I've been thinking over the last few weeks about "the power of the altar". It seems we, especially in The Wesleyan Church, have attributed some sort of "divine power" to the hunks of wood that sit at the front of the sanctuaries of our churhes. We seem to have this subconcious drive, "if we can only get them to the altar, then we can fix them!" or "If I go to the altar I will get fixed!"
When you combined this mentality with the reality that many speakers' effectiveness is measured by the amount of people who flood the altars at the end of the message, we find a sensationalize altar. We're guilty of what I call "Dancing around the altar". We have a desire to enter into a deeper relationship with God, we're caught in some sin, or we're struggling to demonstrate certain fruit of the Spirit so we go to the altar, we pray, and we expect to magically have everything fixed.
We've forgotten that the change does not need to happen at the altar, it needs to happen in our hearts. We expect to rise from the altar and to float away on some glorious cloud. Then when we're faced with the battle of demonstrating the fruit or resisting the temptation we think we need to go back to the altar because we didn't get fixed the first time.
Speaking as one who has done this altar dance, it breaks my heart to see brothers/sisters do the same thing I did. I'd work myself into an emotional frenzie and weep at the altar. I cry out to God about the same thing for the 100th time, stand up, hug a friend and leave unchanged. "The Altar Dance". I would go through these actions like some magic ritual hoping this time it took. Thinking all I need to do is go to the altar and that'll fix everything. NO! We need to get serious about the issues we are dealing with. Faith is acting on what we believe! The heart change does not happen at the altar it begins when we stand up from the altar and start acting according to what we believe.
TSB VIII
2 months ago
4 comments:
amen
I agree Dave, but I do see some value in the altar. Not in 'it' actually, but in the process it is part of.
Going to the alter, for many, is a step of obedience. It's a risk. Maybe it is a necessary first step toward heart change. It's a place to stake your claim.
Insofar as it is treated as such, I like it. When it becomes what you have described, it's a piece of furniture becoming almost an idol.
Matthew, I also appreciate the altar. This was not an attempt to launch a campaign to remove the "altars from our churches, that's a little too reformed for me.
I appreciate the heritage they have in our denomination and the heart change that going to it is suppose to represent. My quam is when it becomes our "wooden idol" or, when we forget it is the God we are kneeling to who changes mends our hearts, not the rail we are kneeling at.
yep, hence the agreement :)
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