. One, is to add to his scent the scent of the rest of the family, or pack if you will. Another is to add the scent of the pack to his. Third, they just plain like to be scratched behind the ears. There is a comfort to a stroke of acceptance from a group, even if you already belong.

As a Christian, we are saved by grace. We find acceptance in God through Jesus Christ. This takes care of a major insecurity that lies deep, deep within. Yet, it doesn’t make us completely free of insecurity while we exist on this plane. No, God, in His infinite wisdom left us with the Church to help in that area.

Unfortunately, due to a lazy trend by most church leadership, it has become easy to create a distance within the household that should include all who believe. This leaves many alone within a huge group of people. I have no doubts that the Holy Spirit finds this appalling.

You see, we have a similar need as any dog. We want to belong to the pack. We have acceptance from the Alpha (and Omega), yet we still have that need to belong “locally”. It was, after all, a huge reason for leaving us here to be part of the “Church”.

So, how do we belong? Like any dog, we run up to an unknown pack with visible apprehension. “Will they attack me, or accept me? Or worse, will they ignore me, rejecting my presence and leaving me to face my enemies alone.” It is the same need, shown to us by our animals.

If you will, picture a time when you visited a church for the first time. You should have been greeted at the door or even on the way to the door from your car. As you walked up to the group (at a good church), someone took the lead and introduced themselves. This is the reaching out to share a scent. A hand may come out to be shaken. Then a sharing of scents (information), “What is your name? Are you new? Where do you live? Where do you work?” This should begin a passing of information back and forth. Along with this, there should be sure signs of acceptance, a smile, real listening, and even an invite to lunch, dinner or another event where the new animal can see a clear open palm to rub their ears into.

This of course is the ideal and what, I firmly believe, is God’s intent for a Church. Unfortunately, I have been to many, many churches where I was not even greeted at all. Not on the way to the front door, not on my way to a seat, not during the service, not even when the pastor asked everyone to introduce themselves to someone new.

Yes, this is a very sad reality in most churches in the United States. I have been to churches that would not share any scent even after my being there for over a year. They just didn’t want to know me, no, not at all.

I blame the leaders for this. It is easy, you see, to teach from a pulpit. The distance keeps them safe. No one argues with you from a pulpit. No one disagrees and forces you to examine in greater detail that which you so confidently profess from your podium/pedestal. These “leaders” pass along the stink of that distance to everyone in their pack. Distance keeps us safe…and alone in a big group of people.

I have even seen churches where the leadership was so concerned for real discussion about biblical things that the home group meetings had assigned teaching that lined up with whatever series the pastor was bringing forth from his singular platform. Do you really think God wants these men to “control” all the content from their subordinate leadership? What happened to letting the Holy Spirit move? What happened to trusting God?

Is there risk? Sure! There is definitely risk. Of course, this could be mediated immensely by doing real discipleship. If you walk like Jesus did with His disciples, they will not be perfect, but they will walk with the scent of the pack. You can’t hide a serious stink in a close knit group.

You see, for new animals to be accepted to a group an exchange MUST happen. Not a smell, no, but rather an exchange of information. This information should be passed along not just by one man, but by the entire group. This is how the scent mixes, grows, and yet, all will carry that same overall scent. Sure there will be slight variations. Some animals have a stronger sent than others. Still some are rolling in dead things before they join hands with the group. The process to mingle scents takes a while. We should be patient. We should be accepting. As long as the new animal has the same Master, there is no reason to not be accepting. His scent WILL overshadow all scents.

Jesus left us no room to shun anyone that He has accepted into His family. Not if they are lame, mangy, or smelling terribly of dead things, and absolutely not if they are a different breed, color or personality. No, you see the Alpha accepted you; you are REQUIRED to accept others also.

This doesn’t mean you have to be best friends, but it does mean you are to love the new animal as Christ loves you. That includes giving, sharing, and offering a hand to show a willingness to welcome them into the group. To do otherwise WILL bring an eventual angry Alpha to your door. You really don’t want that…really, really don’t.

So, when you are in your comfortable little group this next Sunday, and a new person comes up with their obvious insecurity and nervousness, show them a willingness to exchange scents. If at first you don’t like their scent, deal with it the same way Jesus did with your dead, smelly scent. Then do what He did with you, share His scent with them.

If you don’t share your scent, and you instead bare your teeth, snub them, or walk away leaving them alone, know this: You are not a leader in our true Alpha’s pack; you are leading by example for the enemy’s pack. The pack where everyone seeks to be the top dog…by ascending. Dog eat dog.

Is that really what you want? Shouldn’t church on Sunday be a reprieve from the struggle we already fight in this world? Wrestling with our true animal nature? The one we got from the Father of lies? The one that smells of a dead mouse.

Yes, Church should be a place of refuge for ALL who carry the scent of Jesus Christ.

So, do you smell of the King of Kings?

Or do you still smell like a dead mouse? That just makes me want to wash my hands.