Does God ONLY move at the Altar?

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

The asking others to come to the front is a Wesleyian philosophy. Yet, I have heard recently "you should come down to the altar to find God!"

Is God limited to only 10 feet in front of a pulpit, or can he fill "all the house where they are sitting?"

Do you have an altar at church, or only steps to the platform instead of an altar?

Is the altar dated to be abandoned?

[Steve Epley]

I think the altar is a good thing however God can and does touch throughout the building, your pew can be your altar. But I think that public confession and recognition that you need help is good for you.

[pelathais]

Finney developed the idea of the "anxiety bench." A small bench was placed up front where a "seeker" could kneel and pray anxiously for whatever need. In Finney's services the need was often salvation.

I'm kind of thrown off by some of the ways we do things today. If the song service is really good- people will start to line up at the altar for all types of prayer. This causes an "interuption" to the service at times and delays or even cancels the preaching. This can be either good or bad, depending on how your pastor is doing at the time. I've seen it where the song leader will actually try and get the preaching cancelled by giving repeated altar calls during the song service.

At other times, perhaps the "early altar call" sows faith into the hearts of visitors- kind of like they're being shown what behaviors are expected of them.

We all claim that we are "following the Spirit" but at the end of the day there is often little evidence that we actually did "follow." It seems more like guesswork until a couple of old ladies get mad and tell the pastor off. Then there's a "house cleaning" and whatever revival there was is now gone. That's the way we usually did things.

The ideal way is to of course have mature Christians meet with "seekers" and develop relationships whereby genuine trust is cultivated and the mature Christians end up caring very much about their "seekers."

Then when the old ladies rise up against the pastor again about the "new converts" and their "baggy jams," the mature Christians can support both pastor and the new saints.

We have MANY more get the Holy Ghost in the pews than we do on the altar. However, it may have something to do with our building being full and not a lot of room around the altars.

I still find it amazing, most of our people get the Holy Ghost before I preach standing in the pews.

Wonderful... to say the least!

[jwharv]

Some of the greatest moments of fellowship I have had with God were no where near the alter...................

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by Steadfast

We have MANY more get the Holy Ghost in the pews than we do on the altar. However, it may have something to do with our building being full and not a lot of room around the altars.

I still find it amazing, most of our people get the Holy Ghost before I preach standing in the pews.

Wonderful... to say the least!

A report I would expect from your church!

I find it amazing in a 28x64 foot sanctuary with 6 rows of chairs, someone would say someone had to go down front to get a touch.

Pelthais, Thanks for thecorrection it was Finney not Wesleyian teaching.

Anyone else use or visit the altar?
I am not minimizing the altar, simply saying God CAN move all over the building.

[jwharv]

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

Anyone else use or visit the altar?

I know a minister who had himself a "personal altar" built. It was just a small bench that he thought using in his personal prayer life would some how make it so much greater.............

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

A report I would expect from your church!

Pelthais (sic), Thanks for thecorrection it was Finney not Wesleyian teaching.

I wasn't trying to quibble at all. Your statement just prompted a thought on my part. Finney himself was a great Wesleyan.

And you are correct about the altar. Sometimes our own habits make us so hidebound and inflexible that we miss the work going on in the several "little altars" of the heart scattered around the room.

[MrsMcD]

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

The asking others to come to the front is a Wesleyian philosophy. Yet, I have heard recently "you should come down to the altar to find God!"

Is God limited to only 10 feet in front of a pulpit, or can he fill "all the house where they are sitting?"

Do you have an altar at church, or only steps to the platform instead of an altar?

Is the altar dated to be abandoned?

You bring up a good point. It seems to me that in some churches, people are pushed to go to the altar. It appears that if you do not go down front, you are being rebellious. I think most of the time visitors are uncomfortable going to the altar. God can move just as easy between pews.

This is another potential slippery slope... next you will do away with the altar invitation and start just inviting them to meet Jesus right where they are! My My My!