A MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE. St. Louis, MO 63122, CANADA OFFICE When we truly experience the Lord in our hearts, it can be like a mountain top experience which will keep us going … And as we immerse our lives in the majestic glory of the Word of God, we never need to. In the English language we have the expression “mountain-top experience”. But whenever and however it happens we say to ourselves: “This is it … everything fits … all I ever hoped for is here.”. As Christians, we long for experiences of the transcendent that we believe will forever change our perspective on life. For growth, we have to come down the mountain and go into the valleys, where there is an abundance of … But what, biblically speaking, is a mountaintop experience? It may happen when we witness the birth of a child or the death of a friend. families, individuals, church groups, men's or women's groups; anyone who feels the need to get away from the everyday rat race and experience the unique peace of the blue ridge mountains. Abraham showed his faith to God by being prepared to sacrifice his son on a mountain top, now believed to be where… Moses lifted up his hands with the rod in it. Perhaps it was on a special trip or retreat, a party or wedding, graduation ceremonies or working hard on a project that you felt passionate about - some time that was not ordinary but extraordinary in your life. And if such an experience is to be sought after, how can the Christian be found on the mountaintop time and time again? Tolkien, The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins and his troop are travelling through a dark, dangerous forest infested with gigantic, poisonous spiders and all kinds of dark creepy-crawly things. This may happen when we stand on a mountaintop and are captivated by the view. Your mountain top experience may have been a memorable devotional event at a church youth camp or some special spiritual retreat. Many are of the insensitive variety, such, After clarifying among the three who the real hillbilly is (it’s the one who has goats), the guys get to the true subject at hand. Nouwen Archives & Research Collection. When we read His Word, the Majestic Glory of God speaks through His Spirit. Thousands of people would say the answer is to stand on the “roof of the world,” the summit of Mount Everest. The mountain top experience in Luke 9:18-36 provides some great fuel for reflection on the mountain top: Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah. Father of 4 (David, Jenny, Elisha, Esther). Just as the disciples heard the Word on the mountain (2 Pet. You don’t find many needs on the mountain top, the needs are found in the valleys of life. Since the first reported successful climb of that 29,000-foot peak in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, more than four thousand different individuals have experienced the thrill. 1:18), so the believer does well to “pay attention” to the Words of the prophets (2 Pet. This expression has originated from the Bible because of the dealings God had with His people on various “mountain-tops”. A MOUNTAIN-TOP EXPERIENCE A sermon for Transfiguration Sunday based on Luke 9:28-36,( 37-43) By Rev. They wanted that moment to last forever (see Luke 9:28-36). 1:19). As Christians, when we know what we have, we never want to leave the mountain of God. You know for sure that the vision is true. This is the experience of the fullness of time. The disciples were reeling from the revelation that Jesus would suffer many things, be rejected and be put to death but would rise again (8:31). 1:19). So many of us begin to desire to leave God's mountaintop through lax engagement with God's Word because the experience feels so ordinary. For Christians, it seems that anything from a relaxing woods retreat to a Mountain-Dew-induced sugar-high at a youth conference can gain the mountaintop moniker. all are welcome! But never forget that it is a rhythmic, ordinary encounter with the Majestic Voice of God speaking in His Word. Scripture has many Mountain Top Experiences. Get free, daily and weekly meditation emails: Privacy Policy | Sitemap Matthew 17: 1-8 The Message (MSG) 17 1-3 Six days later, three of them saw that glory. At some moments we experience complete unity within us and around us. Box 220522 Yet, it seems that Peter actually does the opposite. But it seems that the visual experience did not generate the immediate fear and awe one might expect. He knows when he looks at the mountains that he was made for a high and lofty purpose. At least, that pattern held true for the likes of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Consider how Peter engages this question in 2 Peter 1:16-21. This is the experience that Peter, James, and John had on the top of Mount Tabor when they saw the aspect of Jesus’ face change and his clothing become sparkling white. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Soon enough it will be mission trip season, which is quickly followed by post-mission trip season! Most of us have had a similar experience, maybe not as intense, but a “mountain top” experience nonetheless. Some of us may prefer to not be confronted with such a frightening voice whenever our Bibles are opened. Dr. David Rogne. There, Jesus’ “face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Matt. Associate pastor at Second RPC (Indianapolis). Man needs the mountains, for the heights are in his head and heart. We all need those mountain top experience but we can’t stay there! It may happen in church during a service or in a quiet room during prayer. That’s where we must reflect the Great Light we have received on the mountain tops of our spiritual experience. To hear the voice of God in His Word is to be led to the mountaintop of glory and grace. 17:2). We don’t have to fall away from Christ. Instead of presenting a contrast of experiences, Peter presents a parallel. © 2020 Henri Nouwen Society. It is here that we are tempted to complain even as the people did to Moses (Exodus 14:11-12). The air gets thinner there and the plants get scarcer, the higher one climbs up the mountain. In today’s gospel text, the Apostles Peter, James and John had the most amazing mountain top experience; Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes. Certainly, there is a rhythmic, ordinary nature to daily encounter with God’s Word. Elijah’s Mountain Top Experience 1st Kings 19 On Mt. For after the disciples fall in fear, the Divine Voice speaks again on the mountain. By Tristen Davis May 18, 2020. I wasn’t so eager to leave the mountaintop. It is a place where you are on a natural high in the Lord and He ministers to your spirit man….a state of extreme well-being and happiness that … So the phrase has come to mean a moment of transcendence – or epiphany; and in particular an … Mountain top experiences. It may have been while worshipping at youth camp, a prayer meeting, or maybe even during a normal day. Here is our startling recognition: the Christian’s mountaintop experience is to come in contact with the Word of God. If mountain top experiences become part of the rhythm of a young person’s life, then the effect of mountain top experiences throughout their lives will have a longer lasting and more potent impact. For the disciples it was a “mountain-top experience” par excellence. It was something unlike anything they had ever seen. This sudden manifestation of the divinity of Christ and anticipation of his risen glory tells us of the role of mountaintop experiences – to remind us that things … The Danger of the Mountain Top Experience. Understanding the Mountain Top. The one time I climbed a mountain of any size, I was amazed at how long I enjoyed spending time just looking at the view in the distance, enjoying the air, and experiencing the warm sun. As a result, it forever defined who they were, and they were never the same. In the Bible, the fundamental mountaintop experience in the Old Testament is called a “theophany.” “Theo” meaning God in the Greek language; “epiphany” meaning revelation. As the transfiguration reveals, the voice of Majestic Glory in the Word is a fearful thing. By now, it’s a Christian cliché: the mountaintop experience. 17:4). Peter didn't understand that this wonderful experience on the mountain was not a stopping place -- it was a starting place. The believer’s present experience of hearing the Word of God parallels the experience of hearing the voice of God on the mountain. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. 1:16). But how can we make the descent successfully? These experiences are true moments of grace. We long for the mountaintop. 17:7)." What is your ultimate mountaintop experience? Henri J.M. Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R9, Phone: (416) 925-1932 Toll free: 1 (866) 226-2158. I thought about Moses, who climbed the mountain to speak face to face with God. Mountains often had a significant role in God’s dealings with His people. Upon seeing Jesus shining as the sun, Peter offers a surprisingly casual – and perhaps clueless – initial response. A “mountain top experience” is like receiving a revelation, finally understanding a paradox, having an “ah-ha” moment, or coming into a new profound understanding and vision that before was not … But, maybe you say, “The church doesn’t hear the voice like Peter did. Here is our startling recognition: the Christian’s mountaintop experience is to come in contact with the Word of God. Mountain-top experiences. Pastor Paul R. O’Neil. To hide this, he would cover his face with a veil. Moses would come down from the mountain top with his face shining, while the rest of the Israelites hide in their tents in fear. Finding Glory in Brokenness There is a phrase that is sometimes used called ‘the mountain top experience’ and it aims to describe a powerful Christian encounter with God. They wanted that moment to last forever (see Luke 9:28-36). With this idea, though, one final observation must be made. How does a congregation go about evangelism. To hear the voice of God is to be led to the mountaintop. When we read His Word, the Majestic Glory of God speaks through His Spirit. Just what is a mountaintop experience? That’s because “mountaintop experience” is a figure of speech that comes right out of Holy Scripture. P.O. Tabor, remembered each year on August 6, is one of the pivotal events of the Lord’s public ministry. Mountains have made men marvel at the majesty of God's creation all through history. This is the experience that Peter, James, and John had on the top of Mount Tabor when they saw the aspect of Jesus’ face change and his clothing become sparkling white. 1:16), so the Word is as a “lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Pet. In the classic fantasy book by J.R.R. 17:5), and Peter and the disciples fall to their faces (17:6). mountaintop religious experience, you see with utter clarity a vision of who God really is. A time when suddenly God moved in a way you had never experienced. Website by Candybox, USA OFFICE The believer’s present experience of hearing the Word of God parallels the experience of hearing the voice of God on the mountain. Mountain-top experiences are part of life - and they are often part of the life of faith. Peter, James and John also had a mountain top experience. Husband of Orlena. But our homes are in the valleys. The mountaintop transfiguration of Jesus Christ was certainly a transcendent visual experience for Peter, James, and John. Peter himself later recounts that the disciples were "eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Pet. When the Word is preached, the power and majesty of God are communicated to His people. Saturday provided him with confidence he needed for the big Grey Nomad trip later in the year. 214 - 95 St. Joseph Street mountain top experience christian retreat was founded to inspire people to grow in love for each other and for christ. 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