I recently had a conversation with a fellow brother in Christ. He was visiting family here in Freestone County and wanted to ask me a few questions before he ventured back home. He explained a moment in his life when he was out in the woods and felt the peace and presence of God more profoundly than he ever had before. He talked about how, without a doubt, it was the presence of Jesus Christ. That moment sustained and encouraged him greatly, but it led to a nagging question: how could it be repeated?

That was his question for me: how could he achieve that moment again? What did he need to do to replicate this impactful moment in his faith?

Oftentimes, we refer to these moments of great spiritual clarity, all-consuming worship, and the undeniable presence of Christ as mountain-top experiences. This is fitting because God has done some amazing things while on a mountain-top. On Mount Ararat, God made his covenant with Noah. It was upon Mount Sinai that the Ten Commandments were declared. Jesus gave his “Sermon on the Mount” on a mountain (hence the name), was Transfigured on a mountain, then ascended into heaven on the Mount of Olives! So, we can safely regard the term “mountain-top experiences” with some biblical backing. But the question was, how can we replicate these moments?

One common quality across all these experiences was that God completely orchestrated them. They were not artificial moments or preplanned ventures; they happened because God allowed them. Oftentimes, these events were simply acts of affirmation or sustenance, preparing those who experienced them for future days of ministry (e.g., the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the Great Commission before Christ’s Ascension).

Arguably, the more learned aspect of those stories was what happened either before or after the mountain-top—those fleeting moments of affirmation allowed for the next climb of the faithful to be more bearable, clearer, and concise. But if we are all too focused on replicating the feeling of a moment, we can miss its purpose.

We should rejoice in those times in which Christ’s presence among us is so clear, but we should also rejoice equally in those moments of work and toil.

At the end of the day, it isn’t about us; it is about Jesus!

—

Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield, TX
ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston, TX
Cell: 919-935-2513
Email: pastormike@fumcfairfield.org

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

“Semper Paratus” – Always Ready