Little Altars Everywhere
Psalm 84
When the Club Q (a gay bar/nightclub in Colorado Springs) shooting happened last year I was connected by our old friend, Spencer LaJoye, to a pastor in Colorado Springs named Rev. Mallory Everheart who was concerned that "The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association" was sending volunteers to provide support as "chaplains."
Credit: KUSA
This was quite something since one of the requirements to be a chaplain for this org involved affirming that "marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female."
In response to this, Spencer's friend and local pastor Rev. Mallory Everheart contacted me asking me to go and serve a shift in providing a ministry of presence as a queer affirming clergy person.
So I went. And what I saw there served as an incredible example of how a space can be made sacred when it is transformed into an altar.
Photo Credit: Rev. Ben A. David Hensley (2022)
It wasn't the colors, or the art, or the flowers themselves that made the space sacred. It was the intention.
Everything there had the purpose of mourning, celebrating, and honoring those who died in the shooting. Everything there had the purpose to proclaiming hope and joy and the beauty of this community, rather than letting the devastation and hatred that led to the shooting win.
Intention is how we make any space sacred. Whether its a prayer closet or a cathedral. You might have a small table with a candle in your home that, once lit, becomes a sacred place for mindfulness, prayer, or remembrance.
Curating a space with intention has significant mental health benefits. The color of the wall can affect our moods, and altars set up in memory of a loved one can aid us in the grieving process. The space we make for our spiritual journey creates a sense of the sacred for our spirits, and facilitates an experience of wholeheartedness and wellbeing for our minds and bodies.
What is your sacred space? What space do you set aside with intention as a place where you can easily access a sense of God's presence or find easy access to that mindful place of "being in the moment?"
Mine is my kitchen. It doesn't have icons, candles or incense, but every tool has its place. It is a place where I can do something that feels valuable and helps me feel like I have value: preparing food for my family.
It is a place that has rituals bound up in food preparation. It is a sensory rich environment: the incense is in the spices, the liturgy is defined by the recipe, and the end result is a celebration offered up to nourish whoever is with me.
A sacred space doesn't need to be fancy, but it does need to be intentional. What is yours?
