Common Scents: Pecksniff’s Eau de Toilette

On the last Lord’s Day I wore Pecksniff’s Men’s Eau de Toilette, a blending of ‘lemon, bergamot and green apple’. Despite the essential Frenchness of men dowsing themselves in scent, Pecksniff's (a made-up name, surely?) makes its products in Britain:

“Established in 1983, Pecksniff’s is a proudly independent fragrance, personal care and skincare house, with a passion for quality, sophistication and gloriously British beauty…To us, it’s not just about how things smell - it’s about how they make you feel. Beautifully British.”

I like the sound of it. And the smell of it, too. Although some news articles suggest that this fine British firm is not prospering, its own website is rather upbeat, merrily trading its products for honest sterling.

No-one commented on Sunday’s scent, much less did they remark on how British I seemed; nor was anyone overcome in the service by acute Patriotic feeling. Perhaps this had been quashed by our beginning with John Newton’s hymn Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken, set to the tune of Das Deutschlandlied, which it shares with the German national anthem.

In these days when everything is made abroad and our own economic fortunes seem poor, I was pleased to wear British even if I am not convinced that I smelled especially British. Nationalities aside, the greater question is whether I offered a pleasing fragrance to Almighty God? Paul writes in Philippians 4:18b:

I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. (NKJV)

The Lord sees our hearts, hears our thoughts and detects out motives. May we serve Him and bless Him, not to buy His favour, which is not for sale, but to express our love for Him. This gives Him great pleasure. 

A D