Hails as Nard

I'd like to thank Keith for organising that "Nard Experience" service. The idea being, that in order to help us call to mind the scene at Mary, Martha and Lazarus's house, we would experience the sheer power of the scent of nard used by Mary in anointing the Lord.

It strikes me, in passing, that Jesus's words: "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial" Jesus is actually recognising Mary as a prophet. This is a prophetic act - anointing the Anointed One, and preparing him for burial before his time.

But back to the Moot House. Where Young Keith's plan was to use dry ice to bubble nard within the CO2 giving us both an atmospheric sight and a wonderful, evocative scent. Except nard's a bit hard to obtain, so he used lavender water. Which froze solid when he poured it on the dry ice, prior to lowering into the hot water bath. Which he never quite managed to do as the fireworks he'd planned to set off just as the scent permeated the Moot House, went off unexpectedly early. Which meant everyone was blasted with fragments of lavender-scented ice.

You know, it's a long way from a house in Bethany with a group of apostles debating whether it is legitimate to waste money on worship, and a bunch of terrified Beaker Folk fleeing the scene of a scented explosion. But the house was indeed filled with the wonderful scent. And I'm told lavender oil is quite healing. Which will come in handy. Wish Young Keith had given the money to the poor, mind. Would have saved us all a lot of pain.