September 12, 2024

Dear Central Church,

I wish you could have known my father, Rev. Dana Snodgrass, who was a pastor for more than 40 years. Growing up as a pastor’s kid gave me a front-row seat to the highs and lows of congregational life. I can honestly say that the overwhelming majority of life as a pastor’s kid was extremely positive, which may explain my stubborn commitment to the local church as God’s primary instrument of accomplishing his redemptive mission.

Dad would get to the church early on Sunday mornings, and some Sundays I’d be ready early enough to accompany him. After turning on the lights, making sure the restrooms were functional, and adjusting the temperature, he would spend the majority of the time before people arrived praying at the altars. He prayed silently for a while but then would pray out loud. He prayed for his family, the sick, the upcoming worship service, and whatever else the Lord brought to his mind. I remember thinking of what a sacred and special place those altars were.

The altar is more than a piece of liturgical furniture. It is a designated place of prayer, a holy place in the midst of the common and profane places where we live most of our lives.

Not every church uses altars the way we do in our tradition, but this past Sunday, we had multiple people respond to the message by kneeling at the altar to pray. As a previous generation would say, “The altars were lined.” If you’ve never made use of the altar in worship, could I share with you some things to keep in mind:

The altars are for everyone. Perhaps there is a stigma around kneeling at an altar of prayer. One may think that it’s only a place to confess sins or be released from shame. These places of prayer are for everyone in any season of life. As a people of life-giving community, we believe that “you belong here.” There’s no judgment or jump to conclusions when someone kneels at an altar of prayer. There’s only a community who are joining you in prayer with whatever God is doing in your life.

The altars are always open. Jesus said, “My house will be a house of prayer.” We plan worship services that are led by the Holy Spirit, but there is nothing more important than the prayers of God’s people. If you feel led to pray - for any reason - the altars are always open.

The altars help us to remember who we are. When God did something special in the lives of the Israelites, they would erect “stones of remembrance” that served as testimonials to the faithfulness of God. We need these special places of prayer to remind us of who we are and the story to which we are connected.

As we think about the different seasons of life we go through, I’m thankful for the times I’ve met with the Lord at an altar of prayer. It’s good to know we can always count on God to meet us there.

Have a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday.

Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark