Climbing Higher - East Cobber

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…” (Psalm 61:2b)

There is perhaps no greater sense of joy and satisfaction than that found when one is standing on top of a hill or mountain that you have labored long and hard to climb. I remember feeling this, for one, as an exchange student in Norway, following a guide with fellow International Summer School students from the University of Oslo along a steep but well-travelled trail to the top of a famous mountain in the Jotenheimen National Park that country called Besseggen (literally meaning “dragon’s edge”). It took us two days to reach the summit (which, in fairness, was more like a wide plateau) but it was nevertheless an impressive feat (at least for me), and to this day is the highest mountain I’ve ever climbed. There were many challenges along the way (not the least of which was my fear of heights!), and it’s a feat I would be hard pressed to do today, but I wouldn’t trade that original experience for anything!

In our own spiritual lives, we’re all called to make similar journeys — to follow spiritual guides who know the way along challenging but well-travelled trails so that we can experience higher and higher expressions of God’s love and presence in our lives. We may not ever actually reach the spiritual “summit” in this life (because with God there’s always a “higher place” to experience), but every single one of us is called to climb towards it, nevertheless.

So, during the coming month (October 2012), I’m inviting you to join me on a spiritual journey with God — one in which we’ll learn the value, importance, and benefits of“CLIMBING HIGHER” in our relationship with God through various strategies of stewardship. The messages, videos, and materials you’ll hear and experience during this time are geared to help each of us not only understand but also to claim the great rewards and satisfaction that come from a life committed to intentional stewardship growth.

My hope and prayer is that you will join me and many, many others as we together take a journey “climbing higher” in our faith and in our relationship with God. Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!

(Reprinted from the blog of Rev. Dr. Brian Germano, East Cobb United Methodist Church, 2325 Roswell Road)