finding ALTARS everywhere with Barbara Brown Taylor

I had a great conversation with Barbara Brown Taylor about her new book "An Altar in the World - A Geography of Faith". A former minister, she now teaches and has written about looking at everyday, not just Sundays, as an altar of sorts. She begins the book with this poem called CAPABLE FLESH. You can hear it live tonight at 6pm, CST here or Sunday morning at 9am. Or check the Realgoodwords archive.

The tender flesh itself
will be found one day
-quite surprisingly-
to be capable of receiving,
and yes, full
capable of embracing
the searing energies of God.
Go figure. Fear not.
For even at its beginning
the humble clay received
God's art, whereby
one part became the eye,
another the ear, and yet
another this impetuous hand.
Therefore, the flesh
is not to be excluded
from the wisdom and the power
that now and ever animates
all things. His life-giving
agency is made perfect,
we are told, in weakness-
made perfect in the flesh.
-St. Irenaeus (c.125-c.210)
adapted and translated by Scott Cairns