The taste of summer!

Popping into the supermarkets at this time of the year, we are often met by signs which say something along the lines of ‘The taste of summer’, which have all been hung strategically in aisles full of foods suitable for picnics on the beach and BBQ’s in our gardens, outdoor, social gatherings with friends and family.

So what is the taste of summer? I guess it’s fresh salads, ice cream, BBQ with the hint of charcoal as an added extra, all washed down with our favourite ice-cold drinks. These are the foods that the supermarkets hope will evoke the image of long hot summer days.

In the last couple of days, I have started picking the first vegetables from my garden, you can’t get any fresher than that. The cucumbers, courgettes and raspberries, will soon be joined by peas, runner beans, tomatoes, sweetcorn, chillies and eventually in the autumn pumpkins. That is the taste of summer to me, fresh produce straight from the garden and onto our plates.

In psalm 34.8 the psalmist invites us to ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’, the psalmist is inviting us to experience Gods goodness personally. To taste involves testing or sampling; to see involves understanding or perceiving. The phrase ‘Taste and see’, then means ‘try and experience’. The writer is urging God’s people to discover the goodness of the Lord by personal trial and experience it for themselves. He doesn’t want readers to merely take his word for it that the Lord is good; he wants them to actively experience and know for themselves that the Lord is good.

So as we experience the ‘Taste of summer’ may we also ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’. May we make time to try and experience that goodness that God, that Jesus offers us, this summertime and always.

May God bless you and all your senses!

Reverend Heather