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Transforming Mountaintops

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus,
took with him Peter and John and James
and went up on the mountain to pray.

Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park is, for me, and ideal place to pray because of the panoramic view pointing to the sea.

As altitude goes, Flying Mountain isn’t the highest in Acadia, yet it is clearly a mountaintop on which praying is soaking in God through its silence and beauty.

Surely, God is in this place.

Peter, James, and John began a mountaintop experience by Jesus’ invitation to pray.

Their mountaintop experience was very dramatic experience as Jesus’ face and clothes become lightening bright and Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus about his exodus.

The next day, upon coming down from the transforming mountaintop experience, a man approached Jesus asking him to heal his son.

Jesus’ Transfiguration confirmed his identity, yet he still had to face upcoming challenges.

Prayer is a transforming experience.

For me, there came a time when I had to return to the valley spiritually renewed to face future challenges in my pastoral ministry.

Prayer is a transforming, renewing experience.

Thorough prayer, God transforms brokenness into wholeness, injustice into justice, and hopelessness into hope.

Thorough prayer, God renews us in our “valley days” and provides a “spring of living water” in our desert days.


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