Rev. Rob Jones
March 2, 2023
Exodus 24:12-18
The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 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.” 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day, he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
32:15-16
Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets.
EXPERIENCING GOD
How do you experience God? When do you consciously think, “I feel God’s presence right now?”
Is your experience of God based on a relationship of trust and love? Or something more sinister and overbearing?
As good Presbyterians, we are taught through our confessions and traditions that God’s sovereignty is ultimate; our one true witness and knowledge of God comes through scripture; our salvation comes through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins; and we are all ministers, no matter our title. It could be concluded that we should all be constantly bathed in the glory of God, feeling God’s presence in our lives, and as happy as my daughter jumping in mud puddles.
However, we don’t all experience God as this, do we? Life is more complicated than that, and we all lose sight of the ultimate goalpost sometimes. Don’t feel bad, scripture is full of characters just like us. God is constantly having to call out to them and put them back on the path God has chosen. Sometimes they run when God calls, like with Jonah. Sometimes they don’t think they are capable, like Moses, Jeremiah, and even Isaiah. But always, God is there. God even expresses God’s willingness to give these unwilling men of the bible strength and guidance. There is something God allows for us in a call: to be in a relationship with God’s Spirit.
God’s call isn’t a one-and-done chance. Just like our characters throughout the Old Testament, God is patient and will continue to call until you pick up the proverbial phone. (I am living proof)
God also allows us to experience our call in three steps (follow me on this, I promise I will make a point). Just because we hear a call or sense God will move in our lives, God still allows us to move at our own pace. We get to enter the relationship on God’s terms but at our pace. When we look for a call from God in our own lives, we may see something extraordinary. With each of the three steps, our experience of God grows stronger, and our call becomes clearer. No matter what it is. Volunteer, Bible study leader, Sunday school facilitator, Elder, Deacon, Minister of Word and Sacrament, or Church custodian. There is no small part when it comes to the Body of Christ.
Our first experience of God is when God calls us. This is sometimes done like a smack in the face, and sometimes as a gentle nudge from a friend or mentor. At first, God called Moses gently by simply putting a burning bush in his path. In our passage today, God called him to come up the mountain by speaking to him directly. So how did God call you, directly or with a gentle nudge? Did you resist and run away like Jonah? Or did you get curious like Moses?
Our second experience is on us. We must seek God in the call by discerning what God wants us to do. God spoke clearly to Moses. God may speak to us, but sometimes we must listen for that still small voice.
Our relationship with God will become more intimate at this point. Moses had to be mindful of the world and the possibility that something could and would happen. This can be the most difficult part of the experience. The world gets in the way; work, family, friends, and other life situations pull us from the chance to seek what that call could mean. Sometimes fear causes us to let the world distract us. But God is patient and full of grace. Relationships take work, and sometimes we can get scared. Think of what Jonah went through before he traveled to Nineveh. What did you have to overcome when you decided to further your relationship with God?
Finally, we must follow through on God’s call. We must do the work of building that relationship. It would be wonderful to stay on the proverbial mountain with God and forget about the world (I would love to sit and study scripture and theology books all day and only interact with people who think just like me). However, to fulfill God’s will, we must come down off the mountain, enter the mission field, and share the good news. No matter what the discernment process produces for your life. God has plenty of work for us all. Today, God doesn’t rely on a single person like Moses or another prophet. We are all called to be ministers, no matter who we are. We can all be mentors to the young, caregivers for the old, and friends to our neighbors; a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold. We are all called to be the hands and feet of Christ Jesus. Where has God's call led you? And let me ask this question: has it been worth it?
When any one of us follows these three steps of experiencing God, we will find a relationship of joy that one can only find in the presence of God. When Moses experienced God, his transformation was obvious and physical. His face shone. He had to cover it so the people would not be afraid. When we truly experience God, God will change our very being. Paul teaches us, “if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” To experience God is to become something new. A creation that seeks to reconcile the world with God. It’s a beautiful, majestic, awesome thing. I pray that you take the time to listen to God when called.
Let us pray...
Creator God, what else is there to say but thank you? Thank you for the grace, love, compassion, and patience you show us each day. Thank you for being there when we need to talk, confess, or cry. Thank you for being there when we feel compelled to praise, sing, or dance. You call us up the mountain, and though reluctant, we climb, we listen, we discern, and you assure us that we will not be alone when we come down that mountain. For that and so much more, we give thanks in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
