The Power of the Alter
Ever since God laid it on my heart to start this ministry, I've had the urge to build an alter. I kept seeing flashbacks from my childhood growing up in the Baptist church, where there was an "altar call" after every service. Week after week, I'd see different people go up to be saved. Sometimes I saw the same people up there every week. The comedic kid in me thought, "I guess they didn't get saved enough last week." Kids say the darndest things don't they? But honestly, I didn't know how powerful it was to go kneel at the altar until I experienced it for myself.
I don't remember the exact day or even how old I was exactly, but it seems like it was in my mid-teens when I responded to the call for the first time and went to the altar. I remember the tug in my heart being so strong that I literally could not sit in the pew any longer. I went up, knelt down, and hands laid softly on my shoulder. Tears started streaming down my face as a soft voice whispered in my ear, "do you want to be saved?" I repeated the sinners prayer after the sweet old lady that always tapped her watch promptly at 12:00 PM.
I walked out feeling refreshed, but I couldn't help but question, "now what? Surely my life is going to be all butterflies and rainbows now right?" Boy was I wrong. It wasn't long before I found myself back at the altar once more. My how the tables have turned? All throughout my late teens and young adult life, I can remember being the one that was at the altar every other week, getting "saved" again. I can imagine how much I must have confused the little kids. I For me, the thing that was lacking was discipleship. *That is a discussion for a different day.* For now, back to the point of this post - the altar.
I recently came across an article that really spoke to me and helped me see why God was so adamant about me having an altar at Willow Haven. It read:
"An altar is a place of prayer. In a church service we talk about God but in the altar we are not talking about Him - we are talking to Him."
"An altar is a place of humbling, bowing in the presence of a Holy God."
"An altar is a place of surrender and sacrifice - a place where some things die and others come to life!"
"Thankfully we no longer have to erect an altar and sacrifice for our sins. Christ was our final sacrifice and His cross the intimate altar! The offering that we bring is now one of praise to God and yielding to His will. The altar is more than a formality; it is a reminder of our need for specific seasons of prayer."
"I am very aware that people do no have to be kneeling to pray and that they do not have to be in an "altar" to respond to God. Yet there is something wonderful about calling people to gather in a place of prayer for one purpose. Don't stop using the altar!"
For many years, the "altar" was intimidating, because even when I'd went and prayed, I walked away unchanged because I did not leave my baggage there. I carried it with me. It was in 2020, when I was 35 years old, that I knelt at an altar once again and actually sacrificed my flesh and left all my shame, anger, bitterness, guilt, and sin and didn't take it with me when I left. FINALLY!!! Thank God! I walked away with freedom.
If the Lord asks you to do something, he WILL provide. And He did exactly that. I found these two bleacher-style benches on Facebook Marketplace and immediately knew I could turn this into an altar. I'm still working on them a bit but I have been able to kneel down comfortably (guess I wore my knees out in my younger days kneeling on that rough church floor. But it's such a special place to be.
