Ordinary Objects, Sacred Space

The simplicity of connecting with the Divine

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It seems sometimes that wherever people go to collectively honor their concept of the Divine, they just arrive at a place, do some things, feel something nice, and then go home. Hopefully, they try to bring the inspiration of that experience into the world. Often, though, they set aside the time spent seeking divine inspiration as separate from their experiences in the world. For many, the special connection, or “nice feeling” they get when coming together to honor the Divine is only accessible at the place they go during the time they are at that place.

However, there are many different things that together make the sacred experience so much more than the place and the activity in that place. Consider the kinds of items people use when they spend time with the Divine.

Ordinary objects

I have been given the opportunity to experience many different ways in which objects are used in religious settings. From the tactile pleasure of holding a book in my hands while singing (though I don’t read music and can’t carry a tune in a bucket) to the lovely sounds of crystal bowls, drums, and acoustic or even electric guitars, the way objects are used when celebrating the Divine or in meditation can increase the level of spiritual movement in a religious experience. In particular, the way sound is created and used can enhance an experience to amazing heights.

Inspiration through the senses

While I am not a huge fan of the organ, I appreciate certain ways that a good organist can speak to my spirit. When I think about my not being a fan of the organ, I realize that it is hilarious that I am a huge fan of the bagpipes. Well-played bagpipes at a memorial service — or any time, to be honest — are extremely moving to me. There is something thick and nourishing about the pipes and drums.

Musical objects can create a spiritual adventure out of an experience that others might see as mundane. An afternoon at the Renaissance Festival spent watching belly dancers move to doumbek and tambourine can be almost religious to me. The sounds, the sights, and the smells that go along with the experience create an atmosphere that moves me beyond time and space. I am moved to become one with the music; my mind expands into the ether.

Statues, iconography, small bits and pieces of the world around us placed on altars or around the periphery can make a place sacred. Incense or candles, flowers, or green boughs can bring such olfactory delights that one can imagine oneself outside the bounds of time.

Creating sacred space at home

Think about the space where you gather with others to connect with the Divine. Notice how the smallest things placed around a table become metaphors for the connection between us and that which is transcendent. Notice how the simplest of objects can transform an ordinary table, an ordinary room, an ordinary building or backyard, or even just a tiny shelf in an entertainment center into a sacred space.

Do you have a place in your home where you spend time alone in meditation or prayer? What do you use to create your sacred space?

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The first iteration of this story was posted in a course called Spirituality and Sensuality: Sacred Objects in Religious Life, which I took in 2015 from Hamilton College through Edx. The professor was S. Brent Plate, author of A History of Religion in 5 1/2 Objects: Bringing the Spiritual to Its Senses