Comfortable Altar

I clean a church every weekend. Today as I was vacuuming, I noticed something peculiar. Towards the front of this church’s sanctuary were two altars. They were wooden altars with carpeted cushions on top. It made me chuckle that these altars were cushioned. An altar is a place of sacrifice, humility, and repentance. It seemed strange to me that these altars were cushioned for the worshipper’s comfort.
Now I am aware that staying at an altar for a prolonged period of time becomes uncomfortable. Your feet go numb, your back gets sore, and your comfortable pew is beckoning you to return. But, isn’t that the point! An altar’s main job should be to make your flesh hurt.
This is simply a funny anecdote. I am not disapproving of the church’s décor. I am confident the congregation knows about sacrifice, humility, and repentance. I only found it somewhat odd and felt compelled to blog.