It was 4:00 in the morning, the fourth of July week in 1947. The family was going to the mountains. Our 1937 Chevy was loaded with the family of six. Down highway 29 to Charlotte, then 74 toward Ashville. In a couple of hours we were in the mountains. This was the day when the road snaked around the side of the mountain. There were sharp curves, and step inclines. Also located at convenient intervals were picnic tables with Bar BQ pits.

At daybreak we stopped at one of these places made a fire, took out the family Cast Iron Frying pan, and the coffeepot. A pound of bacon was placed in the pan and shortly there was the crackling of bacon frying.  This was a cool, humid morning and the aroma of frying bacon and fresh coffee brewing filled the air. Even now when I think of this first trip to the mountains I can almost smell the aroma.

After breakfast it was on to Asheville, then Cherokee, and to Newfoundland Gap.... Some 6,800 feet above sea level. I looked out over the valley below, and the cars making their way up the mountain. I wanted to paint; I wanted to write a poem. There was a feeling inside trying to get out. It was all washed away by a family pulling up to the wall with a car spewing steam.

Sonny, would you ask your father if he has a bucket so we can get some water for our car?

When I came back with the bucket I overheard the man and woman arguing ... Then she made a statement to her husband I'll always remember. Said she, "You'd better enjoy being up here on this mountain top because this is as close to heaven as you will ever get.

2,000 years earlier four fellows made their way up the sides of Mt. Herman. They were walking. This mountain is 9,200 feet above sea level. Trees cover the side of the mountain to about 7,000 feet, and then a the top is often snow capped even into late summer. From the top of the mountain one can look back over the Sea of Galilee.

The rising heat meeting the cool of the mountain oft times creates fog. Barclay says it was probably fog/cloud which sat the stage for this event.

1. Cloud Shrouded God on Mt. Sinai when Moses went there to talk to him.

2. Cloud shrouded the Temple on the day of its dedication

3. Israelite's dreamed that the Cloud would return to the Temple when the Messiah came. Maybe this is what happened on this particular day. What ever it was ... it was highly unusual. Jesus' countenance suddenly changed. He was as white as bleached cotton.

At his side stood two strange men. One was the prophet Elijah, and the other was Moses. . Both of these men were famous in Jewish history. One was known as the great lay giver, and the other was the greatest prophet of the Jewish people. They had one other thing in common ... neither of them was buried. Elijah was caught up in a whirlwind. Moses went on Mt. Sinai to meet God and never came back. With these two men Jesus carried on a conversation. The conversation is not recorded. However, the succeeding events have led scholars to ascertain the reason for the conversation.

Jesus was evaluating the risks in going to Jerusalem. If he went the chances were high that he would die. Yet, there was the pull to go there and minister. To call the religious leaders and the people back to their true reason for existence. They were to build a religion that would give life to God's people. They were to teach people how to live, not how to act.

The scriptures say that as he left the mountain ..."He set his face toward Jerusalem."

After this event the passive Jesus seemed to give way to an assertive Savior. He became a champion against some of the bad practices of the church. In Jerusalem he drove the moneychangers out of the Temple.

POINT: At one of the high emotional and spiritual points in his life Jesus made one of the most important decisions of his life.

God blessed it with his voice telling Jesus He was proud of him. In all of our lives there will come a time when we, too; have to make difficult decisions for the faith. God calls us to take risks for the kingdom. We have to decide whether or not to obey. Most of the great decisions we make are made on the Mt. Top of anticipation.

We have great hopes of renewed life.

1. Marry a spouse

2. purchase a home

3. going to a new job

4. purchasing a new car

During these high moments we make a decision and spend some time making it happen. Worship on Sunday Morning should raise our spirits to the mountain top of faith so we can make decisions for the church based on "What God through Christ would have us do.

The call to Christ is always the call to servanthood. It is not a call to use the church for our own needs. It is the call to give ourselves to the church to be used to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is risky business.

Several years ago I was asked to preach the Spring meeting at the oldest Presbyterian Church in N.C.. The church was located outside of Charlotte. It was located in a Suburban sprawl brought on by PHILIP MORRIS, AND IBM building new plants in the area.

This church which had at one time had hundreds in worship on Sunday Morning was down to about 75 members. Ten years before the church had almost 200 persons in worship. Then the Charismatic movement of speaking in Unknown tongues entered the church. Before long the church was divided and most of the new people went down the road about 2 miles and built another church. Now the older church was dying. As I met with them on Friday, and Saturday Evening I heard the story over and over again. It was like a congregation asking, "dare we take the risk again". Should we invite new people and open our church to them.

During next sermon I talked about the risks Christ took for us, and asked what kind of risks would we take for him. I lightly touched the pain and fear I had heard and felt all around. Several weeks ago I was visiting my in-laws and saw the year-end report. Average attendance 178. Had received a long list of new members. Said my father in law, "The church looks good on Sunday Morning. On some Sundays it's almost full."

As you enter the LENTEN SEASON I challenge you to visit this mountain and ask God how you can help his church be a better church. We are called as a congregation to take risks for Christ. Are we willing?