In this passage God has called Moses to come up Mount Sinai. The story tells of Moses encounter with the presence of God. That had to be an overwhelming experience. This is most likely where the term "mountaintop experience" came from. Imagine what it would feel like to fully realize that you were in the presence of Almighty God. Many people have had what they describe as mountaintop experiences, times when the sense that God's presence seems to totally surromd and overwhelm them. These are magnificent and rare encounters. In this story Moses is given the tablets of the law or instruction. The text reads, "The Lord said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain, wait there, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.'" (Ex. 24:12 NRSV) God gives His instruction if we like Moses go to Him and wait. When we pray, we go to God, but do we wait. We need to spend time listening for God to speak to us.

Also we hear that Moses made some preparations before his trip. Moses meets with the people and explains where he is going and that he has arranged for Aaron and Hur to fill in for him while he is gone. The text reads, "To the elders he had said, 'Wait here for us, until we come to you again, for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.'" (Ex. 24:14 NRSV) When we plan a trip we too need to make preparations. When we plan to go to God we need to prepare ourselves also. We prepare when we make sure we have no distractions and set aside enough time to be able to quiet our souls to be ready to listen for God. We are coming into the season of Lent—this is a time to prepare ourselves for the mountaintop experience of Easter. I would challenge everyone to spend time preparing their spirits for this wonderful time.

Another Time on the Mountain (Matt. 17:1–9)

This passage is the story of the Transfiguration of Christ. Like our story from Exodus, this too takes place on a mountain. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a "high mountain" and there he is transfigured. We hear these words: "Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves, and he was transfigured before them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white." (Matt. 17:1 NRSV) The season of Epiphany is bracketed by Christ's baptism and his transfiguration. We celebrate Christ's baptism the first Sunday after Epiphany and his transfiguration on the last Sunday of Epiphany. On both occasions God repeats the same affirmation of Christ. We read, "While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!'" (Matt. 17:5 NRSV)

Imagine the effect this must have had on Peter, James and John. Matthew describes it this way: "When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear." (Matt. 17:6 NRSV). Many people say that they would want to see God to be sure that God really exists. However, would not we be filled with the same fear that the disciples were if we were actually there with them on that mountain? How ready are we to meet God? After their experience Peter, James and John were never the same. When you enter the presence of and commune with God you can never be the same. We should have this experience each time we celebrate the Lord's Supper: It should be an encounter with God. I hope that the next time you take Holy Communion you can be lifted up into the presence of God.