When I arrived at the church on Monday, our altar and baptismal font were sitting on the front porch. This is not usually where they reside. Most of the time, they are at the front of our worship space, serving as central features in our lives of faith as we gather to be renewed in the waters of baptism and nourished in God’s holy meal. As part of our sanctuary renewal, they too are getting a little bit of a makeover.
A little bit of history. In many Christian worship spaces, the altar has long been a giant stone or wooden box, mimicking a place of slaughter and sacrifice. This comes from ancient traditions where animals were sacrificed to maintain or restore a right relationship with God or a god. This sacrificial language and practice is visible through many cultures throughout the ages. (Read Leviticus chapters 1-7 to get an overview of Israel’s system of offerings and sacrifices.)
In the last eighty years, as part of liturgical renewal in the church, the altar has increasingly looked more like a table. This mimics the language and example of Jesus gathering around tables time and time again to break bread and share drink, making room for both the faithful and the faithless. Over and over, Jesus invited people from all walks of life to come, eat, and be filled. One biblical scholar even comments that in the gospel according to Luke, Jesus is always eating! He is either on his way to a meal, eating a meal, or leaving a meal. Gathering around a table is central to the ministry of Jesus.
Back to our altar… As part of our sanctuary renewal, we are adding a top to our communion table that extends beyond the basic boxy framework of our altar, as a visible sign that there’s room at this table for all. Our communion words point us in this direction:
We give you thanks that all are invited to this table,
regardless of their background, to receive your healing.
Those whom society deems unworthy,
those without daily bread, those exploited,
and those on the very edge of our society.
Jesus is the host. We are guests at his table. There is always enough for all.
A similar moment of hospitality is happening with the Lord of Life baptismal font. If you are a young child or a person in a wheelchair, you’ve never been able to see into our font and view these waters of promise and rebirth. As part of this sanctuary renewal, we are reducing the height of our font, so that the splashing waters are visible and accessible to all. It might not seem like much, but this is yet another visible sign of God’s presence among us in our physical space.
This week marks the end of our three-year capital campaign for Share the Light. Thank you for your generosity in making this sanctuary renewal and other projects possible, so we can radiate the light of Christ within our congregation and to the greater community. Please see the update in our July Lifeline for details and images of the latest progress.
Earlier this spring, I offered you an invitation to extend your generosity into a fourth year. Rising construction costs, COVID restrictions, job losses, along with other factors that we could have never anticipated, have slowed our construction process and also put us behind schedule on giving. Thank you to all who accepted the challenge to continue their pledge or give a one-time gift. If you haven’t joined the effort, it isn’t too late. We still have much work to do.
When you come to worship this Sunday or tune in online, the communion table and baptismal font won’t be here. But even in their absence, we will sing, pray, and eat, trusting that God shows up with an unconditional and everlasting love.
Sharing the Light,
Pastor Lowell