Mean Altar

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O Thou Who camest from above,
The pure celestial fire to impart,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
Upon the mean altar of my heart.
-- Charles Wesley, "O Thou Who Camest from Above"


So -- what does "mean" mean? Webster's Dictionary gives a glimpse beyond the obvious:
* To Intend
* To Express
* To Have Good Intentions
* To Have a Degree of Importance
* Poor
* Shabby
* Petty
* Stingy
* Nasty
* Bad Tempered
* Halfway Between

Seems to me, all of these apply in one way or another.

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