O Taste and See
There is a beautiful anthem by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams titled “O Taste and See,” composed with lyrics from Psalm 34. You have probably heard it from our St. Martin’s Parish Choir or perhaps you heard it in the Queen’s funeral last fall.
“O taste, and see, how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Psalm 34:8, Coverdale1
One of the reasons that I love this verse is the sensory aspect of the text. The Bible does not only call us to contemplate the goodness of God; we are also to use our senses to encounter what he has done.
This is one reason corporate worship is so important. In worship, we encounter God through our senses. We see the symbols. We hear the Word of God proclaimed. We touch others as we extend Christ’s Peace to one another. We smell and taste the bread and the wine as we come to the Lord’s Table.
And what does the verse say that we are supposed to do with this sensory encounter? It is to lead us into trusting God. (Another way of saying that we trust God is to say that we have faith in Him and His promises.)
As you go through your day, look for moments when your senses are especially active: a forgotten scent that stirs your memory, a taste of something sweet or bitter, a touch from a loved one. In those moments, thank God for His goodness and for creating a marvelous world in which we encounter Him and one another.
