The Altar

The Hebrew word for altar is mizbeah [;eBzim], from a verbal root meaning "to slaughter." Greek renders this word as thusiasterion [qusiasthvrion], "a place of sacrifice."
Thus an altar is a place where sacrifice is offered, even if it is not an event involving slaughter. Dictionaries - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology 

This is how I know the altar at my church since I was 18 years old.  A place of sacrifice and offering. Usually at the end of 'reasoning' through a sermon, a movie or a worship song I bring my open heart and there at the altar I will present my sacrifice, and usually in my own eyes before those final few steps to the altar my sacrifice is huge, God is asking for alot, but because I do trust Jesus the God of my life l will leave my sacrifice and my burden there at the altar. Time and again I have experienced his help and relieve just by walking down to the altar.

Every now and then I will go to the altar not with the necessary intention of sacrificing but to aknowledge the words I had just recieved by hearing the preaching.  Who knows, maybe once I'm there a transaction will take place?  And lo and behold! while I was sitting there I realized that I was next to my first born! He was at the altar making his own deposits and I was taken back to the day so many years ago when we dedicated him to the Lord there at His altar, praying, hoping that one day he too would accept the free gift of salvation.  Oh what a glorious morning at the altar remembering how many times I gave him to God through the years and now sitting at the altar with him both of us praying to Jesus the author and the finisher of our salvation. I was so thankful for the altar and those "monumental" sacrifices of faith and trust that God requires.