Psalm 84 is one of my favourites. The imagery of a bird creating a nest among ancient stones speaks to me about my long quest to discover true worship in my daily life. While I love old churches and stately cathedrals, I long to experience sacred space close to home too. Have you also longed for a cosy nook in God’s presence, where you feel yourself surrounded by his holiness? It’s something you can easily create in your daily life.

Worship Where You Are

“Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.” (Psalm 84:3) 

What are the altars that are mentioned in Psalm 84? In the times of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob there was no building or centre for communal worship. Because God’s people were itinerant shepherds, they created spontaneous sacred spaces in the wilderness with what was on hand. When there was a need to offer sacrifice, they collected and heaped large stones to make an altar.

I imagine that gaps between those uncut stones allowed air to flow through the altar, keeping the fire of the sacrifice burning. These simple structures fulfilled a purpose, but they were practical rather than lovely. Centuries later, the stone altars were no longer used for sacrifice. The functional niches in the stones had found a new use: they provided a protective habitat for birdlife.

Did David, the author of Psalm 84, rest in the shade of such an ancient altar one day while shepherding? Did he notice a sparrow nesting in a nook between the stones? David was inspired to sing and record a psalm with a deep meaning for future generations, linking us back to the long tradition of worship of the one true God.

Longing for Holiness?

This hymn creates a perfect picture of a fragile creature making a safe home for her young within a holy altar. It’s a symbol I find very relatable! Psalm 84 begins with, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints, for the courts of the Lord…” I sang this as a child, intrigued by God having “dwellings”. Today I find myself still curious about God’s home. What is it like? I imagine his “courts” being places that are splendid yet welcoming. Descriptions of God’s throne in scripture are certainly awe-inspiring! And that can seem alien and unapproachable sometimes.

But there is also the contrasting “dwelling” of Jesus the carpenter. He made his home among ordinary people to reveal God. The places he lived and worked were simple and homemade. Similarly, our lives are filled with mundane things like work, emails, laundry baskets and shopping lists. Jesus stepped down from heavenly places so he could meet us where we are, becoming Immanuel, God with Us. How does knowing this impact how we worship him?

Create Sacred Space With What You Have

People of old created ways of worshiping God according to their need, and using what they had. Their offerings had two components: they needed to represent sincere worship of the one true God. They also expressed the personal need for forgiveness through sacrifice. Today, we don’t need to use stones or make an altar; our sacrifice is Jesus. We have the ritual of communion to represent his death. However, most of us don’t do that every day! So we can use small daily or regular practices to refocus and rededicate ourselves to the Lord.

A few practical ways I like to include worship in my everyday life are:

• Burning a candle while I’m spending meditative time with God
• Singing worship music while I’m driving
• Keeping a faith journal
• Anointing my home and workspace with oil
• Landscape painting as a spiritual practice

There are many ways to creatively worship. We are not restricted to certain buildings, or certain times. Our little rituals are a way of life, and a natural expression of love for God. They bring a sense of the sacred into our everyday spaces, reminding us that God is always near. As we seek his holiness every day, we experience a sense of belonging, like a sparrow finding a safe home to nest. It’s such a joy to create our own “niche” within the ancient traditions of worship.

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What is your way of bringing the sacred into daily life? I’d love to hear about it…share your ideas using the form below!