Easter 2 (A) 1,000 Answers… 1,001 Questions
Easter 2 (A) 1,000 Answers… 1,001 Questions
If I were to suggest a patron saint for the Clergy Bible Study it would be Thomas. Good old doubting Thomas. What I have come to love about the Episcopal approach to the Christian faith is that you may hear one thousand (1,000) answers, only to discover that there are one thousand and one (1,001) questions. In our study group that one thousand and first question is okay. In fact, we’re glad you asked because in the process of our searching for the answer… we will all learn something. It has been said that the trouble with churches that have all the answers is that they don’t allow any questions.
The news letter of St. Thomas Episcopal Church Dallas is called “The Doubter.”
There is no doubt that Thomas loved the Lord, but when he had a question, he was not afraid to ask. When Jesus said to His disciples, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” It was Thomas that spoke up and asked, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
We can be thankful for the question because the answer that Jesus gave Thomas has saved Christ’s followers from jumping to the latest fad theology. He looked at Thomas and said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Thomas was a man of loyal courage. When Jesus was determined to travel towards a hostel Jerusalem, it was Thomas that said to the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
In less than a week, what Thomas feared would happen was history. Jesus was arrested, tried, crucified, dead and buried.
Three days pass. Three days filled with grief, fear uncertainty, and questions. Then there are reports that Jesus has been seen…. alive. He was seen by Mary Magdalene, by a couple of disciples on the road to Emmaus, and then by the Apostles in hiding. For reasons we are not told, Thomas was absent when Jesus made His appearance. When Thomas did show up and heard the news, he couldn’t believe it. Even in the face of the apostle’s excitement Thomas said, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it.”
There are several things about Thomas’ doubt, and the way the others related to him that have always impressed me.
For one, Thomas was not willing to simply “go along” with the story. He took a firm position and let it be known that he would not be convinced by anything less than a direct personal experience. So, if you have a question, ask it, but only if you really want to know the answer.
Example) A great Christian speaker and author, Becky Manly, often said, “Ask me anything if you sincerely want to know the answer.”
It has been said that doubts are faith’s best friend. The freedom to express our doubts and ask our questions is what a community of faith is all about.
Example) Some would not believe what comes out of our discussions at our clergy bible study on Tuesday mornings. Some would question if we are really ordained ministers. Some would be shocked. We question God. We give God a hard time…. but everyone in that group has said at one time or another…this is my Church. Why? Because in our freedom to question, the Holy Spirit has freedom to show us deeper truth.
One of the reasons I love the Psalms and the reason I believe they endure is because of the author’s honesty. They lay it on the line – Psalm 74: “Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. Will the foe revile your name forever?” In short…God, we’re hurting! Do you care?
But, for all our questions the members of our clergy study group (and I might add our proper’s breakfast group) are back…. week after week, year after year. Would you believe 44 years?
That’s another point I like about the Thomas story. He was willing to stick around with the members of the community that did believe. I can imagine that, at first, the emotional climate in that group would have been a little tense. They could have said what they were thinking with the expression if disbelief on their faces. (If you had been here Thomas! Where were you when our living Lord was standing right here in this room?). It still happens.
Over the years I have heard parishioners complain that our Church lacks spirit. Then along comes a worship service that really comes alive. After which people say, “I could really feel the Spirit of God’s love in this place today.” You look to see if the one that was missing the spirit caught it…. but; you guessed it…. they were absent. And don’t even try to explain what was experienced because there is a mysterious gap that blows it away.
Example) We all know the failed conference report. The person reporting says, “I caught fire, I’m alive for the first time! My life will never be the same!” The reply from the person not at the conference: “Well, I just want you to know that while you were being carried away by the spirit…. the hot water heater died.” (or, our kids were sick and the car wouldn’t start)
You may wonder, along with me, if there is anything we can do about the Bermuda Triangle of Spiritual experiences. What I love about the Thomas story is that he was willing to stay with the Apostles, and the Apostles were willing to accept Thomas with his doubts. What I have observed over the years is that there are many different roads to faith.
A church should be a place where doubts and questions are treated with respect.
Believing is a process. A member of our propers group and I saw something in the Gospel for the first time. From John 20 verse 31 – “These (signs) are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ.” As we study Thomas, we can see a model of what a faith quest looks like.
He listened to the Apostles account.
He asked that he might share the experience.
He waited (prayed and meditated). Waiting is not passive. (Note) The others waited with him. I would hope with kindness and patience.
Thomas reached out. He was ready and willing to move in the Lord’s direction.
Thomas gives the secret of on-going church renewal.
Finally, I think it is important to note that the distance between doubt and belief is “the twinkling of an eye,” a “wink,” a “heart beat.” Look again at the story. There stands doubting Thomas. Then in the same mysterious way, as He did in His first visit, Our Lord appears, and looking right at Thomas invites him to verify the Apostles witness for himself. And instantly Thomas responds, “My Lord and my God!” From doubt to faith…. just like that…. snap!
Our steps in faith will sometimes catch us by surprise: Once while I was reading “The Brothers Karamazov” in the chapter called, “The Grand Inquisitor,” I was moved to write in the margin, “You (meaning me, Ernie Campbell), believe in God.
The Thomas story reminds us that moving from doubt to believing can happen as quick as a thought. So, if you’ve got questions, stick with them. And, if you are further along on the road to believing, join the quest for God’s truth by making this a good place to express your doubts and to ask questions.
Do you believe that Jesus is God? Look, not directly, but for the effects in His people. Look for compassion.
A doubter’s prayer:
“God, if you exist (and I don’t know if you do), and if you can hear this prayer (and I don’t know if you can), I want to tell you that I am an honest seeker after the truth. Show me if Jesus is your Son and the Savior of the world. and if you bring conviction to my mind, I will trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord.”
Anyone who prays this prayer will not be disappointed. Remember what Jesus said, “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened.”
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