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Priest's Corner

Doubt is met in the very body of Jesus christ

4/28/2019

11 Comments

 
​I will presume that most of you have been seeking after God for some time. Or maybe you have not, or only have been for a short period of time. How has that time of seeking God been for you? Have you ever experienced doubt? Doubt about God being real? Or doubt about the God you heard proclaimed in the Scriptures? Or doubt about the sort of God proclaimed by Christians of one type or another? Maybe even your own priest?
 
In our gospel lesson from John this morning, we hear about St Thomas, or doubting Thomas as he’s often known. As we just heard, Thomas had not been with the disciples when Jesus came to meet with them and so when he arrives on the scene, the disciples rush to tell him, “Thomas we saw the Lord.” Thomas replies, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
 
Now doubt of course is not a new thing. We’ve encountered story after story of doubt through our Scriptures. Sarah actually laughs in doubt at God, when he tells her that she’ll have a child in her old age. Abram says to God, ‘how on earth could you give me a child God, I’m an old man well past child bearing years.’ Then of course as we heard over Lent, there were the Israelites in the desert who doubt God so much that they make a golden calf to offer to other gods in the hopes that they will be provided for when they doubt God’s provision of food, water and life for them.
 
There are the Israelites we hear about in the book of Judges who complain so mightily that they need a king to help lead and guide them because they cannot follow God loving him with their hearts and minds, they doubt in the midst of their struggles and do not hold fast to the faith. Of course God finally grants them their wish with the kings of Israel and ultimately with the King of kings, Jesus Christ. We also know of course about the disciples’ doubts: who will betray you Jesus, surely it is not I, I will not deny you Peter says to Jesus, until he hears that cock crow. On and on I could go in the Scriptures, and on into history books: doubt, fear, worry, struggle, for a whole host of reasons.
 
Each of us has likely faced a moment of doubt, or perhaps a long drought of doubt, even a loss of faith. Maybe you’re not even so sure now. Are you really there God? If I cannot see the mark of nails in his hands, and put my hand in there, and put my hand in his staff wound, I will not believe. In day to day lives where we measure most of the things of our lives by the ability to count, see, demonstrate, prove, show, confirm, how can we believe in the story of God come into the world, crucified for our sakes, resurrected three days later? How can we believe when we cannot see, touch, hold onto? How can we believe that God sent his Son into the world for us, to transform it completely, when the world still looks violent, when Christian faith seems to be in decline in the West? How can we believe God truly loves us when most of our lives are about navigating relationships where people leave us, get sick, fall apart, become angry with us or we with them so much so that there’s withdrawal, sometimes for good? How can we trust that God really has got us and isn’t going to let us go, when we experience nothing but that here on earth?
 
I know for me, I have come to doubt God’s existence at several points in my decade and a couple years of being a Christian. I’ve talked before about my doubt that came after I realized I had followed people and their ideology, rather than God. I wondered if there was a God underneath all their personal professions and characterizations, especially as these contradicted those of other Christians. Who had it right? Did anyone. Or was God simply an invention of people looking to control their own lives or the lives of others; to give themselves order and purpose in a world that can seem very much without either.
 
Then there was the doubt that has come with actually studying historical theology. Ironic hey? As folks in the Church have tried to work out what we call doctrine (or, central tenets of belief, doctrine of the trinity, how Christ can be both God and man, etc, how one is saved), not only has the Church split over and over again into different groups, but along with that came executions, murders, war, imprisonment, manipulation and violence. How many conceptualizations of atonement are there? Is it essential to hold to one? If so, am I not a Christian if I don’t hold to one? What if I’m wrong? Or is the Christian faith merely about vague sincerity: I believe in some concept of God and I try to be a good person in accordance with the Scriptures and at the end of the day, I rely on Jesus to get me there. Maybe that’s actually true. Personally, I’m too skeptical, I think too often about the worst possible case when plotting out my life, and try to avoid that. So I tend toward thinking I must actually ‘do the right thing’ for God to save me, which of course creates massive doubt because I can’t tell – amongst the myriad of ways the faith has been articulated – what the right way necessarily is!   
 
For a variety of reasons, intellectual and quite pragmatic, I had to work out these doubts while going to church every week, not to sit in a pew, but to climb into a pulpit to preach faith, hope and love. In order to do this, I was forced to reckon with what John, in today’s gospel lesson, calls ‘signs.’ John says, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” You see to preach, you cannot simply read the Scriptures and regurgitate them; you must determine where you, where your congregation; where your friends and family, where the people of this world past and present, are met by Jesus in the Scriptures. Where does he encounter all of us, each of us? The fact of the matter, is that he encounters us right where we are. And in his Spirit, he draws us into the world he has already created, and which he brings to an end, that is, into the world we find in the Scriptures.
 
The signs he does then, aren’t simply being done to or with characters that we find in Scripture. No. That’s not how it works. The signs we find in the Scriptures are being done to us and with us, and with our neighbors and our enemies. Those are the signs into which everything I saw in this world were being drawn every time I had to preach. And do you know what I discovered? Especially in the midst of doubt, doubt perhaps much deeper than Thomas’s?
 
 I discovered that my doubt was actually fear. Fear that God did not come for me. Like you, I too grew up in a world that measures all things by Thomas standards: let me put my hands into you, right into your body, let me see, hold, count, be utterly certain of your presence with me. Only if I can hold, see and measure, can I know for certain that I am okay. Only if I know for certain that that I’ve got the right doctrine, that my grandparents who have died are with you, that you are going to make this world better than it is now, only if I know you will save me despite the decisions and choices I have to make in light of my body’s and my brain’s failures to be ordered rightly, only if I know I am wanted, safe, of value, only if I know that in my failures, you will still have me, only then will I believe, only then can I sustain.
 
Jesus says to Thomas and so to me and to you: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Jesus isn’t actually asking us for a blind faith here. In fact, what he is saying is that in order to see me, first, you must follow me. I have often heard it said by older people that it is only in retrospect, looking back on their marriage, or looking back on their lives with their children, that they can truly say ‘what it is that they actually had.’ Any relationship – whether with friends, or co-workers, or with a spouse, or with kids and grandkids, or with neighbors or bosses, requires faith. Faith to sustain through periods of struggle, doubt, fear, frustration, boredom, loneliness, anger, bitterness, jealousy, envy, confusion, illness, disease, change, and decay. But faith over time reveals the signs that become interwoven pieces of the story of our respective lives together.
 
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe. Jesus does not tell us this because he demands blind faith to him. Rather he tells us this because he knows precisely who we are: finite creatures who still live in and see the world through a glass darkly, as Paul puts it; people for whom faith is not about obtaining mathematical certainty. Faith is not perfect knowledge. It is following God, hearing his Word, the Scriptures. That Word, the whole of the Scriptures, made incarnate in Jesus Christ; the one who fulfils and makes them real to us as we are drawn into their times and characters and so into him by the Holy Spirit. Faith then is about allowing ourselves to let go of our present so that we can be caught up by these signs given to us in the Scriptures. For it’s just here that we encounter him and he encounters us. It is therefore simply following Jesus, attending to his Word with the kind of work we’d do in relationship with our friends or spouses, or that we’d do to work through new challenges in health, in living situation, in family situations, that sustains us through doubt. Why? Because when we look back at the path we’ve walked in this life through our Scriptures, there we might see the signs of God present with us. AMEN. 
 
11 Comments
Rosemary
11/26/2019 07:55:29 pm

He left me and stop picking my calls. He said do not trust me anymore, I tried to convince him, but he will not believe me until we had a fight and broke up for 10months, after then I realize I can not live without him because of the love I have for him. I tried everything possible to get him back, but non worked for me, I came across this man called Robinson Buckler, he helped me and behold my ex came back after 5 hours , begging me for forgiveness, I was so surprised, If anyone here needs some help, with all sincerity, it was robinsonbuckler@ yahoo. com that made it possible _________________________??? […][…][…][…]

Reply
jesse maryam
12/8/2019 09:39:43 am

Life has not been so easy for me, i almost gave up on getting cured of HSV2 because i have tried many treatment and still don't work for me, so i was going place to place just for me to search for herbs cure or any solution to my problem and i also have three kids to take care of, that same period my husband die in an accident on it way coming home so life was very tough for me, so when i was going through the herbs site to find a cure for my problem i saw a story about a lady testify about DR.Imoudu, so i said to my self let me give a try to see if my problem can be solved, because i have spend alot of money In the hospital and their was no cure for it, so i contacted DR.Imoudu that afternoon of it and he gave me instruction how i will go about it and he sent me a herbal medicine which I took according to the way he instructed me to do. After taking the medicine for two weeks i saw a changes on my body, then i called the Dr and told him about it and he said i should go for test. i can't believe when my result came out it was negative, i was very happy to share this great testimony to the world there is real cure for #herpes you can also contact DR.Imoudu Email: DR.IMOUDUHEALERTEMPLE@GMAIL. COM also WhatsApp him +2348109609753..
He also have herbs medicine to cured the following diseases;
Diabetes, Lupus, Gout, Hepatitis A,B, Infertility, HIV/AIDS, CANCER, WART,ALS CURE/DIABETES CURE/EPILEPSY/HPV CURE/LOOSE WEIGHT AND BODY/EX-BACK/stroke


Reply
donald joe
1/20/2020 05:33:30 pm

Greetings
Are you suffering from #HERPES_VIRUS or other stds I can’t believe this is really true I never believe there is cure to this hsv 2 because all the hospital have told me there is no cure to it, few months ago I saw this man email DR.Ohunyom on internet from a testimony share by someone who he help with his herbal cure I contact his email and ask for his help also, that is how he inform me about the cure process and this man sent me a herbal medicine which I took according to the way he instructed for 2 week I can’t believe when I go for test my result come out negative i am so happy to share this to the world there is real cure to herpes you can also contact DR.Ohunyom through his email now drohunyom@gmail.com and also WhatsApp him +2349060579973 and He also have herbs medicine to cured the following diseases; eczema,urethra wart,chronic problems.Herpes, Cancer, Als,Hepatitis, Diabetes, HPV,Infections,ulcer ETC

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grace morgan
2/3/2020 09:01:21 pm

Just wanna say a big thank you Neme Amber for introducing me to Dr Emmanuel the great HERBALIST that helped me prepare home remedies that cured my herpes (HSV 2).
I was infected with HSV 2 for the past two years and i was unable to get a better job cos all the company i was to get employed checked our blood test and found out that i was positive to GENITAL HERPES and i loosed employment.
So i was desperate to get a cure so that i can live normal and get my job training.
i earlier made some research and i contacted some doctors online but they keep on asking for money for courier after that they'll tell you that tax and so more so i became broke and frustrated.
One day i was less busy so i decided to make latest research on herpes cure and i found a site  were everyone was talking about DR Emmanuel and herbs ability to cure herpes.
So i discussed with Neme Amber and she explained to me that its very easy working with Dr Emmanuel so i contacted DR Emmanuel via email ( nativehealthclinic@gmail.com ) and he helped me just as he has helped others now im cured and different medical centers has tested me and approved me cured.
so i decided to thank Neme Amber cos she made it possible for me.
and i can also assure you that he can also help you. so if you need the service of DR emmanuel, ill put his details here so that you can easily get in touch wif him.
his email: nativehealthclinic@gmail.com or WhatsApp him at +2348140073965. instagram ig:@dremmanuel2
my Name is Grace from US,once again thanks to Neme Amber. im fucking hapy....  

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tina richard
2/11/2020 05:36:43 pm

Its a miracle that I am alive today. I encounter HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS (HSV1/2) for good four (4) years, six (6) months and twelve (12) day with my calculations, before I meet the great Dr. Emmanuel. I am DEBORAH from Fresno California, united state of America and I was affected with herpes virus.Herpes is a viral infection cause by the Herpes simplex virus, marked by painful, watery blister in the skin or mucous membrane or on the genitals. This was what I suffered for good four years. I have visited CVS Pharmacy in Fresno for treatment but no improvement. I meet Dr.Emmanuel online while I was searching for herpes cure I read a testimony about his work. I give a try that now becomes a testimony in my life. I contacted Dr.Emmanuel WhatsApp  +2348140073965 or E-mail: nativehealthclinic@gmail.com  

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mario lawsom
5/19/2020 03:09:10 pm

I Want To Appreciate Dr.Ebhota by sharing  his email [ drebhota123456@gmail.com ] His Herbal Medicine Is A Good Herbal Medicine For (HERPES VIRUS) I Was Diagnosed With Herpes Virus some Months ago,And i Was Look For Solution To Be Cure Luckily I Saw A Testimonies On How Dr Ebhota Cure Herpes Virus I Decided To Contact Dr.Ebhota I Contacted Him and told Him All i Have Been Passing True And He Prepared A Herbal Medicine Portion And Sent It To Me,I Started The Herbal Medicine For My Health.He Gave Me Step By Step Instructions On How To Apply It, When I Applied It As Instructed, I Was Cured Of This Deadly Herpes Virus Within One month, I Am Now Herpes Virus Negative.My Brother And Sister I No That There Are So Many People That Have There Same Herpes Virus Please Dr Ebhota To Help You Too,And Help Me To Thank Dr.Ebhota For Cure Me, I’m Cured By Dr.Ebhota Herbal Medicine,His Contact Email;drebhota123456@gmail.com

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LUSSIE KANYE
6/25/2020 12:08:55 pm

My joy knows no bounds, I never thought that one day I will live on earth cured of this virus. I have been suffering from this deadly virus "HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS" since 5 years ago. I have spent a lot of money on drugs and going from one hospital to another, hospital has been my most visited place where constant check up have been my hobby not until one day, i decided to share my situation to a very close friend of mine and she was very upset with me for not telling her ever since that she is aware of a doctor called DRASHAOSEMUDIAMEN who helps people in curing their HERPES. i quickly contacted his email: drashaosemudiamen@gmail. com that was given to me by loveth felix, just to give him a test, i spoke to him, he asked me to do some certain things which i did, he told me that he was going to prepare and send some herbal cure to me, which he did and thereafter i received it and after using the herbal cure within 2weeks and few days i was totally cured, i had to go back to the same hospital that I have been going before to confirm my cure and behold I was confirmed negative by my doctor, so today I am here to spread the good-news of my life on how DRASHAOSEMUDIAMEN saved me from the nightmare and outbreaks of HERPES VIRUS. You can contact him via email: drashaosemudiamen@gmail. com or Whats-app: +2347052021645. If you are still suffering from this deadly virus...I believe you're going to be happy and feel alive again just as I am right now. 
Email: drashaosemudiamen@gmail. com
Whats-app: +2347052021645
CAN AS WELL CURE THE FOLLOWING DISEASE:-
1. HERPES
2. PENIS ENLARGEMENT
3. GONORRHEA
4. HIV/AIDS
5. LOW SPERM COUNT
6. MENOPAUSE DISEASE
7. EPILEPSY
8. ASEPSIS
9. CANCER
10. ANXIETY DEPRESSION
11. PREGNANCY PROBLEM
12. SHORT SIGHTEDNESS PROBLEM
13.YOU NEED YOUR WIFE OR HUSBAND BACK
14. PTSD
15 ADHD
and a lot more.....

Reply
sandra lopez
7/26/2020 11:17:19 pm

I have been suffering from (HERPES) disease for the last four years and had constant pain, especially in my knees. During the first year, I had faith in God that I would be healed someday.This disease started to circulate all over my body and I have been taking treatment from my doctor, a few weeks ago I came on search on the internet if I could get any information concerning the prevention of this disease, on my search I saw a testimony of someone who has been healed from (Hepatitis B and Cancer) by this Man Dr. Silver and she also gave the email address of this man and advise we should contact him for any sickness that he would be of help, so I wrote to Dr. Silver telling him about my (HERPES Virus) he told me not to worry that I was going to be cured!! hmm i never believed it,, well after all the procedures and remedy given to me by this man few weeks later I started experiencing changes all over me as the Dr. assured me that I have cured, after some time i went to my doctor to confirmed if I have been finally healed behold it was TRUE, So friends my advice is if you have such sickness or any other at all you can email Dr. Silver (drsilverhealingtemple@gmail.com) sir I am indeed grateful for the help I will forever recommend you to my friends!!! with your lovely Email Address ( drsilverhealingtemple@gmail.com or whatsapp him on +2347032474849

Reply
juwan james
9/12/2020 05:48:29 pm

i want to  inform the public how i was cured of herpes  Virus by a Doctor
called Dr ishiaku. i visited different hospital but they gave me list of
drugs like Famvir, Zovirax, and Valtrex which is very expensive to treat
the symptoms and never cured me. I was browsing through the Internet
searching for remedy on Herpes and i saw comment of people talking about how Doctor ishiaku cured them. I Was scared because i never believed in the
Internet but i was convince to give him a try because i was having no hope
of been cured of herpes so i decided to contact him on his email, i searched
his email on net and i saw a lot of people testifying about his goodness.
when i contacted him he gave me hope and send a Herbal medicine to me that
i took and it seriously worked for me, am a free person now without
problem, my HERPES result came out negative. You can contact him on his
Email: ishiakuherbalcure@gmail.com or whatsapp him via +2348180828544
 and get all your problem solved.
1)Sickness of any kind
2)Help to CURE Hepatitis B, herpes, HIV/AIDS CANCER and BIPOLAR
3)Divorce, Breakup problem and To Re-unit
4)Pregnancy problem
5)Financial problem and Job promotion
6)To get a good and rich life partner
7)To Lose your wrath
8)to enlargement of manhood

Reply
Mr Lake
9/29/2020 04:57:08 pm

Testimony how I end my financial worries

Gooday Everyone, We provide loans to private individuals, companies investors real estate, Realtors Farmers and cooperating institutions I'm Mrs. Clency Dexter.I live in Florida and I am a happy woman today, I want to thank Mr. Lake bell because ofthe loan offers, a God fearing man.(IT IS TRUE) contact via: lakebell256@gmil.com

Best regard

Reply
mike rose
1/16/2021 01:42:18 pm







i couldn't believe that i would ever be re-unite with my ex-lover, i was so traumatize staying all alone with no body to stay by me and to be with me, but i was so lucky one certain day to meet this powerful spell caster Dr Akhere, after telling him about my situation he did everything humanly possible to see that my lover comes back to me, indeed after casting the spell my ex-lover came back to me less than 48 hours, my ex-lover came back begging me that he will never leave me again, 3 months later we got engaged and married, if you are having this same situation just contact Dr Akhere on his email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com thanks very much sir for restoring my ex-lover back to me, his email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com or call / whatsapp: +2349057261346












































































































































































hindi ako makapaniwala na kailanman ay muling makiisa ako sa aking kasintahan, labis akong na-trauma sa pananatiling nag-iisa na walang katawan na manatili sa akin at makakasama ko, ngunit napakasuwerte ako sa isang tiyak na araw upang matuganan si Dr Akhere, matapos sabihin sa kanya ang tungkol sa aking sitwasyon ginawa niya ang lahat ng makataong posible upang makita na ang aking kasintahan ay bumalik sa akin, sa katunayan matapos na ihagis ang spell ang aking dating kasintahan ay bumalik sakin ng mas masg 48 now, dumating ang dating kasintahan ko. bumalik sa pagmamakaawa sa akin na hindi na niya ako pababayaan, 3 buwan mamaya kami ay nakipag-ugnay at nag-asawa, kung nagkakaroon ka ng parehong sitwasyong ito makipag-ugnay lamang kay Dr Akhere sa kanyang email:
AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com maraming salamat sa sir sa pagpapanumbalik ng aking dating kasintahan bumalik sa akin, ang kanyang email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com o tumawag / whatsapp: +2349057261346


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