Commerce Presbyterian Church, GA
Luke 9:28-36
The Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon:
Some of you may recall me mentioning my adventures from years ago that came around this time of year in New Mexico.
the focal point was a high one. Mount Taylor, a volcano just northeast of the small old mining town of Grants.[3]
For the Spanish who reside in NM It is called Cebolleta which means tender onion.
And the Navajo, who have resided in the land well before Spain or the United States the mountain is--Tsoodził, the turquoise mountain, one of the four sacred mountains marking the cardinal directions and the boundaries of the Dinetah, the traditional Navajo homeland.
Mt. Taylor, Cebolleta, Tsoodzil is an impressive 11,301 feet above sea level.
I feel blessed to have been able to experience the sacredness of this mountain namely through an epic event called the Mt. Taylor quadrathlon.
I competed 4 consecutive years as a soloist.
At the 7 am start, it is well below freezing. The gunshot echoes through the crisp air and the pack begins a 13 mile summit on bicycles. Then, bikes are dropped and we run walk crawl 5 miles, after which we strap on cross country skis and enter the forest,
Finally, a mile from the top we drop our skis and strap on snowshoes for the final ascent.
So, picture this. It’s February. A snow capped mountain. Well above the tree line. From the top in every direction you can see for miles, and miles and miles and miles and miles...oh yeah,. It is spectacular! You have covered a distance of 21 miles after a 5000 foot ascent.
There is a humble table with frozen water, also called ice, in tiny paper cups.
Every inclination is to stay put. To pause. To stop and bask in the glory that is all around.
It is transcendent in so many ways. it is almost as if time stands still.
It is so good to be there,
But, if you stop, the volunteer, with ice icicles hanging from his nose and beard musters a
“Good job, keep going! you’re half way!”
Fellow competitors are just ahead, and are coming from behind.
fighting every urge to stay there, even for just a few moments, eventually you have to descend back into the valley.
Mountain top experiences are amazing spiritual experiences.
We experience them physically, when we accomplish great feats, from climbing Stone Mountain--or Rabun Bald.
Everest--ehh. I’ll leave that to the fanatics :).
Mountain top experiences can happen in a spiritual sense as well.
When you experience true forgiveness,
when you are wrapped up in the energy and love of someone close to you,
when you are jamming to music that can speak deeply to your soul.
When you experience the birth of new grandbabies
When you finish a meaningful project
When you find purpose once again
Mountain top experiences can happen in silence, and in prayer…
a high like nothing you’ve ever felt before.
