Deacon/Session Retreat today. The divine miss m came along.

From the Bible study I led:

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God...II Cor 2:14-15

what is the aroma of Christ?
I asked the group,
as I shuffled papers, distributed them;
they clustered, scooted their chairs, and dutifully
took my stale questions and aired them out one by one.

when I tore the bread in two (for all)
and breathed in that yeasty alchemy (for me),
still shocking after these three years,
I thought I had my answer,

but today, the aroma of Christ
clung to my baby girl:
assorted floral notes—alien to my nostrils—
from the women who passed her one to another,
swayed in the back, bounced instinctively,
and tucked her in for a short nap
while I peddled my paltry wares.