“Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways and we may walk in his paths.”   — from Isaiah 2: 1-5, reading for the first Monday of Advent

I am no stranger to mountains, having lived in the foothills of the Rockies for the past ten plus years.  Their mystery is ever-alluring.  For many years, well before moving to the southwestern USA, Psalm 121 has been a favorite of mine: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains ….”  Here I have that opportunity daily:  to lift up my eyes to the mountains … to climb a mountain … to find my spirit refreshed with a glance from my desk as I let my eyes rest upon the mountains.

Isn’t it interesting that Isaiah chooses a mountain as the place where we may learn of God’s ways?  That Jesus goes to a mountain to pray … to teach?  That we today find our spirits soar when we gaze upon a mountaintop?  Yes, their mystery is ever-alluring, drawing us apart to pause … ponder … pray.

As we wait in joyful hope on this first Monday of Advent, may we be led apart to hear God’s message of love drawing us into the Advent dream so that we may be the new House of Jacob that walks in the Light of the Lord!