Katie Derksen
The phrase "mountain top experience" is one that has been tossed around for a while in Christian circles, but I think it's most often heard within youth ministry. A lot of youth ministry literature talks about "mountain top experiences" and youth: how to get youth to have mountain top experiences, how to create mountain top experiences, the need to be with youth after they come back down the mountain, and so on.
Where this phrase started, and how it has come to gain such popularity, I'm not one hundred percent sure. However, I feel that I can hazard a guess. In today's readings, we hear of two different experiences of people coming into contact with God on top of mountains: based on this and other encounters with God on mountains that we read in the Bible, and on the context in which the phrase is most often used, I think it's fairly safe to say that a "mountain top experience" is one that involves an individual feeling particularly close to God, feeling like he or she has been in the presence of God. It's somewhat of a holy moment, filled with energy. To me, and I'm sure to others, this is what the phrase "mountain top experience" means.
As to why mountain top experiences are so popular, well, that's a whole other ball of wax, though it is certainly tied into what a mountain top experience is. It's really quite interesting - in a society that has for years been touting the importance of the individual, encouraging people to "go it alone," to be self-reliant, even in terms of faith, lots of people are reaching out to God, whether through an organized religion, or through making one up on their own. It's my guess that people are seeking out mountain top experiences because they help people to feel that they are connected to God, that there's something bigger and better out there. What they see on the news every day, and what they hear from the people they come in contact with - having a mountain top experience, feeling a closeness to God and to the One who created the earth, helps people to feel that there's more to life than what they see and hear each day. People seek out mountain top experiences, trying to rise above the ordinariness of every day life.
Metaphorically, we could almost say that we normally live on the flat plains of existence. We go from day to day, struggling, being content, going through what we usually do, but sometimes we get uninspired and unfocused. There may be ups and downs on a day to day basis, even on the flat plains of existence. The mountains, though, are where the action is, and where we should go when we're uninspired, and unfocused.
To step out of the metaphor for a moment, let's look at the way the word "flat" is sometimes perceived. We refer to things negatively by calling them flat: not hitting the right note while singing or playing an instrument can be referred to as being flat, or, for another example, if a drink has gone flat, it is no longer good. A flat spot or a plateau is a boring part, or, in terms of an exercise regimen, something that needs to be over come. The prairies are described of as being flat, and to most non-Prairie people, that's a negative statement, the word "flat" being equated with "boring." Of course, having spent eight years in Saskatchewan, and five in Manitoba, I love that area of Canada that many would describe as being flat and boring: there's a lot to be said for the prairies. On the flat plains you get things like buffalo, wildgrass, crocuses; the advantage of being able to see for miles and miles. The gift of being able to see the sun actually touch the horizon, instead of getting lost in buildings. The ability to come in contact with nature without having to plan a road trip.
When I asked my sister what she thought of when she thought of the advantages of being in the Prairies as opposed to somewhere else, she immediately thought of the space that abounds, and the simplicity of life. "It's easier to get back to yourself" in the prairies, she thinks. I think that she equates the greater physical spaces out there to greater emotional and spiritual spaces in her own life, and I think that there are many other people who would think the same way.
The flat areas of the world have a lot to offer us, as do the flat plains of existence. For those of us who grew up in the prairies, there's comfort in the flatness of the landscape, and I think that we all, as people who normally live on the flat plains of existence, also find comfort in the stability of daily life. It's here that life is (hopefully) at it's smoothest. However, it's also here that life can be at its dullest, its most uninteresting. It's when we start feeling that life on the plains is boring and uninspiring, or is dragging us down, that we need to go up the mountain.
Start Climbing
For a while before Jesus heads up the mountain with Peter, James and John, he seems to be focussing on his coming torture and death, and tells the disciples a number of rather heavy things: "those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it," (Matthew 16:25)"if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me," (Matthew 16:24), and so on. We heard Moira read how, six days after saying these things, Jesus takes three of his disciples and heads up a mountain. We're not told why he decides to do this, but we could guess that maybe he wanted to get some fresh air, and some new perspective. While up there, he suddenly starts radiating light, and Moses and Elijah, two men who left the earth centuries before, but who never left the consciousness of the Israelites, appear with him. The voice of God is heard, saying that Jesus is God's Son, the Beloved, and saying that God is well pleased with Jesus. Just as we need to seek out God for reassurance and a feeling of closeness, even Jesus needed to seek out the same things. He sought God on the mountain top, and wasn't disappointed.
I'm not sure that mountain top experiences occur mostly to youth, but when I hear of people having them, the stories are usually related to either being a youth, or being involved in some sort of youth event. It's not that there are tonnes of youth out there, literally climbing mountains to feel closer to God - that's not it at all! Mountain top experiences can happen almost anywhere, at almost any time. They can be real bursts of energy into the faith life of the individual - in fact, they should probably be described using much more energetic language than that. Zaps. Lighting bolts. Electric shocks. Paradoxically, they can also happen more quietly, with a steady stream of energy coming from a particularly meaningful meditation or conversation, a time alone with God and maybe a few other people. Whether quiet or more energetic, mountain top experiences take people out of the everyday, and insert into them a renewed zest for life, and for God.
Some of the mountain top experiences that I've personally had have revolved around Canadian Mennonite Bible College, or CMBC. I started my association with CMBC as a grade nine high school student, when I attended CMBC's annual youth conference, Peace It Together. I attended the conference all through high school and college, and even managed to get some members of our youth group to attend with me last year. All told, I've been to eight consecutive Peace It Together conferences, and each year was a different experience, but each included some sort of energizing.
While I was in high school, I had a lot of faith questions and struggles, most of which I dealt with outside of church - in fact, I very rarely attended church, if at all. However, each year in March, I'd get a shot of faith at Peace It Together, regardless of where I was on my faith journey. I'd come home from the weekend completely exhausted, but completely energized at the same time. The singing, the dramas, the speakers - all of it inspired me, and took me out of myself for a weekend before inserting me back in, full of new ideas, new energy, and new life!
The mountain top experiences that I had there, whether a high school student or a college student, were a combination of the people I connected with, the faith that I saw and experienced, and the concentrated focus on God. Most youth retreats will lead its participants through the same thing, include the same elements of faith, people, and fun. Of course those three elements are present in daily life, but I think that what makes them special in these instances is the fact that you're removed from daily life, and you're spending concentrated time with people, and with God.
What we need to exist is available on a daily basis, but sometimes we loose sight of that. It's when we forget that we can be sustained by God day to day, and that we can get what we need each day that we need to go out in search of a mountain to climb, to get a mountain top experience. In some ways, youth are lucky, in that there are people who organize things to help them get to the top of the mountain, through retreats, or a really good Bible study lead by a peer or a mentor, or other such things. People outside of such an energetic group need to look a bit harder, be a bit more intentional about seeking out mountains, looking for new ways to be invigorated for God.
Mountain Tops...
Of course, coming to church each week helps, but at the same time, I think there's something to be said for a concentrated experience that can be found elsewhere. It helps to be removed from daily life, and inserted into something else, into a place where God is intentionally invited in, and thought about. Like our yearly church retreats in fall. We go somewhere else and stay together, thinking about God and each other, focussing on being a community of God, and a community for God. It's times and places like these that can rejuvenate and energize not only us but our faith. We get new ideas from speakers like Tom Yoder Neufeld, as well as new challenges to our faith. We're given a new perspective on things that we might not have had before. We're given the space to think and meditate and be at peace, away from the daily grind. It's in spaces like this that we have climbed a mountain, and are closer to God.
Although God is with us each and every day, it's easy to forget that, and to feel distanced from God. It's when we make time and space for God, when we start reaching out to God, that God can really speak to us, and work in and through us. Just like literally climbing a mountain, as both Moses and Jesus were called to do, it takes effort to make that space. And, like literally climbing a mountain, it can take a toll on us, yet refresh us all the same.
...and Substitute Mountain Tops
As much as I'm an advocate for taking a decent sized chunk of time out of our busy schedules to spend intentional time with God, and as much as I think it's important to get away from things that are always there, I know that this can be a hard thing to do. It's worth all the effort, and the rewards of it will hopefully outweigh whatever work you would have gotten done during that time, or whatever socializing you could have done. Though you can't measure spiritual renewal and energy in piles of paper, like you can measure the amount of work that you do, the results can be seen. It's amazing how, when your faith life is full and energetic, it will spill over into the rest of your life. Suddenly some things seem clearer, and there's more energy to go around, to work on a certain project or to spend on a friend who needs to borrow a bit of your energy.
However, I must acknowledge that it can be hard to "give up" an entire weekend, or even a single day towards connecting with God, or towards finding a whole mountain to climb. There must be easier, less time consuming ways of injecting energy and zest to faith, and to getting a new perspective on life, right? Although I'm fairly confident that God would not think that asking a whole day of us is too much, I'll bend a bit, and give you a few tips that I've heard of.
While attending Canadian Mennonite Bible College, I remember seeing a poster appear on one of the professor's doors one day. Adelia Neufeld-Wiens was the person in charge of chapels, and she liked to help people on their faith walk, and their search for spirituality. This new poster on Adelia's door mentioned something about praying at your keyboard: I ignored it for awhile, I must admit, then one day I decided to read it. It talked about a prayer site that can be found on the internet. It's called "Sacred Space," (www.jesuit.ie/prayer) and I've since found it to be a great way to inject God into my life, and to make some space for spirituality and faith in the middle of the day, or the beginning, or wherever. The web site is updated each day, and I've really found it to be meaningful. It can take as long or as short as you wish, but I find that the end result is usually a renewed feeling of connection to God.
Another way that I've found to inject God and to refresh myself without hunting down any mountains is to visit a spiritual mentor once a month. We meet for an hour, and talk. Marian, the woman I meet with, helps me to see moments in my life when God has worked for me or through me, and encourages me to continue seeking God on a daily basis. Though we don't always climb mountains in our discussions, we're certainly in the foot hills, and I usually come away refreshed and with some new ideas and perspectives.
One other reason for metaphorically climbing mountains is to gain new perspectives on things. This can happen through conversation with others, through removing yourself from a situation, or other ways. One of my friends, however, has the most interesting way that I've heard of yet: when life gets a bit crazy, or she's being bogged down by something, she simply climbs up on top of her dresser and sits there, looking over her room from that new perspective. It helps to remind her that there is more than one way of looking at things, and that even the familiar can become strange when seen in a different way.
Back to the Plains
Though we can go mountain climbing in different ways, the fact remains that we live on the plains. As I mentioned earlier, there are many advantages to living on the plains - it's familiar, it's where life happens. Though we can see great things from the tops of mountains, and though we gain much from both the climb and from being on top, we can't live up there. We need to come down for things, for the day to day necessities.
However, when we do come back down, we need to remember to bring with us the insights, the sense of renewal, that we gained on the mountain top. That's really the purpose of heading up there in the first place, isn't it?
Those of us who have lived in the prairies know that there are great joys to be found in flat areas. I encourage you to think similarly about the flat part of life, about living on the flat plains of existence. There's much down here on the level to encourage, support, and uplift us. However, when the word "flat" starts to have negative connotations, it's then that you should go out, seeking a mountain and a closer connection to God.
All quotations of Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version.