There was something about that rabbit. Alice had seen rabbits before, but there was something about this one. Maybe it was the fact that this rabbit carried a pocket watch and was very concerned about the time, or maybe it was because

It was so fleeting, she never could get a good look at it, but she saw enough to want to find out more.

The rabbit was late for something that was for sure. In fact, by the way he was carrying on and such, he was really late for something!

This was just too good for Alice, she had to find out what in the world a rabbit could be late to.

She followed that funny rabbit to a tea party, although she knew it was absurd to drink tea with a rabbit she was caught up in the moment and enjoyed herself.

Then the rabbit left. She gathered herself together and continued her quest to find out more about that rabbit, one that carries a pocket watch and drinks tea.

She saw the rabbit go into a little hole in the ground and she followed. Alice stuck her head in the hole cautiously but fell into the hole anyway.

After she fell which seemed like an eternity, she found herself surrounded by a bunch of doors that were locked with no apparent way out.

On a little table in that room was a cup of tea with a tag attached to the cup that read ‘drink me’. How could you refuse an offer like that? So Alice drank the tea and found herself only ten inches tall, just the right height to go into the miniature door that was open.

Alice was now in the middle of Wonderland. Where things don’t seem to make sense. A place where you’re not sure if what you see is what you get. A place where there aren’t any clear roads and where there is a definite shortage of roadmaps!

As she makes her way through this Wonderland looking for that rabbit that carries a pocket watch, she then runs into other strange things like smoking caterpillars and other talking creatures that shouldn’t be able to talk.

And then she sees that rabbit again, and she is on her way to find out where he is going.

And then she came upon a crossing that was dark with large trees that crowded the little path that Alice was walking on. The crossing offered many different ways to go. She could go north, east, south, or west. She wasn’t sure which direction the hurried rabbit went in and she was simply lost.

And then she saw a smile. It came from a limb on one of the tress. It was just a smile at first. It was a big smile, a toothy smile. And then Alice began to see a tail, and then eyes of a cat.

And in a deranged voice, the Cheshire cat asked Alice "where are you going?" and Alice replied "I don’t know".

She was lost. She was scared. She was confused.

With so many roads to take, but no clue on which one to take and no one to show her.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak with several of you this week at church or just passing by. Well on Wednesday, I walked outside to check on Rufus and Billy Frank who were working incredibly hard on the church grounds.

I expected to see blood, sweat, and tears from working in that hot summer sun, but instead I saw Rufus and Billy Frank sitting Indian style under a shade given by a tree.

For some reason, I wasn’t surprised! But at any rate, Rufus and I started up our little game that we’ve had going back in forth for a while.

I don’t see how he gets up at 5 in the morning every morning, and he doesn’t know how I can stay up past nine o’clock at night! And we both think that each other is crazy!

I’ve never been able to function that early in the morning. When I was little, my dad would take me turkey hunting. I was never a good turkey hunter and even today I don’t go turkey hunting a lot for three reasons;

It’s dark, you have to sit still, and you have to be quiet. Nowadays, I can deal with the dark okay, but it’s the sitting still and being quiet that I simply can’t deal with.

But back then, the problem for me was walking through those dark woods sometimes without a flashlight. I would hear sounds that I wouldn’t normally hear during the daytime, and my eyes would see things moving that I didn’t think should move.

But I was able to make it every time because my dad always walked in front of me and he would always say, ‘step where I am stepping’.

There wasn’t any doubt or confusion of what to do, because I had someone who knew where to go in front of me; I had a guide.

That is the difference between Alice who was trapped in Wonderland and me was in the middle of nowhere where darkness touched everything; I had a guide, someone or something to show me where to go, where to step, and I was never lost.

We may not think about it much, but where would be if it wasn’t for someone to guide us, to show us the way? Can you imagine having to go through life again without someone telling us to step where they are stepping?

Sure there have been times when we didn’t have a guide when we were like Alice lost in Wonderland, but throughout our life we’ve had someone or something to help us along the way, to show us the ropes, to give us some direction.

How would the life of Scrooge been if the Ghost of Christmas Present hadn’t shown him what life would be like if he didn’t change his ways. Without the direction of the Ghost of Christmas present, he would have continued his life as a stingy, unhappy man.

Who could forget the direction the poet Virgil gave Dante during his trip through heaven and hell?

What would have become of the pilgrims if it weren’t for the direction and guidance of the Indians such as Squanto?

Would Luke Skywalker have become the great Jedi Knight if he didn’t have Yoda or Obi Won Konobi?

Would we have the music of Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven if their fathers didn’t give them direction and guidance?

Would Richard Petty be a household name if no one taught him how to drive a car?

Where would we be without guidance? Where would we be without someone telling us where to step?

It seems everywhere we turn somebody is offering us guidance.

We have dozens of psychic friends hotlines to call and find out what we should do or what we are about to do, since they are psychic.

We can even drive down to Augusta where for a small fee, this preacher will cure all that ails you and will even give advice.

We can turn on the television and watch Oprah Winfrey or Montel Williams for advice on how to fix all of our problems.

We can call Dr. Joy Browne or Laura Schlessenger for advice on our relationships and other problems.

And that most famous guide to millions, Dear Abby.

Even the Microsoft corporation has joined in, with their slogan "Where do you want to go today?"

With all of these people and places offering us the answers to our questions, to give us guidance, to show us the way to live and love, we really shouldn’t ever have any problem with countless experts ready to show us the road to take.

But many times we do.

What about those times when we wake up in Wonderland? We live in a world much like that of Alice’s.

A land of many doors and few keys.

A land with deep holes that are easy to fall into.

A land that presents many curious things for us to chase.

A world that gives us crossroads daily.

Many times those crossroads have thousands of choices and roads to take; there are times when the choices aren’t easy.

So what do we do when we come to a crossroad with thousands of choices? What will be our answer when the Cheshire cat asks ‘where are we going?"

If only Alice had a guide. If only Alice had a guide to help her make those tough decisions. If she only had someone or something to help her.

If we only had a guide. If we only had something more than Oprah, Montel, or that guy in Augusta to help us go through life.

If we only had something more than the psychic friends or Dr. Joy Browne. If we only had something more than Dear Abby to help us through the crossroads.

If we only had something to whisper to us what is right.

If we only had something to nudge us to what is wrong.

If just had someone to tell us how to love and how to show that love.

If we just had someone to tell us what to say when those times come when we need the perfect words and we can’t seem to find them.

If we just had someone to bring us to God, to help us encounter the Divine, everything will be okay.

If we just had someone to help us through Wonderland.

If we just had a guide telling us to step where they step, we would know where we are going.

Jesus was going away. He was leaving those 12 men who had looked to him for everything. Those 12 men who looked to Jesus for guidance. Those 12 who looked for him to show them where to put their feet.

Those 12 who looked to Jesus for what to say and how to love. Those 12 who looked to Jesus for truth and to encounter God, those 12 who looked to Jesus to make it through Wonderland.

But he was going away. He was leaving.

They no longer had a guide. They were like Alice looking at the crossroads. They were like Alice hearing the Cheshire cat asking ‘where are you going?’.

Today, we celebrate the answer.

You see, God the Son – Jesus – had certain limitations, he was flesh and bone, he got hungry, he became sleepy, he was a man, still God, but still man.

Therefore he could only guide those who were with him. He could only show the way to those who could see and hear him, but there was a whole other world that was trapped in Wonderland, there was a whole other world and future that would need guidance.

But God the Holy Spirit has no such limitations. The Holy Spirit is not confined by space or time. The Holy Spirit does not get tired or hungry.

The Holy Spirit can speak to everyone trapped in Wonderland.

The HS answers the question of how to love.

The HS answers the question of what to say and how to say it.

The HS brings us closer to God and encounter the Divine.

The HS whispers what is right and shouts what is evil.

The HS shows us where to step.

The HS points us down the right road, the path of righteousness.

The HS brings us truth.

The HS brings us love.

The HS brings us to God.

The HS brings us to a land of Wonder, and away from the Wonderland.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.