"Finding Our Way" - John 14:1-14 - April 28, 2002

Have you ever been lost? Was there a time in your life when you couldn’t find your way? I believe most of us just keep going down a path, hoping for signs or some familiar reference point to get us back on track. When that doesn’t happen we get frustrated. When we are lost for a long period of time it could even drive us into despair.

Jesus told his disciples there is only one way. He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." Life is a journey and Jesus wants to accompany us along the way. He wants us to "dwell" with him. He wants to be our traveling companion, giving us constant directions at every turn and reassuring us that we can continue our life’s journey with faith and confidence.

Last Monday I was returning to Sidney from a meeting in Cincinnati. I was driving through Lebanon, looking for route 123. Unfortunately, I was following a huge semi truck and I couldn’t see the route signs as we drove through the town. I was frustrated for missing my turn. I finally realized that since I was following too close my vision had been blocked. Once we had passed through the town I backed off several hundred yards and I could see the road ahead. On the other side of Lebanon I saw a local pickup truck make a turn on a country road. If my sense of direction was accurate it would take me North and eventually cross route 123. A few minutes later I found route 123 and continued on my way.

Sometimes we have to "back off" and be patient to get where we want to go. When Jesus refers to himself as the "way" he is teaching us that in order to get where we want to be we have to rearrange our lives and be patient with the journey.

Jesus teaches us that to get through life we need a road map. It’s not just knowing Jesus, it is applying his lessons and then proceeding with our lives in a new way. Jesus taught patience, self-control and faith. He will get us to where we need to go when we invite him to be our traveling companion and show us the way.

Jesus also told his disciples that he is the "truth." By that I believe he means he can be trusted. When Jesus refers to himself as the "truth" the implication is that other’s will mislead us.

Before September 11th we enjoyed a truly free society where we could travel and move around the world at will. We never worried about terrorists or security at airports. After September 11th that has all changed. Now we stand in long lines. Our luggage is examined and we walk through machines that can detect the smallest piece of metal. Traveling used to be fun, but unfortunately an overwhelming sense of paranoia has changed the way we travel. When we get on an airplane the first thing we do is look around to see there is anyone who looks different from ourselves. No one trusts anyone anymore.

God wants us to trust. When we don’t trust we live in fear which makes us suspicious of others. We deny ourselves the opportunity to create new relationships. We miss out on the wonder of God’s creation because we fail to travel uncharted territory. By trusting, greater things can happen. "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it," Jesus said.

When there is no trust we are not free. A few weeks ago we took my daughter and son-in-law to the airport. We kept the grandchildren while their parents went on a cruise. When they returned we met them at the baggage terminal. The grandchildren never saw the plane land, nor did they see their parents get off the plane. For all they knew their parents spent the week at the airport. One of the basic thrills of life of watching loved ones get off an airplane is no longer a possibility.

I’m all for security but it’s a sad day in our society when our freedom is diminished. Jesus doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us to be free and live in the open. That, however requires trust. But we live in a society of "rugged individualism." Most people trust only in themselves. Life is all about looking out for number one, me, myself and I. People are lost because they are traveling down paths that will only bring them misery. Rather than choose Jesus as the "truth" and the "way," people are afraid and looking to alternatives for assurance.

Finally, Jesus said to his disciples that he is the "life." He wants us to be fulfilled, to have a sense of community, to live in peace. The disciples were troubled. They wondered about their future. What would happen to them after Jesus was gone? How would they connect?

Many of you are troubled. Some are having difficulty making a decision. Some have gotten on the wrong path and don’t know how to find your way back. Others are simply stuck. Perhaps we are not paying attention to signs along the way. Perhaps we are too big of a hurry to reach our destinations.

Last Tuesday evening I was traveling home from Greenville. It takes about 45 minutes and while I was leaving that city I felt thirsty. I was in a hurry to get home and stopped in a convenient store on the outer edge of Greenville. I purchased a soft drink and it really quenched my thirst. Now I could drive feeling refreshed. When I got to Versailles, which is between Greenville and Sidney, there was a train that had just passed through. Had I not stopped to get that drink I would have been sitting at the railroad crossing wishing I had.

By listening to the "life" signs our journeys can go at a normal pace and free of frustrations. Our bodies tell us things but we don’t always respond. People give us good advice but our pride prevents us from taking action. Jesus wants us to follow him and trust in him to lead us home.

Notice that Jesus tells his troubled disciples there is a place for them. "In my Father’s house are many rooms." A few years ago Lin and I visited the Vanderbilt Mansion in Ashville, North Carolina. It has over 250 rooms. In addition to the living quarters for the family there are numerous rooms for guests. The mansion includes rooms and activity areas for the workers and their children. There is a bowling alley, indoor swimming pool, ballroom, music studio, laundry and library. It is a self-contained community.

Following the road that Jesus travels leads us to a sense of community, both in this world and the next. God’s kingdom includes a variety of people. There is room for all, especially the troubled, the fearful and the lost.

Interstate 40 passes nearby the Vanderbilt Mansion. Thousands of people pass by every day but never see it. Some are running. Others are in a hurry. Some have no idea where they are going. If they would follow the signs to the Vanderbilt Mansion they would lead them to a single gate. The mansion is surrounded by hundreds of acres of gardens and wooded areas, but to enter everyone must past through that single gate.

There is but one single path to life. It is to follow Jesus, "the way, the truth and the life." By following his way we will never be lost. The way of patience, trust, freedom and community will give us life.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio