The works of the Way
Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter (May 7, 2023) at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, NY. A video of the entire worship service is available here.
What are we talking about? View the scripture readings and the Collect of the Day: The Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A)
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Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” John 14:5-6
Edited Transcript
May only truth be spoken here and only truth be heard. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Please be seated.
There's a lot going on in the world to make us anxious. Really there is. But I am also struck, lately, by how there is a real sweetness about the life of this community, about St. James.
It's easier to feel in this spring season. Right now, everywhere we go, there's green and flowers, and the weather's been glorious these last few days. And this has encouraged me to have my eyes open to what's happening that's new; what's happening that's full of beauty. And here in this church, in this place, in this community—and in the wider community that we touch and witness to—even just in these last few days, there's this real sweetness and beauty happening here. Friday night, there were six teenagers here for our youth group Game Night and a few adults. We played cornhole on the front lawn as the as the mosquitoes were starting to come out. In fact I played cornhole for the first time! It is harder than it looks. <laugh>. I am not good at it. I probably will never become good at it. And then Joey Palermo taught us all how to play [the board game] Risk: Europe. And then he beat us all at Risk: Europe <laugh>.
The next day on my way home from a colleague's commissioning I stopped by the Chapel Emporium.There was music, there were people stopping by and visiting. Deb told me that about 15 people from the community came through to look at the Chapel. A lot of them had never, even with lifetimes living in Hyde Park, seen inside the chapel before. And one woman started to cry because she couldn't believe how sweet and beautiful that little space is.
And then as I come into the church this morning, I see the baskets full of food. I see all the ways that we are connecting with our neighbors, that we're aware of what the needs are in our neighborhood. I see the advertisement for the Mother's Day Tea and the excitement about that coming back! Folks stopping in to the office during the week to buy tickets and to say how glad they are that they're going have this opportunity to celebrate with the Tea again. And not only that, but I see new people getting involved to be part of it. New hands on deck!
And as I was walking in, I looked at the coffee hour signup sheet and I saw a name on there that I'd never seen on the coffee hour signup sheet before!
There's all these sweet little new things that are happening. And in our anxiety about our own lives, in our anxiety and grief about what's on the news, and even in our anxiety about the future of this sweet place, we can lose track of the beauty and the sweetness that's here—that is already springing up.
In the Gospel today, the disciples are anxious about what's going to happen to them. Because Jesus has said, I'm going away. We're not going to have this life together, the way we've had it, forever. And even though Jesus assures them: where I'm going, there's going to be a place for you too. There is a place for you in this. Even with that reassurance, the disciples still want to know: Well, how is it going to look? What is it going to be like? How will we know the way?
And of course Jesus says to them, How is it that I have been among you so long, and somehow you still don't know? I *am* the Way!
Those of us who've been reading the Book of Acts, especially if you've been part of our Bible study, you might remember that the earliest Jesus people aren't called the church. They don't call themselves Christians, either. Not right away. They call themselves, "The Way." And it's actually the same word in Greek: "hodos." Jesus says, I am hodos. I am the way. This is the same name that the Jesus people have for themselves: we are the Way.
Jesus, who lives and dies and is resurrected, is the Way. And then in the wake of that resurrection—which we are reliving right now in this Easter season—the Body of Christ is the Way. Jesus is the Way. And in the wake of the resurrection, the Body of Christ, being the Body of Christ; that's the Way and the Truth and the Life that we are coming to know.
Remember again that verse that somehow we keep coming back in this Easter season: Acts 2:42. "They continued in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers." These are the works of the Way. Jesus says to the disciples in the Gospel, "You will do greater works than these." These are the works that constitute the Body of Christ. These are the works that become our first baptismal vow.
The Way that is Jesus, the Way that is the Body of Christ, is to continue in learning about our scripture, about our tradition, about one another, about this beautiful world God's made for us. The Way is about continuing in the fellowship, which means continuing to walk together, take care of one another, take care of the community that God has given us to steward. The Way is to continue in the breaking of the bread, to be faithful to receiving this blessed sacrament that Jesus instituted for us, which we have the opportunity to partake in. And not only that, but to break our bread, to fraction it ,so that we can share it with others. So whatever it is that God is giving us, that we are breaking it to give... to continue in the breaking of the bread. And the Way is to continue, of course in our prayer, which includes our public worship, our prayer for one another, and our prayer for the world.
This is the Way; these are the works. And this is how we find, even now, that sweetness of new life: one step at a time, one practice at a time. That's how we still see it springing up: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We've been here all along, and we do know what it is.
And we continue in this Way of following Jesus. And as we do, we take a moment in this space, we too can feel and see and taste what is so sweet about this life with God, and this life with one another. Amen.