Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
Martin Luther King, Jr. describes his mountaintop experience, a profound moment of faith. On the evening of January 27, 1956, King had received a hate call and was having difficulty sleeping. He went into the kitchen, made himself a cup of coffee, sat down at the table and prayed. He recalls, “The words I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory. ‘I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.’ At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: ‘Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything” (Martin Luther King, Jr., Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, New York: Harper Brothers, 1958, pgs. 134-135). Over the years, the death threats against King continued. On April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, King spoke about his experience with God on that evening in 1956 in a moving speech entitled I’ve Been to the Mountaintop. He began the speech by saying that he was grateful to be living at the present time, because he is beginning to see change happen, people are finally understanding and addressing the injustice. He concludes the speech: “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land! I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!”(http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm)
Martin Luther King was assassinated the next day. I am moved by his faith which sustained him through a most challenging and dangerous ministry, a ministry which was a gift to all of us. His sharing of his mountaintop experience is also a gift to us. We can open ourselves to such a relationship with God.
We have another fantastic story of being in relationship with God in our Old Testament lesson today. Isaiah describes his vision: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke” (Isaiah 6:1-4). Wow, that’s wild! But, the experience is not reserved for the Old Testament, for the days of long ago. Today, we can and we do experience God in dramatic ways. We should share these experiences with one another that we might continue to affirm for one another that God lives with us.
Listen to this recent story….a daughter recounts a discussion she had with her mother who lives in a skilled nursing facility. “‘I have been seeing angels lately,’ her mother began softly. ‘Two of them are babies and they are with me in my bed every night.’ She leaned forward slightly to place her hand on mine. ‘Sometimes, when I awake, one of them is hovering over me, almost like a little hummingbird. I can actually feel the fanning of wings across my face.’ … ‘Cherubim?’ I asked. ‘Maybe,’ she said wistfully. ‘I only know that I am greatly comforted by their presence. And I am not dreaming,’ she added, in a tone that was above reproach. … My mother then proceeded to tell me that two people came to her room each day to take her into a cathedral where there was music and an altar and lovely stained glass windows. In this room she was able to get out of her chair and walk, float (like an astronaut, she said), and admire the artistry of her surroundings. ... ‘When I am there, in that room, I feel no pain,’ she went on, her eyes welling up with tears. ‘In fact, I feel very strong and completely cared for as though I am being held tightly in the arms of God. I know that no such place exists here at the facility and even if it did I wouldn’t be about to walk around and float,’ she responded, lowering her voice as a nurse walked by.” The daughter talked to her mother’s nurses and confirmed that there was no chapel on the grounds (Patricia Gaddis, Angels in the Cathedral, www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Angels). It does happen… there are countless stories….people do experience God in dramatic ways. Yet, we all experience God in different ways…sometimes more subtly, but equally as powerful.
Listen to this account by F. C. Happold, a British schoolmaster. “It happened in my room in Peterhouse on the evening of 1 February 1913, when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge. If I say that Christ came to me I should be using conventional words which would carry no precise meaning; for Christ comes to men and women in different ways… There was, however, no sensible vision. There was just a room, with its shabby furniture and the fire burning in the grate and the red-shaded lamp on the table. But the room was filled by a Presence, which in a strange way was both about me and within me, like light or warmth. I was overwhelmingly possessed by Someone who was not myself, and yet I felt I was more myself than I had ever been before. I was filled with an intense happiness, and almost unbearable joy, such as I had never known before and have never known since. And over all was a deep sense of peace and security and certainty” (Louann Stahl, A Most Surprising Song: Exploring the Mystical Experience, Unity Village, MO: Unity Books, 1992, pg. 36). I find this account so compelling because it is how I experience God…I am filled with an energy that brings “almost unbearable joy” and a “deep sense of peace and security and certainty.”
We experience God in different ways. Perhaps you have experienced God in a particular event in your life…perhaps you know someone who was lost in life and then found their way, perhaps someone you know phoned you or showed up on your doorstep exactly when you needed them most. Perhaps you start your day praying, talking with God, giving thanks, asking for intercessions, desiring guidance, and this meditative time sustains you through the day. Perhaps you enjoy being outside, taking walks, skiing on the mountains, boating on the lakes because you are exhilarated by God’s Creation. We experience God in different ways. Why does one experience God in dramatic ways, and one experience God in more subtle ways, and one feel as though they do not experience God at all? I do not know. But, I do know that we can listen and learn from one another. I do know that we can open our hearts to God and experience God in the beauty of nature, in dramatic events, and in the ordinary of our everyday lives. I do know that we can desire to know God. And, I do know that that desire is sweet. Amen.
