Saint James UCC of Hamburg, NY

1 Peter 2:1-10; John 14:1-14

Preached by Pastor Alva Looze
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Computers are here to stay. They are great when they don't go blank, have a virus as Nick can attest to mine something just happens that there is no answer. Since my grandson is off to college I can't blame it on him. One thing that I use my computer for aside from writing sermons, sharing e-mail, scrap booking is to go to "Map Quest" for directions. I have some dear friends in Cattaraugus, have my "Map Quest" directions, a phone call to tell them I'm coming, and I'm on my way.

Last summer when I called them, they said, "the bridge is out" since they live in Amish country there are a number of road without signs but she said, "go by the little church, make a left then continue until you find house with a big red barn with a sign outside "Buggy Repairs" and take the next left." I learned a valuable lesson that day. I made a wrong turn; wandered for about an hour, cell phone was useless. Maps are great, cell phones also when they work but listen when someone gives you directions. I now have a GPS and when you make a wrong turn it recalculates!

Our gospel reading where Jesus says to his disciples those familiar words, words we often use at funerals or memorial services used to celebrate those lives. The words Jesus spoke to his disciples on the evening before he was nailed to the cross: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." And Thomas replies to him: "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Poor Thomas he was confused but we know Jesus rose from the dead three days later and when to be in heaven with God. If you and me wanted to find our way to heaven, where would we look? Would we look in the Bible? That's certainly a good way to go. We also have many, many book by teachers of our faith, prophets of other religions. We have radio, TV, videos, the Internet. Sometimes we just have too much information and like our directions from "Map Quest" without our friends information about the bridge being out we could not have gotten there. The GPS sure makes it much easier but that's not going to help us find our way to heaven. But it points out something to us; sometimes we need to recalculate our own lives. We really need to talk to someone who has been there.

In today's reading, Jesus answers the question of Thomas: "how can we know the way". Jesus answers Thomas, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well."

If we want to find the way to heaven, we need to look to Jesus, because he is The Way! Karl Barth, one of the most well know theologians of the 20th Century, was lecturing once day to a group of student at Princeton University. One of the students asked him this question. "Sir, don't you think that God has reveled himself in other religions and not only in Christianity?" Barth with a thundering voice replied. " No, God has not revealed himself in any religion, including Christianity. He has revealed himself in his son." We are not called to believe in a religion or to follow the teachings of a religion. We are called to believe in a person, a living person; a person who claimed to not only speaks for God but to be God. What does Jesus tell his disciples to today lesson? "I am the Father and the Father is in me, Whoever has seen me has seen the Father, and I am the way, the truth and the life."

I love one of the many explanations Barclay gives, "There are many abiding places in my Father's house" may simple mean that in heaven there is room for all. An earthly house becomes overcrowded; an earthily inn must sometimes turn away the weary traveler because its accommodation is exhausted. It is not so with our Father's house, for heaven is a wide as the heart of God and there is room for all. Jesus is saying to his friends: "Don't be afraid. Men and women may shut their doors upon you. But in heaven you will never be shut out."

We are not called to believe in a religion or to follow the teachings of a religion. We are called to believe in a person, a living person; a person who claimed to not only speaks for God but to be God. Think of some of the claims made in today's gospel reading by Jesus; He tells his disciples "I am in the Father and the Father is in me." He tells them, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." He tells them " I am the way, the truth and the life." There is something totally unique about Jesus that no prophet, no priest, no teacher of any other religion has ever had.

The very first Christians, the thousands in Jerusalem who decided to follow Jesus on the day of Pentecost and the tens of thousands throughout the Roman Empire who become followers in the next two or three decades, were not called Christians they were called "Followers of The Way".

As God' own people "Followers of the Way" we are called to connect others to God, to bring them and to show them "the Way". How do we do this? By proclaiming in our words and in our deeds the mighty acts of the one who has called us. By the teachings we have received, by sharing with others our prayers answered, and the miracles that have happened in our lives. Our experience with Jesus is an experience that is meant to be shared. We are called to pray for others, that God will for give sins and has a special place in His heart for you and I. We are called to set the example.

Way. Truth. Life. How do you experience these three affirmations of Jesus' identity in your life and in your community of Faith? The true way of life? The living truth of the way? Play with the combinations and their meaning. Pray on those combinations and your living.

Jesus is the way. Follow him he and he will leads us to do his work. Jesus is the truth. Believe what he has taught and do what he has said. Jesus is the life. May he always live in you and me?

PRAYER
Thank you God, for gathering us here to hear your word and feel your love that surrounds us.