Another reason I'm not a big fan of the altar call is that I live in the post-cross era. I just don't see a New Testament case being made for the continued use of an altar in worship. In fact, I see the opposite. Hebrews 13 tells us that We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. In context, the author is talking about the cross. That is where the once and for all sacrifice was made.
In New Testament times, it's not about going to a certain location to get right with God. It's about turning to the cross no matter where you are. I don't care if it's an altar, pew, chair, car, bed, etc. Christ will find us.
I guess there are some props I find helpful. I like having a large cross at the front of a sanctuary. I like having a big huge Bible in front of a pulpit. But I don't find the altar meaningful. Or, at least, I find more potential negatives than positives when it comes to the altar.
2 comments:
hey matt...interesting thoughts. the ability for positive and negative is always present in symbols and icons (which both the cross and the huge Bible would be). interestingly, the Bible has been venerated in many evangelical services: we pay lip service to it, but don't read it. and the cross has been misused time and again for violent means. so, i'll keep the altar! :)
no doubt my 2 preferences have been misused as well. I'm certainly not against the altar, I'm against the necessity of the altar.
There are quite a few people I know that, w/o so many words, equate a lack of altar calls with a lack of the Spirit.
my aim in these posts is to flesh out the reasons why I will rarely ever use altar calls in my own ministry.
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