Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.

It is no secret to this congregation that I love to go hiking up on Mt. Beacon. During last week’s sermon, I was sharing difficult this winter has been and one of the reasons I think it’s been such a hard winter for me is that I’ve only been able to get up the mountain once since Thanksgiving. Not only does my body sorely need the exercise, my spirit sorely needs the journey and the view from up top.

It never fails to be exhilarating when I finally climb that last stretch up to the old gear house for the incline railway and then saunter down to the foundation of what was once the casino. From there, as those of you who’ve been up there know, the view is amazing. The entire city of Beacon is in view below, as is much of Newburgh on the other side of the river. And, you can follow that mighty Hudson river north with your eyes all the way up to Poughkeepsie. On good days you an see the Mid-Hudson Bridge. South, the river runs into the glorious Hudson Highlands... full of beauty and history. And, I’ve been told that from the fire tower, you can see the sky scrapers of Manhattan.

I love the view. I need it. But, the truth is, I need the perspective even more. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the mess and the drama of our lives. Our problems seem so overwhelming.

For those of you who are scouts, I wish I could tell you things get easier when you’re older. I remember thinking when I was a kid that, when I was a grown-up all the tests and relationship drama and pressures of life would be over. Sorry, friends. There are always pressures. And, even the best relationships have their ups and downs. And the tests keep coming... though they’re often in the form of pop quizzes, and you rarely know how to prepare for them.
The gift of the view from the mountaintop - whether it’s Mt. Beacon or some other vista - is perspective. There is more to life that our struggles. So much more.

Three of Jesus’ disciples discovered something more about their rabbi on a mountaintop. Today is traditionally transfiguration Sunday, one of my favorites. So the story goes, Jesus took Peter and the brothers, John and James and led them up a high mountain. The bible says that he was “transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.” It was the first time they realized - without a doubt - that Jesus was more than human. Much more.

If that wasn’t crazy enough, suddenly Moses and Elijah, two of their most important religious figures who had died generations before, appeared talking with Jesus. Just hanging out. Peter is like, “This is awesome! Jesus, let’s stay up here. If you want, I’ll make a tent, one for you and Moses and Elijah.”

But, while he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

It was time to go down the mountain.

They had work to do. There were sick people that needed to be made well, blind people that needed to be given sight. There were people hungry for hope. There were also people that would make their lives difficult, even dangerous. There are always those who do their darnedest to stop the progress of love.

Which is why, let me tell you, I can totally relate to Peter. Let me stay up on the mountain with the beautiful view and the perspective. Let me stay up here in the glory and the conversations with the saints. Let’s just pitch a tent and stay up here!

But, whether we get the dramatic voice of God from the clouds, sooner or later its time to come down the mountain. We all have our own work to do. And we all have our own struggles to face.






But when those struggles come, as they surely will, we’re lucky that we have a mountain so close by. Even if we can’t make it to the top, we can have a reminder when we lift our eyes up to the hills. And, though we don’t have the beautiful green or the lush, fall colors on the leaves, the bare trees afford some amazing views.

The view is perfect as you’re headed south on 9D, just after you’ve rounded the bend at Forrestal Heights and you’re headed down toward the Fishkill Creek. The view is pretty as you head East on Main, just before you round the bend toward the dummy light. Heck, the view isn’t too bad from right here in the church parking lot.

When you struggle, when you’re wondering where your help might come from, may you - like the person who wrote our beautiful psalm today - lift your eye up to the hills.

And may they be a reminder that our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth, the One who never sleeps. The Lord is the keeper of our lives; our protector and source of strength in the midst of all we face.

The Lord will keep you going out and you coming in from this time on and for evermore.

May it be so. Amen.