WEDNESDAY: An Altar in the World

Rediscover the sacred in your every day life through encountering others, saying no, living with purpose and pronouncing blessings. These are some of the topics covered by Barbara Brown Taylor in An Altar in the World. The basic premise is learning to encounter God outside of church walls or organized ministry experiences. This book has changed how I look at the check out person at Walmart and how I interact with strangers and friends. It has challenged my semi-comfortable faith experience.

My Sunday school class is using this book as our text for the fall and it has been a great journey so far. The book lends itself to a group because for the most part the chapters stand alone and can be read in any order. Each practice (like "The Practice of Living with Purpose") has led to wonderful discussion. Every person connects with a different statement in the chapter. Different chapters speak to people depending on their own journey. [I am discussing "The Practice of Saying No" which is about Sabbath, at my personal blog Just Me Jaymie.] No matter how old you are (there is a 30-year age span in our group for this book), there is something to encourage and challenge you in An Altar in the World.