Transfiguration – Climbing Higher

Climbing Higher
Encountering the God Who Transforms

A short reflection on Exodus 24:12-18 and Matthew 17:1-9

There’s something sacred about mountaintop moments. Away from the rush and routine, we sometimes glimpse a deeper truth. In both Exodus and Matthew, mountaintops become places of divine encounter. Moses climbs Sinai and enters the mystery of God’s presence. Jesus is transfigured before his closest friends, his face shining with glory.

In both stories, light and cloud surround the divine. There is awe and there is fear. There is a voice. But what stands out most is what comes after. Moses descends with guidance for a people learning to live in freedom. Jesus comes down with companions shaped by vision, ready to walk the harder road ahead.

We, too, are invited to step away, to climb higher – not always physically, but spiritually. Moments of prayer, silence, or retreat can become our own Sinai or Transfiguration. They don’t last forever, but they change us.

And like Peter, we might want to stay in the glory. Build tents. Hold on. But faith doesn’t stay on the mountaintop. It walks into the valley. It listens, even when it’s hard. It follows Jesus, even to places of suffering and challenge.

The light we glimpse in God’s presence is a guide for the journey ahead.

We need sacred pauses to see clearly – retreating can renew our perspective.

Faith leads us down the mountain – to live out what we’ve seen in everyday life.

Ngā mihi
Philip

Worship leaders: You can buy a complete Order of Service and Sermon based on these readings here:   https://philipgarsidebooks.com/products/worship-at-hand-transfiguration-15-february-2026