Moses came down from Mount Sinai....and the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Exodus 34:29-35
Jesus took with his Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes become dazzling white. Luke 9:28-43a
Today's readings are about Moses going to the mountain to talk to God and Jesus going to the mountain with three disciples, to pray.
There is the wonderful image of Moses' shining face as he comes down from the mountain after talking to God. While Jesus is praying on the mountain, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white.
These amazing images seem almost magical and other worldly.
Yet, if anyone has ever been on a great retreat or a Cursillo and had a life-changing event happen with God, then these "mountain top" experiences make sense. For those who have had these "mountain top" experiences, they feel as though God has touched their hearts and their lives in special ways.
"Mountain top" people may even tell you the date of their experience with God, just like a recovered alcoholic will tell you the date of his sobriety. "Mountain top" people will describe to you in great detail of how they felt God "wrapped his arms" around them, how they felt in the presence of God, and how they were filled with joy and peace. I will tell you of a mountain top experience - not mine, but someone else's.
I was working as an attorney in downtown West Palm Beach with a fellow attorney named Brent. Brent asked me one day to go to lunch. He told me that he had been going to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for a few years. He had experienced a great Cursillo and it had changed his life. That was his mountain top experience. The Cursillo had lead him to more church involvement - to working on the Vestry and eventually to being the Senior Warden.
He knew that I had been in the seminary in the past and said that he felt that we was being called to the priesthood. He asked me what I thought.
Now this was during my time when I still was a Roman Catholic. I had given up my dreams of becoming a priest. As a married man, I could not become a priest in the celibate Roman Catholic priesthood.
When I finally got around to answering his question of what I thought about him being a priest, I told him that I thought he was "crazy." I reminded him that he was married to a beautiful wife and had three young girls to provide for. Moreover, he had a good job as a lawyer making good money in order to provide for his family. It seemed crazy to give up a good career to go away to seminary for three years - at which time only his wife would support he in his family with her job.
But do you know what? He didn't listen to a word I said. Because he gave up his job and he moved his family to a Texas seminary far away, and his wife did work to support their family and now he is a Rector in a parish outside of Atlanta, Georgia. And he is happy.
That is what mountain top experienced people do. They come down the mountain and they follow the path that God has called them to do.
Important side note: It is great experience on top of the mountain, but note what happens as soon as Jesus comes down the mountain: the man calls him to heal his son. What is Jesus' reply? "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here." I want you to note that even Jesus in his humanity wants to stay in that wonderful experience of the mountain top. And when Jesus has to come down from the mountain top experience, it is the same dreaded feeling that we have when we are dragged down by the heavy weight of everyday struggles.
But also note well what Jesus does: he goes back to his work of ministry and heals the man's son.
Mountain top people must also go come down off their "spiritual high" and go back down to the mountain to do the work of their ministry. That is what we are called to do.
Father Mike St. George's 2/13/10
