Every summer the population of Maine swells as hundreds of thousands of folk from “away” flood north seeking the beauty of the Maine coast and the cool of the Maine summer. Invariably, at least one or two of those folk would end up asking me for directions each summer. Living in Kennebunk, more often than not, I was asked how to get to the Bush’s home in Kennebunkport. For most teens these questions, and the extra cars choking the local road system, were just a daily part of summer living. Sometimes however, the questions we were asked got out of hand.

I was biking to a friend’s house one July day when a car from Massachusetts pulled up next to me. They rolled down their window and asked in a strong Boston accent if I was from the area. I replied yes, I was, how could I help them. They talked some about what a beautiful town Kennebunk was and how much they loved Maine. Then they got around to their question and asked, “how do you get to Portland?” Portland is located about 30 minutes north of Kennebunk on I-95—it’s very easy to find—I was relieved I didn’t need to give complicated directions. But before I could give my answer the gentleman driving the car made a major mistake. He asked me, “could you give us the directions in a Maine accent? We haven’t heard one so far on our trip.” I gave my directions to Portland alright, “Get on I-95 SOUTH and follow the signs to Boston!” and I biked away, leaving them to find the way on their own.

Often we think of a way as a thing, something we encounter on a map, in an atlas, or even via the guidance of a local teen. The way to put together a toy or furniture is encapsulated in basic instructions which are, more often than not, completely incomprehensible. If you follow the instructions, follow the proper way, you will arrive at your goal.

Yet today, the whole idea of a “way” gets challenged, it gets transformed by the simple fact that Jesus calls himself the Way. The fact is, we can’t really read Jesus like we do a map. Similarly, Jesus is NOT some sort of construction book or guide to an assembly line, nor thankfully is he an annoyed local teenager. Jesus doesn’t really fit into any stereotypical images we may have of a way.

The idea of a way at the time of Jesus was quite different than it is for us. A way did not describe a path, a map, or a guide, or even IKEA directions, instead it described how one lived ones life. Throughout the Old Testament the word for way “Derek” was used to refer to how a wise person, an evil person, or even a foolish person lived their life. A way was not so much a thing as a state of being, a manner of living. When Jesus calls himself the way his disciples were challenged to understand that they were called to live their life patterned after Jesus, patterned after his teachings, patterned after his actions. Jesus being the way was not a fact to be grasped and agreed to, it was and is a reality to be practiced and lived out.

I believe that we see this understanding of Jesus being our pattern, our way of being and living throughout our readings today. Take for instance the reading from Acts. Here the first Christian to be killed for his faith is literally re-enacting Jesus’ last hours. As he is persecuted and put to death Stephen lives and dies as Jesus lived and died. In place of fighting his persecutors, in place of anger and resentment, Stephen patterns himself after the Way of Jesus. Stephen goes so far as to quote Jesus saying “Lord…receive my spirit” and “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen understood that if Jesus is the way to God, then Jesus’ followers must imitate him, they must pattern their life after him, they must live Jesus.

This idea of living Christian life as following the pattern of Jesus can be found all around us. Our liturgical seasons are based on this very belief. We live the Church year as a way of walking through Jesus’ life. We stand at the manger with him, we hear his teaching along with the disciples, we experience his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Year in and year out we pattern our common worship life after Christ in the hope and belief that all of us might pattern our personal life after Christ.

Christian history is replete with examples of the desire to follow Jesus as the way. In the Middle Ages people such as Thomas A Kempis wrote about imitating the life of Christ in every part of life. During the early 1900’s Americans began to ask themselves the question “What Would Jesus Do” as a way to facilitate this belief. Finally, by the late 1990’s W.W.J.D? bracelets based on this very question were around the wrists of millions, yet another incarnation of this idea of Jesus being our way, our pattern.

The fact that Christians have tried to follow Christ as the way since the time of Stephen doesn’t make this an easy process. When Stephen faced impending death he could easily find a direct parallel to his life situation in Christ’s life and thus see what his way was. But what is our way as a computer programmer, a stay at home dad, a line worker, or an engineer? What would Jesus do to deal with a labor conflict, a computer virus, or a political scandal? 1 Peter speaks of this process, this way of living, as something that we “grow into”. Salvation is likened to a building project where we are built into a spiritual house; we are made to be followers of the way over time and with practice. In this analogy we aren’t buying a prefabricated house, instead we are working, with the Spirit of God directing us and fellow Christians supporting us, to be made into the people of God. Instead of instantly arriving at the way, instead of instantly arriving at a Christ-like life such as Stephen’s, Christians have to work at this form of living. We have to practice, we have to ask for help. Sometimes we have to struggle, to push forward, to stumble and get back up so as to follow Christ and hear his voice as we journey on his Way.

All of us have different struggles. All of us have followed our own roads to arrive at this place of faith today. Some of us may be unsure of where Christ is calling us. Some may be filled with a deep conviction and certainty about their faith and Christian walk of following the Way. No matter where you find yourself, no matter what your path has been, cling to Jesus. Cling to the Way. Look for Christ, listen for Christ, pattern yourself after Christ, listen to his teachings, look at fellow followers, ask questions, struggle, understand that the Way is how we live, not facts that we posses and understand.  Christian life is a journey, a journey of learning, stumbling, rejoicing, struggling, crying, laughing, and supporting others who also support us. Christian life is a journey of following the Way, not a pre-set, pre-determined diagram but a living, loving Way of being, seeing and journeying. We are called to journey ever forward, following our Guide, following our Lord, who leads us, who supports us, who guides us as we are built up into the household of God.

In the midst of this process, in the midst of the Way, we will encounter immense clarity and incredible confusion. But Christ promises to be with us. Christ will be with us, leading and guiding us, protecting us and keeping us safe. Christ will build us up into people of faith, into a royal priesthood, people enabled and empowered to proclaim the mighty acts of God “who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

My friends, I hope and pray that as we hear Jesus’ words that He is the Way that we might choose to follow this Way, to embark once again on this Journey. Join me, join others, in seeking to follow Christ in all of life. For in following the Way, in living the Way, we will find true life, we will find who we were made to be, and we will find God.