Hearing the voice of God is only one-half of our faith journey. The other half is obeying and following its direction and guidance. Abraham was commanded to leave everything that was familiar to him - homeland, friends, work - and strike out into the unknown. He had to trust God completely, and if he did so, God would make his descendants too numerous to count. Abraham would be a source of blessing for all the peoples of the earth. He is our father in faith because he believed in God and trusted God completely. When we are asked to step out of our comfort zones, God is with us to bless us in our journey. We need only trust and obey. Some of the Apostles encountered God in a new way on the mountaintop as they witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. But the experience was not to dazzle or impress them, despite Peter's insistence on building a shrine on the spot. It was the voice of God speaking from the cloud that bore the message for us: this is My Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him! Jesus did not come to be worshipped but to be listened to and followed.