My Altar

Walking through the open door,

Tears began to flow,

Unworthy,

Dirty,

Unfixable,

I forced myself to go,

Knowing I needed this,

Alone,

Broken,

Scared,

I stepped through the blood,

Watching others get covered,

Confused,

Bewildered,

Unsure,

Wasn’t church for the clean?

Yet the altar was covered in blood,

There laid a sacrifice...

Had this been made for me?

Hopeful, 

Repentant,

Humbled,

I raised my hands,

The words began to flow,

Tears poured,

My heart was filling,

Covered,

Forgiven,

Free,

Yes, that sacrifice was laid for me,

The blood flowed over me,

It happened at the altar.

By Courtney Thaler 2/8/18

I remember the feeling walking into church thinking that I would never be good enough to sit on a pew. I remember being baptized in His precious name. I remember going to the altar and receiving the Holy Ghost. Even with all these memories, I do not think I recognized the significance of the altar until I studied the Old Testament sacrifice. The altar of sacrifice was never a "pretty" place. It was covered in blood. I always thought that I had to come to church clean, like a new Christian wrapped up with a nice little bow. What I didn't know, was that the altar is the place for us to get clean. The altar is where we can find the blood to cover our sin. The blood that Jesus shed, the ultimate sacrifice, the only blood to wash away our past.