John 14:1-14

William F. Schnell

April 20, 2008

Father Joe Witmer from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and I have been good pals for quite some time now.  We are both ecumenical fellows.  The dictionary defines ecumenical as: “Concerned with establishing or promoting unity among churches or religions.”  Beyond simply enjoying a meal every now and then, Father Joe and I participate in ecumenical organizations on the local, state and national level.  We are both officers of our local clergy association, we each represent our respective judicatories on the Ohio Council of Churches, and we traveled together to last year’s National Council of Churches General Assembly in New York City.

At such gatherings we often introduce each other to our friends and professional colleagues.  Father Joe always introduces me as the Senior Minister of THE Church in Aurora, as if we consider ourselves the only church in town.  I usually respond by saying that, according to his boss the pope, we are not a church “in the proper sense."  By this time our friends begin to step back as if we are about to come to blows.  But it is all in good fun because we actually respect each other as people of faith, and we have labored together in common cause far too many times to allow ourselves to be divided by doctrinal minutiae.

The name of this church is a bit misleading, and perhaps you have experienced the same confusion as I when people from other places ask us what church we attend.  If we say, “The Church in Aurora,” people often respond by asking for a little clarification.  “Which church?” they want to know.  If we say “It’s called The Church in Aurora,” they will respond, “Is it the only church in Aurora?”  “Not exactly,” we will respond.”  Well then, is it the Methodist Church in Aurora, the Lutheran Church in Aurora or the Catholic Church in Aurora?  “Which church in Aurora?”  The conversation can begin to sound like that comedy routine, “Who’s on First?”

So to avoid confusion I simply say, “The church has a funny name.  It’s literally called “The Church in Aurora.”  Then they want to know “What kind of church is it?”  If you tell them it’s a Community Church, it just begs more questions.  “What’s a Community Church?”  To keep the conversation brief I will usually say that we are kind of like a Methodist or Presbyterian Church without the hierarchy, but here I am referring to The Church in Aurora in particular and not to Community Churches in general. 

To further add to the confusion, when I speak of Community Churches in general I am not speaking of every church that calls itself a Community Church (especially those which are anything but ecumenical).  I am speaking of member churches of the International Council of Community Churches.  On the back of our bulletin you will notice the ICCC logo at the bottom followed by these words: “…A Fellowship of ecumenically-minded, freedom-loving churches cooperating in fulfilling the mission of the Church in the World….”

The Church in Aurora is a charter member of the ICCC, and has contributed two presidents to the organization along the way: former Senior Minister JR Hutcherson, and Barbara Holt, the first woman president, who just recently passed into the larger life.  We are currently active members of the ICCC, having hosted an annual conference in Cleveland not too long ago, and regularly contribute funds from special offerings such as we are receiving this morning.

You will notice that the ICCC logo emphasizes the word “Unity” in Community.  We are big on promoting Christian unity, which by necessity means that we must be big on promoting Christian freedom.  Why?  Because the Christian faith, like all enduring religions, has evolved into such a rich variety of expressions: from Amish to Catholic, and from Orthodox to Baptist—self-professing Christians all.  How can a commitment to Christian unity be possible without a corresponding commitment to Christian freedom—the freedom to follow the Word of God according to the dictates of conscience?

In the discourse from which our text for this morning comes, Jesus prays for those who come to believe through the Gospel message.  He prays to God, May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23).  Who is going to believe that God sent Jesus when those who go by his name, indeed those who claim to be parts of his body, can neither love nor cooperate with one another?  If the hand is slapping the face, who can blame anyone for not wanting to be a part of that?  In short, disunity in the Church is not good for business and that is why Jesus prays to God for unity among believers.

There are many, many biblical foundations for promoting both Christian unity and Christian freedom.  The more challenging texts, however, are those that seem to promote religious intolerance.  The assigned text for today from the Revised Common Lectionary is seemingly one of them.  I like a challenge, and so I want to challenge us to look carefully at some texts that cannot possibly mean what they appear to say because they contradict the larger biblical testimony, among other things.

For example when Jesus said to his followers: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26) he cannot possibly mean what he seems to be saying because it contradicts the larger biblical witness about honoring our parents and loving our spouses and children.  So it behooves us to ask, “What does he mean and why would he choose to say it in this way?”  I guarantee you that if you approach a difficult text in that way you will come away with a much more profound insight than mere literalism can provide.

That’s the problem with literalism; it distracts us away from the deeper truths in the Bible and requires convoluted theological constructs to reconcile the irreconcilable.  Another example comes from our text where Jesus says: …I will do whatever you ask in my name…  And again, You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (Verses 13-14).  Okay, let’s give that a literal try.  May a million dollars be showered upon me right now in Jesus’ name.  Amen.  Well, maybe I’m not Billy Graham or the pope, but do you honestly think they would have any better results using the formula Jesus seems to be touting in our text?

Jesus must be saying something else in this text, just as he must be saying something else in the text about hating parents and children.  I would love to go there, but there is another difficult text that I would like to focus upon because it has been misused by literalists as a biblical justification for religious intolerance and all the bigotry and hatred that invariably ensues from it.  This is where Jesus says, I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me (Verse 6).

Presumably that would represent a problem for 66% of the world’s population who are not self-professing Christians.  But what about some of those self-professing Christians belonging to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who have been in the news this past week because of their practice of polygamy (and alleged child abuse)?  The Church of Jesus Christ, also known as the Mormon Church, has formerly disassociated themselves from this fundamentalist sect.  But many other self-professing Christians have formally disassociated themselves from the Mormon Church.

Protestant churches are not, as we have seen, churches “in the proper sense” according to official Catholics policy, and the Catholic Church and Hitler were one according to at least one high-profile Evangelical (whose endorsement sought and received by John McCain has been a bit problematic for Catholics).  I guess the question about who is a true follower of Jesus Christ really comes down to you and me and, frankly, I am not too sure about you.  That is a rather insulting attitude, is it not?  And it is all Jesus’ fault if his words are meant to favor one religious expression over all others.

I believe there is another way to understand this text that is much less exclusivist, elitist and egotistical.  The discourse from which out text comes occurs just before his arrest and crucifixion.  Jesus has forewarned his disciples about what is going to happen to him, which dashes all of their hopes and expectations.  Their hearts are troubled, and so he begins, Let not your hearts be troubled… (Verse 1).  This is part of God’s plan of salvation.  The cross that removes me from this world is going to transport me to the next.  There, in God’s house, I am going to prepare a place for you.  Then he says, “You know the way to the place where I am going” (Verse 4).

But Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (Verse 5).  It is then that Jesus responds: “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (Verse 6).  No one comes to the Father except by way of Jesus.  What does that mean?  The context of our verse makes it clear that Jesus’ way is the way of the cross.  No one comes to the Father except through the way of the cross.  As Jesus tells his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

The way of the cross is the way of Jesus, and it is the way of salvation.  The world teaches us that the way of the cross leads to death and destruction, but Jesus reveals a surpassing spiritual truth.  The way of the cross ultimately leads to eternal life in the kingdom of God where Jesus is going to prepare a place for those who follow in his way.  Jesus sums all this up by saying, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the father except through me”, except through my way, except through the way of the cross.

Member churches of the International Council of Community Churches do not believe that cross-bearing is unique to Community Churches.  We hold open the possibility that cross bearers are found in all faith traditions.  We are also aware that there are some in all faith traditions who betray, deny and fall away because of the cross of Christ.  Mostly we understand that there is a little of both attitudes in all of us.  Therefore we extend to others the same charity that we ourselves would like to receive as fallible human beings.

That does not mean that anything goes—that we have to affirm polygamy or child abuse or other such things.  There are, after all, laws of the land that have been democratically established for the common good.  On the other hand, we do not have to judge others simply because they are different than we are.  Being different does not make them any less a child of God than we are.  Indeed, the Body of Christ is made up of many and varied parts just like a human body.  Aren’t you glad that your body is more than just a foot, or just a nose?  And aren’t you glad that your parts work together in harmony rather than at odds with one another.

So it is with the Body of Christ.  There are many parts but one body.  There are many expressions of faith, but one way of salvation—the way of the cross which is the way of Jesus.  Indeed, before the early church was called Christian—before it was called THE Church in Jerusalem--it was simply called “The Way” (Acts 19:23).  And before any believer was called a Christian he or she was simply called “a follower of the way” (Acts 24:14).  It might surprise us where we might find followers of the way today, and where we might not find them.  Therefore let us not, in ignorance, presume to stand in judgment, but let us extend to others the same spiritual liberty that we expect to receive ourselves.

Most importantly, let us consider how the way of the cross is intersecting with our lives today.  How is God calling us to suffer for righteousness sake?  How is God calling us to deny ourselves?  What sacrifices are being asked of us?  What does it mean for us to take up a cross so that we may follow the Master in this life and in the life to come?  Those are not questions that are unique to a Community Church pulpit.  Those are questions that can be heard in any house of worship.  Let us answer as followers of the way.