Altars For Everyone

The altar sits at the heart of the worship space, reminding everyone that here is where we lift our hearts up to God. Often the altar is decorated, but almost always in the same way: with flowers, candles, or a cross. But what if the altar could be made a more integral part of the worship experience? What if the visual elements on the altar could be designed to fit in with that Sunday’s scriptures, hymns, prayers, and sermon? And what if it could be done, not only beautifully, but simply and inexpensively, so that churches of any size could benefit from this enhancement to their worship? That is just what Nancy Townley and Stephanie Davis are offering in this helpful and practical book. Worship leaders and artists, they have assembled dozens of beautiful, worshipful altar designs, pictures of which appear in the book. Detailed instructions accompany the artwork and illustrate how to create the design, and how and where to find or purchase the component elements with the least effort and expense. Designed with the needs of small membership and mid-size churches in mind, this volume offers indispensable guidance for anyone who wants to make worship a more enriching and transforming experience.

The object of any altar is for it to symbolize what you want to attract in your life. This book gives a brief history of altars and how, unknowingly, people are constantly building altars around them.

Altars in the Street is the personal chronicle of Melody Ermachild Chavis, who bought a house in what was a quiet interracial neighborhood on the south side of Berkeley, California, but which became a place where drugs and violence were growth industries. It is about the life of a mother trying with other mothers to raise children in a dangerous world. It is also the inspiring story of how she and her neighbors found ways of working with each other, the youngsters, the elderly, the unemployed, the addicts, the drunks, and even the police and the drug dealers--in a courageous effort to preserve their homes and their lives. It teaches community action we can all adopt, such as tutoring at local schools, encouraging teenagers to start a gardening project, and accompanying them to court when they find themselves in trouble. This book illustrates our collective responsibility for bringing about healing. It is a brave and wonderful wake-up call, full of the nitty-gritty of how each of us can make a difference when push really does come to shove. Drawing on deep reserves of good humor, common sense, and practical experience of nonviolent action, Melody Ermachild Chavis has written a moving testament to the power of spirit in today's often cynical world. Altars in the Street is for people who live in cities and those who have fled them. It will speak to anyone who cares about the future of our children, our neighborhoods, and our nation, anyone who wants to look truthfully at the relationship between poverty and prisons, and between community and education. It is also for those who seek to put spirituality to work where it really counts--on the street where we live. From the Hardcover edition.

LEARN OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MINISTRIES OF A BELIEVER, AND HOW OUR PRECIOUS GOD SEES IT "Altar" means lifted up or elevated space. Every time we visit the altar, we should leave uplifted, strengthened, encouraged, enlightened, and changed. Strongly driven to fulfill the will of God for his life, Pastor Trevor St Aubyn Parris became the founder and visionary of the Nassau Tabernacle of Praise in Elmont, New York in January 2001. By the grace of God, the church has grown and the Lord is doing new and exciting things in the ministry. This is Pastor Trevor's first book but you will not be able to tell because it is insightful, fresh, and thought-provoking. Rest assured, as you read you will be encouraged, inspired, empowered, and uplifted. You will see how important it is to establish a meeting place with God. I can prophesy that, whether you are a Christian or non-Christian, God will show up to have conversations with you just like he did in Genesis.

Confronting an urban nightmare of drugs, violence, and despair, a leading American Buddhist tests her faith in non-violence by putting spirituality to work where it really counts--in the community.

In the New York Times bestseller An Altar in the World, acclaimed author Barbara Brown Taylor continues her spiritual journey by building upon where she left off in Leaving Church. With the honesty of Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and the spiritual depth of Anne Lamott (Grace, Eventually), Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. In An Altar in the World, Taylor shows us how to discover altars everywhere we go and in nearly everything we do as we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and revere the world we live in. The eBook includes a special excerpt from Barbara Brown Taylor's Learning to Walk in the Dark.

Find peace and calm amid the busyness of your life with this mindfulness meditation book by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Designed to be both inspiration and guidebook for those new to mindfulness practice, Making Space offers easy-to-follow instructions for setting up a breathing room, listening to a bell, sitting, breathing, and walking meditations, and cooking and eating a meal in mindfulness. Whether you live alone or with a family, this beautifully illustrated book can help you create a sense of retreat and sanctuary at home.

Return to the earth with beautiful photographs and inspirational text. “Morning altars” are colorful mandalas that combine nature, art, and meditation. Incorporating the natural world into the everyday encourages positive well- being, even with the simplest of the earth’s gifts, such as leaves, flowers, berries, feathers, and stones. These stunning pieces of art are a peaceful and creative avenue to express gratitude for nature, to practice mindfulness, and to add meaning to daily life. In this book, Day Schildkret guides readers through the creation of morning altars, a seven- step process that includes wondering and wandering, place meditation, clearing space, creating, gifting, walking away, and sharing his art with others. Since his first morning altar, Schildkret has built hundreds more. His work has been warmly received on social media and he teaches workshops on altar building, all with the intention of sharing the positivity and beauty they have brought to his life.