This morning I preached the first message in a series based on Debie Thomas’ new book A Faith of Many Rooms: Inhabiting a More Spacious Christianity (Broadleaf, 2024).Today, we focused on doubt.
Sermon
My message, “Embracing Doubt” was based on Genesis 17:17-22, 18:10-15 and John 20:24-29.
Doubt
You can watch the sermon below or read the manuscript.
Excerpt
Doubt isn’t something to fear; it is one of the ways we explore our faith and truly make it our own.
Looking at this morning’s Old Testament lesson, we see two of the biggest names – Abraham and Sarah – caught in an episode of doubt. Doubting Abraham and Doubting Sarah doubt that God can bring about new life through their old bodies. In effect they tell God, “God you are good and your power is great, but you must have forgotten that we are senior citizens.” And then they followed these remarks with laughter – lots of laughter.
This was the beginning of their story of doubt. The end was much different. The end – the birth of their son Isaac – was another new beginning. And, we know that Isaac would become the grandfather of the twelve tribes of Israel – more new beginnings.
Doubt abounds. In the more familiar Scripture reading about doubt from John’s Gospel, Doubting Thomas doubts that Jesus is walking around in a new body. His mind cannot believe something that is so outside of his lived experience it seems nonsensical.
This was the beginning of his story of doubt. The end was much different. The end – touching Jesus and confirming his identity – was another new beginning. And following this, Thomas spread the Gospel to places near and far, including India. His impact was so significant that he is now known as the patron saint of India. Many more new beginnings followed.
Doubt is everywhere. In Debie Thomas’s story, she doubted that doubt had a constructive role to play in her own story of faith. She was raised to believe that the only way to be Christian was to live free from all doubts.
This was the beginning of her story of doubt. The end was much different. The end – embracing doubt as a normal, healthy, and helpful part of faith – was another new beginning. And, in claiming the title of Doubting Debbie for herself, she has opened many new doors for herself and for others. Now, she is a candidate for ordination in the Episcopal church.
I thank God for doubt and for doubters:
- Doubting Abraham and Doubting Sarah
- Doubting Debbie and Doubting Thomas
- Doubting You and Doubting Me,
