Down in the Valley
Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:38-43a
Rev. Kenneth M. Locke, Interim Pastor
Orchard Park Presbyterian Church; Carmel, IN
March 2, 2025; Feast of the Transfiguration
I believe we’ve seen enough pictures to know Israel is hilly. Some hills are barren, some have crops, but there’s a lot of hills.
As hills go, they’re not huge. These aren’t the Rocky Mountains. Closer to the Appalachians. Hilly, but doable.
I’ve mentioned several times I’ve done some hiking and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. I like it. I enjoy getting away and being in nature.
The hilltops are especially nice. Not many people. Quiet. Spectacular views. You feel one with nature. It can be quite an experience. An altering experience, if you will. My clothes have never become gleaming white, they haven’t flashed like lightening, but I’ve been altered by being on the mountaintop.
Being on the mountaintop can change us. Truly. But everyone who’s ever been there knows mountain tops are great, but the valley is where the water is. The valley is where the grocery store and the laundromat are. It’s where we find the medical clinic and the drugstore. The valley is also home to the sick and the desperate. It’s where the evil spirits dwell.
As Christians, we know the mountaintop is good. It’s a great place to be. But the valley is where the ministry is.
Mountaintop experiences matter. We all need them. Moving worship, beautiful music, thoughtful Sunday school, inspiring camps, conferences, retreats: we all need them. All ages need them. The blessings of the Mountaintop matter.
But as Christians, we don’t leave them there. We bring the blessings down from the mountain. We come down the mountain changed. Transfisgured.
We come down the mountain changed, ministering to weary souls and exhausted bodies. We come down the mountain changed, showing Christian love in the face of unceasing violence and endless war. We come down the mountain changed, bringing hope and change in the midst of disaster. We come down from the mountaintop transfigured, helping others move from worldly scarcity and cynicism to Christian generosity and hope.
This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. It’s the beginning of the Holy Season of Lent. We will remain in Lent until Easter Sunday, April 20th.
During this holy season, I invite you to go mountain climbing. I invite you to trek up the hill. There are lots of ways to do it. Sunday school, worship, Bible study, Soup & Suspense, daily devotions. The point is getting there.
Whichever path you choose, let’s spend these next few weeks climbing the mountain. Experience the mountaintop. Consciously, deliberately, seeking God on the mountaintop.
If we do, and we stay awake, we may hear a voice. Maybe loud and thundering. Maybe soft, the sound of shear silence. Maybe in a hymn, maybe in a message, maybe in a conversation or a quiet moment of meditation. Maybe in something we read. It doesn’t matter how.
The point is seeking God. Knowing God. So when Easter comes, and we walk down from the mountain into the valley, we will be transfigured and can share the good news of God’s love.
Beloved, I’m looking forward to seeing you on the mountaintop, and in the valley.
Amen.
