Doubt can be a gift from God

Sermon on John 20:19-31 by Luke Bouman
"I have come to know that doubt and faith are not opposites. Some have suggested that the opposite of faith in God is not doubt, but faith in someone or something else. I have come to know, through the writings of James Fowler (Stages of Faith) and others that doubt often comes as a catalyst to deeper faith. Walt Wangerin Jr. suggests that faith is a verb (faithing, he calls it) and doubt is a part of the faithing process. What I do know is that times in my life that I have come to know God in a deeper way have always come through periods of questioning what I assumed I knew, which leads to an openness to new aspects of my relationship with God. Rather than resisting doubt, I have come to welcome it as a companion on my faith journey."

Belief and touching

April 3 2003: "While we may admit with many scholars that these comments were meant to subvert Thomas' leadership in the early church, they also point to the struggles experienced by a faithful follower of Jesus in his quest to embrace the resurrection."

I want to trust John. I like to think of him as a mystic and lover of Christ-my kind of guy. If this is the case, how can he criticize Thomas' desire to touch Christ. What does it mean to believe if not to experience?

Roger Hahn suggests, "John expresses almost no criticism of Thomas' doubt. In fact, Thomas' desire to put his hand and fingers into Jesus' wounds actually will strengthen John's case against the Docetists."

Other tracks (Easter A2)

In talking with the other guys today, I found it interesting where they were focusing. Their discussion on the gospel focused on Jesus saying "Peace be with you." What does peace mean? In our world, our church culture, how can we preach peace? How does this relate to our power to forgive?

How did the father send Jesus? What does it mean for us to be sent? Here is John's version of the great commission.

Art has his sermon title as "Welcome Holy Spirit" I thought at first he was off lectionary this week. But there it is in the gospel "And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." John's allusion to Pentecost is of interest for we Pentecostals, it's still a ways off - Pentecost... John doesn't concern himself with the time laps. This highlights our distinctive, as we believe the filling of the spirit to be a separate event from the receiving of the spirit at salvation.

Different from last year?

It is interesting that the gospel text for this week is the same every year. How are the years different in feel? Last year Peter was giving his witness to the Jewish ruling council and declaring that he could not stop preaching. Jesus is described as the faithful witness and returning firstborn from the dead, alpha and omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. The Psalmist rejoices in the cornerstone that allows him to "live and not die."

It seems if the focus this year is on seeing, last year it was on bearing the witness. How will you preach it differently? Last year I used a monolog from Thomas' view point as if he were a sceptical Tom Brokaw. Since our low liturgy doesn't usually use more than one reading, I'm thinking about using 1 Peter this year.

Seeing is (Easter A2)

This week, we hear voices who have seen the risen Christ. Peter announces the truth of the resurrection to the crowds on the day of Pentecost, that he is an eyewitness. Not only he, but David saw it and prophesied, saying

For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.

Then we hear again from Peter, the eyewitness, shouting aloud the hope that we have because of what he saw in the resurrected Christ, an imperishable inheritance. Peter says to us:

1:8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Here he echos the words of the risen Christ to Thomas who wouldn't believe unless he saw.

Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

What do we see this week? Do we see the resurrected Christ in our midst or is it something else? Are we back to business as usual? Or does the celebration of last week Live on before our eyes?