A view of Pike’s Peak

So often in life, I go about my day to day and fail to look up and enjoy the beauty around me.  It is usually in times when I stop and take time to be still and revel in the solitude that I become aware of what is around me.  This week I am at Quaker Ridge Camp - enjoying wonderful fellowship, food and laughter together with my cohort in the Masters of Transformational Leadership.

But the most profound time up to now is the times we meet together in worship.  We meet in a room called the Great Room, and we gather in a semi-circle, which has an unobstructed view of Pike’s Peak.  We have shared scripture, prayed and sung together, but also enjoyed times of silence in the Quaker tradition.

In those times of silence, I have been gazing upon the mountain.  We have many references to mountains in our Christian walk, and through out the scriptures.  But in the last few days I have been reminded of many times where I was metaphorically standing on the mountain top and shouting God’s praises.

As well as when I was literally standing at Uhuru Point on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, a number of years ago.  Uhuru mean Freedom in Swahili.  What I realized in this time of contemplation is that the God I meet and walk with in the valleys, is the one who gives me the freedom to sing his praises on the mountain top. 

My prayer is that this week you, relive some mountain top experiences with God, and sing his praises to anyone who will listen.