Creating Ordinary Altars
An altar is a place of worship, reflection, prayer, and centering. There are often altars in sanctuaries and churches. Sometimes there are altars in homes and in nature.
In Genesis 28, Jacob makes an altar.
16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel…
Jacob’s altar isn't fancy. It's a rock in the middle of the desert. The altar itself doesn’t have to be ornate and expensive, but it represents a sacred, holy space of encountering the Divine.
Jacob met the Lord in a dream and when he woke up, he took the rock he used as a pillow, covered it with oil, and set it as an altar. Why? To remind himself that he met God in this place, as ordinary as it might be.
What are the ordinary places in your life where you have met God?
Maybe your altar is your kitchen table, where you have coffee and a brief moment of quiet in the mornings.Or your altar might be your favorite bench in your favorite park where the birds sing and the breeze gently reminds you that you are not alone. Maybe your altar is your car as you drive because you are reminded that God travels with you. Do you see where I’m going? Your altar can be anything!
This week, find your holy ground and make an altar there: a sacred place where you meet God, as ordinary as it might be. I’d love to hear about your altars. Comment below or write to me what your altars look like, or better yet, take a photo! Your spirituality is unique to you. It won’t look like anybody else’s. It’s holy and sacred because the Creator of the universe has called you holy and sacred, and has met you in ordinary, everyday ways.
Let’s mark them so we can more easily find our way back when we need a reminder that God is with us.
For Further Reading: An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
Fewer words have left the impact that Barbara Brown Taylor has on my faith and formation. An Altar in the World is no exception. Storytelling is like breathing for Taylor, and this work captures her unique voice for a spirituality that goes off the grid. Providing a different spiritual practice in each chapter, Taylor expands the boundaries of what is spiritual and finds ordinary ways for all of us to connect to the More in our lives in a way that feels accessible, simple, and full of life. This book felt like coming home; I hope you find it as moving as I have. I cannot recommend it enough!
