My pastor called last night. Funny, I called her my pastor; I never joined her church. My wife and I attended that church off an on for quite a number of months, worship services only. No Sunday school, no church dinners or Bible studies. The timing of her call couldn’t have been better because we had decided almost that very day that we wouldn’t be going back.

That sure made for a somewhat uncomfortable conversation. She was pleasant and gracious; I made small talk. She countered with small talk. Even though I wasn’t prompted, I readily confessed that we had missed last Sunday because of a family reunion, which was true. Then I thought, “What do I say next —

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Move over, tacky trinkets in the Bible bookstore (Remember when they used to just have books?); make room for Virtue Perfume.  That’s right.  Now you can smell like a saint.  “God resides in the still, silent center that is us.”  That’s the catchphrase of California-based IBI, maker of the spiritual spray.

Drawing from New Testament texts, CEO Rick Larimore says that when Jesus ascended, we were then ecouraged to seek God (and Jesus) through the third person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit.  He goes on to cite God’s formlessness and Jesus’ spiritualness as the basis for our connection with the unseen, but ever-present, stillness, that is our unity with the Godhead.  So the perfume, at $80 a bottle, helps to remind you of that stillness, combined with the “BEing”-ness of faith, as well as providing a scented environment for performing your “spiritual practices.”

I think I can relate.  I thank God every time I can enjoy a chili dog, with mustard and onions.  And the fragrance stays with me for hours, helping me to relive my culinary delight.  But seriously, though, what does an expensive dose of a nose-twitching fragrance have to do with virtues?  I’ve encountered many a woman (and not a few men) who smelled great, but were seriously lacking in the virtuous behavior department.

One thing is certain.  Make just about any product, and give it spiritual attributes, and Christians will flock to it.  They’ll wear it, read it, watch it, listen to it, eat it, drink it, stick it on their cars, or click on it.  And money is no object.  Maybe we’re trying too hard to identify who we are, when we really should be desiring to behave as who we should be.

When Jesus blessed the woman who poured expensive perfume on his head and feet, I don’t think he intended for the product to be packaged, distributed and sold as a testimony to her.  Let’s get real, people! 
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Virtue Perfume

Are there a growing number of “hypocrites” in church? That’s what a lot of the unchurched believe. With more church services adding entertainment to their format, people would still rather be fishing, or golfing, or relaxing (Hey, it is supposed to be a day of rest, right?). What’s really interesting about the recent poll is that most of the unchurched still believe in God, as well as the traditional doctrines. And don’t forget about our mega-channel TV religious programming choices, along with a vast internet fare, including online Bible studies and Christian discussion forums. But there’s nothing quite like personal contact with others of the same faith — or even challenging interaction with those who don’t quite see things your way. God’s all about getting at the truth.
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