What is your mountaintop story with Jesus?

                                                                                   Last Epiphany Sunday February 7th, 2016 Year C

This event in the life of Jesus is described through the synoptic gospels. We learned through this magnificent event that Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth.  This gospel describes how Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of the mountain.
How many of you have climbed up a mountain, or a hill? How is the vision from up there? I bet is magnificent. You can breath clean air, and it does provoke such a powerful feeling.  The kind of feeling that connects us with God. I will call it a “God thing”. That thing we cannot express with words because we are overwhelmed by its magnificence.
Jesus gave his inner circle the mountain top experience of their lives. Jesus showed them Jesus’ Glory. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them. Moses and Elijah, two major figures from the Old Testament and the history of Israel were confirming Jesus’ own conclusions about his future and were enlightening him on what was going to happen in Jerusalem. Both of these men had been prophets.
Moses, the great leader and liberator who had experienced God on the mountain was considered the first and greatest of the prophets to Israel and one ‘whom the Lord knew face to face’. On the other hand, Elijah was a celebrated prophet and miracle worker who opposed Ahab, king of Israel, and his wife Jezebel who scared the prophets who served the false god Baal, alienating Jezebel and taking refuge on Mount Horeb ‘the mount of God’. What an extraordinary experience for Jesus and closest disciples to have! They witnessed Jesus’ glory affirmed by Moses and Elijah at the top of the mountain. Moses and Elijah confirmed the identity of Jesus as a prophet and relevance of his role for humanity. What a mountain top experience Peter, James and John had. What are the mountain top experiences we treasure?
Let me share two-mountain top experiences I’ve have had… 
A beloved parishioner from a former parish shared with me the following mountain top story. On her way back from the hospital she was struggling to bring her husband inside their house. She had to bring her husband on the evening of Thanksgiving day to the hospital. After a couple of days in the hospital she was able to bring her husband back to their home. He was in a wheelchair. Everything happened so fast that she could not get a ramp. We are talking about a senior couple. With the help of her friend and her daughter they were trying to bring the husband in a wheelchair inside the house. While she was praying for God’s help, a teenager who was walking by ...stopped and observed the situation. Our member called the boy and he came. The boy was strong and vigorous. He helped them to bring the husband inside the house. Once the husband was settled inside the house, our beloved member asked the boy his name. What a surprise when she found the boy’s name was ELIJAH!!! You should have seen the glow that covered our beloved parishioner telling me her mountain top story.
     This past week, the rectory was vandalized. Some of my jewelry, technology devices like a tablet, laptop and canon camera were stolen. Not to mention the mess we found… clothing, files and a carpet of books … all over the house. My husband and I felt upset. At some point I felt broken, and my paranoia was triggered as I wrote to the Bishop. In the midst of this valley of shadows I found my mountain top experience in the community of people from my church that reached out to me. Their prayers and words of encouragement showed me that God is in control. I am glad I found this community of faith at Christ church and their support. As you can notice, the mountains are often close to valleys…I am sure you can share with me many of your mountaintop moments; and most importantly, how these moments have sustained you while walking through the valley of shadows you have encountered in your lives. Jesus gave his disciples the glowing mountain top experience where they witnessed Jesus’ glory, so when the disciples had to walk through their own valley of shadows they will climb up with Jesus to the top.  He prepared them. Jesus gave his disciples and gives us the grace of this glowing experience, so we can navigate the many valley of shadows in our lives.

Treasure these mountain top experiences, in this way, you’ll receive the assurance that despite the valley of shadows in your lives… God is walking with you, and loving you always.
Location: Brentwood, NY, USA

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