Reviews

An Altar in the World, Meditation #2

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On recommendation, I recently read An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. It’s subtitled A Geography of Faith. In the spirit of that lane, rather than offer a review I’ve selected my top highlights and will offer a meditation post for each one. Here’s quote #2:

Human beings may separate things into as many piles as we wish-separating spirit from flesh, sacred from secular, church from world. But we should not be surprised when God does not recognize the distinctions we make between the two.

Chapter 1, The Practice of Waking Up to God

Taylor’s quote comes at the end of the chapter where she has offered the teaching that God can show up in any space or through any means he chooses. In that moment, we have the opportunity to erect an altar-take note and mark that spot where God revealed himself. Her biblical example is Jacob’s reaction to the ladder dream. Because he knew he had encountered God, he paused and created a marker of significance.

Makes me think of Paul David Tripp’s teaching about two-drawer living. God doesn’t instruct us to live two separate lives-one for him and one for ourselves. Everything belongs in one drawer. The challenge is to view more and more of life as an encounter with him, a journey with him, an alertness that he’s always here.

Case in point: Sunday after church I had three hours to kill before attending an event in another town. I decided to google a new place to eat, try something different. I ended up at Blu’ Island Bistro. When I pulled in the parking lot, I wasn’t quite sure. But I said to myself, “Trust the reviews.”

It’s not a big place, but it has charm. I immediately felt it when I walked through the door. And here’s the thing: IT NEVER STOPPED.

Besides the quick seating, the perfect plate portion, the excellent tacos, and almost just right sweet tea, no one, and I mean no one, lacked joy. Not a customer. Not an employee. Everyone seemed happy to be there. I literally said to myself, “I should tell my pastor that I found the restaurant that feels like church.”

I stopped counting how many servers checked on me. I believe it was six. That’s a little crazy. And I don’t mean annoying crazy. I mean “thank you for your care” crazy.

I didn’t just encounter God between 10:00 and 11:00AM Sunday morning. I encountered him at the restaurant, then at the beach, then at the ice cream shop, and then at the event. How? I was looking for him. And the altar I erected? I gave the restaurant a Google review, I’m posting this blog, and I thanked God for putting everything in one pile.

Photo by Jack B on Unsplash

Stage Reviews

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As if Moses didn’t have enough to do, read these two first verses of Numbers 33 to see a rather dull command he followed:

“These were the stages of the Israelites’ journey when they went out of the land of Egypt by their military divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord’s command, Moses wrote down the starting points for the stages of their journey; these are the stages listed by their starting points:” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭33:1-2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

From verse 3-49, the review of these stages and starting points include 42 campsites. That means this nation of people together moved 42 times over a 40-year period. Go ahead and pause. Just try to get your mind wrapped around that. I’m just going to sit here and shake my head for a moment.

Ready for a different thought? As I read this review, I thought about my stages and starting points. First, I thanked God it hasn’t been 42, only 6-if you’re counting only cities, that is. Actual “campsites,” something like 15. Like in this Numbers 33 review, some stages had some notable events where God’s work in my life/community can be seen. These events are worth remembering, worth learning from, worth being grateful for.

  • Winchester, Tennessee-where I was born and was given the foundation for life from parents of faith in the God of these same Israelites
  • Gadsden, Alabama-where the importance of a church community was illustrated to me, in particular when my dad died
  • Thomasville, Georgia-where I began the journey into adulthood and watched my mother model courage and faithfulness
  • Pensacola, Florida-where my college work gave me the opportunity to personally mature in following God through my own convictions
  • Jacksonville, Florida-where my various career moves showed God’s patience, wisdom, and guidance
  • Bradenton, Florida-where God continues to reinforce that the best place in life is right where He has placed you

Where has God been in each of your stages? Take a review. Go ahead and pause. Get your mind wrapped around that. I’m just going to sit here and nod my head for a moment.