Mountain tops, valleys and plateaus are all part of life, but the more we grow spiritually and experience the many dimensions of God's glory, the more we also experience the pain in this world. Powerful religious experiences in prayer, dreams, visions and worship are never given for their own sake, but so that, as we are equipped by them, God can use us within this needy world. Peter wanted the moment on the Mount of Transfiguration to last and so do we when we experience God's presence in a powerful way. Those experiences occur in both the gleam of his radiant presence and in the dire circumstances we face in our every day lives.

When Peter, James and John heard the Father speak he said the words that let them know that in the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and the new Exodus of Chris's Kingdom on earth we need to remember: "This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him."