An altar is a place where we recognize the presence of God and mark that place with an outpouring of life.  The altar in the sanctuary of Christ Church, Bowling Green, KY, is a place where words and wood, food and drink, life and love are poured out for the life of the world. Outside the sanctuary, I think everybody needs at least one altar; I have three. 

The first is my desk (actually my laptop computer), where I muse, wordsmith and converse out loud with Jesus, sometimes for myself and sometime for others to overhear.  The second is my cutting board, where I feed and feast with family and friends.  My third altar is my workbench (actually, my whole garage) where I try to turn my woodworking mistakes into "design elements."

God is a hands-on artisan, and we who are created in God's image practice an "artisanal" faith.