Mountain Top Exposure To The Divine

^{Mark 9:2-5}

² And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³ and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵ And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

God called Peter, James, and John to a mountain top and revealed to them the Glory of Jesus like they had never scene before. These men witnessed an incredible display of the holiness and power of God. Their reaction: “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents.” As a result of experiencing a supernatural spiritual high, the disciples want to set up camp and stay. They loved this exposure to the divine so much they wanted to leave all they knew in the valley and stay on the mountain top forever. Jesus had different plans for them, and they made their way down.

Our crew has seen God like they’ve never seen him before. Mission trips in general and Trinity Church especially have the tendency to impact those who serve just as much, if not more than, those being served. For when they behold the glory of God through daily fingerprints, they find themselves transformed.

So much joy comes from living in this environment. It’s so easy AND so rewarding. There are no other worries here; food, lodging, job requests, materials, tools, and all provided. There’s not television, office drama, or even family to interfere with the mission. PLUS, people are genuinely super thankful for the help. Seeing God’s faithfulness is a daily occurrence. It’s a wonderful mountain top down here.

God does not call everyone to Louisiana, we must find our own. It was not right for the disciples to stay on the mountain top forever. It was good for them to experience it; God called them to the top for it. But they were brought down so that when the Son of Man rose from the dead, they could tell the stories of what they saw. He is risen! We must tell the stories of what we’ve seen!

We’ve all heard firsthand stories of God’s miracles in New Orleans. We’ve all, also, played a real role in stories of God’s workings in New Orleans. Stories are so important. They make us remember. Over and over again, God encourages and commands us to REMEMBER. God’s fingerprints are all over these stories, and by remembering them, we are remembering God’s hand and plan in them. Ask our students to tell you about their favorite story from LA; it’s what we’re coming back from the mountain top to do.

It's strange how quickly this week has gone by. I can't believe we'll be driving home in just a few hours! Not everyone is ready yet. There's more work to be done. There are old friends we want to reconnect with and new friends we want to stay in contact with. There are stories left untold and not yet lived yet all over the place! Please pray for our group as we travel after a tiring week. Pray also for the group's ability to respond well to the withdrawal from the mountain. It feels good to be here, but I know God is calling us to come down.