Altars
Apr 13th, 2009 by Nathan White
Have you ever wondered why many modern-day churches have an ‘altar’?
From my 20+ years in Baptist churches, I can always remember special services (usually on a Sunday night, or a revival/evangelistic service) when the preacher would invite people to come down to the ‘altar’ to pray. There, at the foot of the pulpit, in front of the whole church, people would get on their knees and pray, cry, lift their hands up, etc. Not to mention that the ‘altar’ was where the ‘decisions’ for Christ took place, and people were always invited down ‘to the altar’ to make these decisions.
From my understanding, the ‘altar’ has been brought over from Roman Catholicism, and that it was introduced into protestantism through the Pelagian heretic Charles Finney and the Revivalists of the 19th century (this along with other fanatical and manipulative techniques aimed at heightening emotion and inducing ‘decisions’ for Christ.)
Thus, I wonder if evangelical churches now days ever consider the ramifications of calling some special place an ‘altar’. The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs had some thoughts on it, so I read:
“In God’s worship, there must be nothing tendered up to God but what He has commanded…
“…all things in God’s worship must have a warrant out of God’s word. It must be commanded; it is not enough that it is not forbidden…
“if I account one place more holy than another, or think that God should accept worship in one place rather than another…if I do not have Scripture to warrant me, I am therein superstitious…it is a superstition.” – P11, Gospel Worship
What are your thoughts? Is it just a term of convenience, or is there a special significance given to the ‘altar’ thus making it a humanistic (and Roman Catholic) superstition, as well as an unbiblical element of public worship?
And I...
Good thoughts, Nathan. It may be used primarily for convenience at this point, but it is well worth noting that the term can be misleading. Apparently the Reformed have had issues with it, and perhaps the term in our history which comes closest is “communion table”.
Along with the issues of a place seeming more holy, there is the other issue of the “altar” being more of a “stage”, where the choir, musicians and such are on display for entertainment purposes. Perhaps the old cruciform architecture, with the choirs off to the sides, would be more appropriate?
PS – Is it just me, or did you change the format of your main page and perhaps accidentally limit it to one column, such that the side-bar is delegated to the bottom of the page? Just checking.
Never mind – think I figured out the side-bar thing: The (beautiful) photos you posted head into the right column, sending the comments and such south. Some visitors might think they’re gone, though!
Hey Darrin-
In regards to the sidebar thing, I made the pictures smaller so it should return to normal. But I think your browser/screen settings may have affected it, because I didn’t see the problem on my computers (though I have seen it before when I make the pictures too big).
In regards to the altar, I didn’t have the communion table in mind per se; rather, it was the ‘the altar is open for prayer’ and such that I grew up around –as if the altar had some special significance before God. I see this as rather fanaticism at best, and Catholicism (with many blasphemous elements of worship) at worst. Though I do agree that most now days would probably steer clear of those things, and just continue with their altar superstitions because of tradition.
Good thoughts my friend.
Doesn’t this happen when we call the worship hall the sanctuary? There really is nothing sacred about the room. There is a sense of reverence when we are gather for the purpose of worship. But I think Jesus’ response to the woman at the well nicely summarized the value of the types, be it the altar or the sanctuary, over against the real thing.
The altar is not really found in the NT. When spoken of in Hebrews , the altar to which we go out to grab hold of its horns is in heaven, chapter 13, where also is the true tabernacle (sanctuary). And Revelation’s discription makes the altar almost one with those whose voices come from it. Like those voices, we are to offer praises continuously, eternally, not just on the sabbath.