By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
    O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
    you are girded with might.
~Psalm 65:5-6, NRSVUE 

Our sacred stories are full of mountaintop moments.  From Moses receiving the Ten Commandments and Elijah encountering the surprising presence of God atop Mount Horeb to Jesus transfigured before some of his disciples atop Mount Tabor, there are some seriously powerful moments that occur on mountains in scripture. 

Mountains are hotspots of both biodiversity and cultural diversity.  Daniel Cooperrider helpfully explains in Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You, “As microcosms of the earth and its seasons, mountains also appear to be that part of the earth that is attempting to reach beyond the earth, which speaks to the human yearning for transcendence and the beyond, the realm of heaven and the dwelling place of the gods.”* 

Mountains can humble us.  For those who attempt to climb them, mountains can challenge one’s mind, body, and spirit.  Mountains have a way of pushing people and climbing mountains requires stamina, determination, and a great deal of energy. 

In fact, there are “rules of mountaineering” that are well-known within the climbing community:
1.) It’s always farther than it looks.
2.) It’s always taller than it looks.
3.) It’s always harder than it looks. 

Have you ever had a meaningful experience in the mountains? 
When you consider mountains and their spiritual meaning in your own life, what may come to mind? 

Love,
Pastor Lauren

*Daniel Cooperrider, Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible, pg. 53.

Photo by Rev. Lauren Ostrout ~ Glacier National Park in Montana.

Thursday Thoughts 9/12/24