Ponder All These Things

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Faith Is Not Certainty

Thomas has long been confused as a naysayer. He's a truth-teller whose questioning deepens our trust in God, but what lesson have we still been missing from our 1st Century spiritual forbear?

This sermon was preached on the Second Sunday of Easter at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles in Hoover, AL. You may watch a video of it here.

Every year on the Second Sunday of Easter, we hear about Thomas.

And every year, he gets the same nickname: Doubting Thomas.

Which is a little unfair.

Because Thomas is not just doubting. Thomas is being honest. The others have had an experience of the Risen Christ, and he has not. They have seen the Lord, and he has not. And Thomas does not want borrowed faith. He does not want to pretend. He wants encounter.

And I think most of us understand that. But I think the real heart of this Gospel is not Thomas’s doubt. It is our confusion about faith.

Because many of us were taught, directly or indirectly, that faith means certainty. Faith means no questions. Faith means no struggle. Faith means saying, “I believe,” with a kind of airtight confidence. But that is not faith. That is certainty.

And certainty is not the same thing as trust. Faith is not intellectual assent. Faith is not just agreeing that something is true. Faith is giving yourself over to something you cannot fully control. Faith is trust. Which means doubt is not actually the opposite of faith.

Doubt can deepen faith. Questions can deepen faith. Longing can deepen faith. Honest wrestling can deepen faith.

But certainty? Certainty can actually become a problem. Because certainty leaves no room for mystery. No room for humility. No room for God to be bigger than our understanding.

And that is why this Gospel matters so much. The disciples are in a locked room. They are afraid. Easter has happened, but they are still afraid. Resurrection has begun, but they are still hiding. And Jesus comes anyway.

He does not wait for perfect faith.
He does not wait for courage.
He does not wait for clarity.

He comes into the locked room and says, “Peace be with you.”

That is how resurrection works.

Jesus meets people not on the other side of their fear, but in the middle of it.

And then comes Thomas. He misses that first Easter evening appearance. And when he says what he needs, notice what Jesus does not do.

Jesus does not shame him.
Jesus does not cast him out.
Jesus does not say, “If you were a real disciple, you wouldn’t need that.”

Instead, a week later, Jesus comes back.

That may be one of the most hopeful things in the whole passage: Jesus comes back for Thomas. On Jesus’ own time, yes. He’s not on demand. But he comes back. And when he does, he does not offer Thomas a lecture. He offers him himself. That is the point.

Thomas is not given certainty as much as he is given presence. And that may be what we need to hear too.

Because most of us are not really looking for airtight arguments. What we are looking for, deep down, is the presence of Christ in the middle of our real lives. In the locked rooms of grief. In the locked rooms of fear. In the locked rooms of disappointment, confusion, and change.

And that is what the Church is for—not to manufacture certainty, not to reward people who never question—but to be a place where people can bring their fear, bring their questions, bring their longing, and discover that Christ still comes among his people and says, “Peace be with you.”

Then Jesus says to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” That is not a put-down. It is a blessing.

And, it is a blessing for us. Because we are the ones who have not seen in the way Thomas saw. We are the ones who live by trust. We are the ones who are asked to follow Christ without certainty, but not without grace.

And maybe that is the word for us this morning: Do not confuse certainty with faith.

Faith is more alive than certainty. More humble than certainty. More open than certainty.

Certainty wants control.

Faith learns trust.

Certainty wants proof for everything.
Faith learns to say, “Christ is here, even now, and I will follow as best I can.”

That is resurrection faith—not the absence of questions, not the absence of fear—but trust that Christ keeps coming to us. Trust that his peace is stronger than our fear. Trust that his presence is enough to lead us forward.

And so if you find yourself today with questions, with doubts, with longing, with locked doors in your heart or mind, take heart. You are not disqualified. Remember that Jesus did not always call the qualified, Jesus qualified the called.

And, today we see that the Risen Christ still comes to us. Still speaks peace.
Still shows his wounded love. Still gathers his people. Still calls us forward. So, may we go forth proclaiming and in search of the Risen Christ.

Amen.

Sunday, April 5, 2026

Called by Name

Mary Magdalene, the Apostles to the Apostles, shows us the truth:
God finds us even when we are sad, grieving, confused, angry, and lost.
And that is very good news!

This sermon was preached on Easter morning at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles in Hoover, AL. You may watch a video of it here. (If you are wanting to laugh you may also check out my notes for the Children’s sermon version at the bottom of this post).

Holy God, may my words be your words and when my words are not your words, may your people be wise enough to know the same. Amen.

Alright, friends, since it is Easter morning, a day when God pulled the ultimate practical joke on separation, death, and even us humans, I think we should begin with a few jokes.

First:

What is faster than Peter on Easter morning?
Well according to today’s Gospel writer, John, the beloved disciple, himself… and according to everyone, Mary Magdalene. She was faster than both of them.

Second:

How do dinosaurs celebrate Easter?

They don’t. They’re eggs-tinct.

And one more, not Easter themed, but still religious:

What do you call a monk on an airplane?
An Air Friar.

Now those are some pretty silly jokes. But Easter is actually the perfect day for a little laughter, because Easter is the day when God surprises everybody.

On Good Friday, it looked like the cruel and powerful people had won… like sadness had won… like pain had won… like death had won.

But then on Easter morning, God said, “Not so fast.” That is what happened in the Gospel story, I just read a minute ago.

Very early in the morning, while it is still dark, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. She loves Jesus. She wants to be near him. She is sad. She is grieving. And when she gets there, she sees that the stone has been rolled away.

Now when Mary sees that, she does not say, “Hooray! Resurrection!” Nope. She thinks something has gone wrong. So she runs. She runs to find Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. And then they start running too.

And this is one of the funniest little parts of the whole Bible, I told as a joke about it a moment ago. It’s funny because John makes sure to tell us that the other beloved disciple got there first.

It is like John is saying, “Yes, yes, this is the greatest story ever told... but also, just so everyone knows, I beat Peter in a footrace.” I love that.

Because it reminds us that the people in the Bible were real people. Holy people, yes. Faithful people, yes. But also human people. A little competitive. A little funny. Just like us.

So they run to the tomb. One gets there first. Peter goes inside. The other disciple sees and begins to believe. But here is the important part: they still do not fully understand.

And that matters, because sometimes we get it and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we understand what God is doing. Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes life makes sense. Sometimes it really does not. But in those confusing moments, we are in good company because Mary does not get it at first either.

After Peter and the other disciple leave, Mary stays behind. She stays in the garden. She stays near the tomb. She stays with her sadness. She is crying. She is confused. She is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Have you ever had one of those? Maybe you dropped your ice cream on the ground. Maybe your best friend told you they were not your best friend anymore. Maybe the shoe store did not have the shoes in your size. Maybe you got homework on a Friday. Maybe your team didn’t win the big game. Maybe you lost someone you love very much. Mary is in one of those moments.

She is crying, and then she turns around and sees Jesus standing there, but she does not know it is Jesus. She thinks he is the gardener. And friends, that is another funny moment. She is wrong. But she is also a little bit right.

Because in a way, Jesus is the gardener. He is the Good Gardener of our souls. He is the one who brings life out of dead places. He is the one who plants hope where there was only sadness. He is the one who helps love grow again.

But Mary still does not know it is him. And then Jesus says just one word. He says, “Mary.” Her name. And suddenly she knows. It is Jesus. The risen Christ. Alive.

And I think that is one of the most beautiful parts of the whole Easter story: Jesus meets Mary not when she is cheerful, not when she has it all figured out, not when she is at her best, but when she is crying. When she is confused. When she is hurting. When she feels lost.

That is when Jesus comes to her. And that is good news for us too. Because God meets us not only when we are happy. Not only when we understand everything. Not only when we are doing our best. God is with us then, yes.

But God is also with us when we are sad. When we are grieving. When we are confused. When we are having a no good, very bad day.

Sometimes, in those moments, what we need most is to slow down and listen. Not just with our ears. But with what the Church calls the ears of our heart. That means the quiet place inside us where we feel things, where we notice love, where we learn what is bearing good fruit and what is not, where we can hear God speaking most clearly.

Mary stayed still long enough to hear Jesus call her name. And here is the really amazing thing: Mary is the first one to meet the risen Jesus. Mary is the first one sent to tell the others. She is the apostle to the apostles. We are here today, in part, because of her witness.

Because she stayed. Because she listened. Because she heard her name.

And her story teaches us something beautiful: Even when everything seems to be going as badly as it possibly could... God is still with us. Even when we are sad. Even when we are scared. Even when we are confused. Even when we do not understand.

God is with us, sweetly, lovingly, calling each of us by name. And that is Easter. Jesus is alive. Love is stronger than death. And the risen Christ still calls his people by name.

And for that, thanks be to God. Amen.

Children's Sermon Notes:

Easter is God’s ultimate prank on evil, sin, death, and even human beings. So, JOKES

How do dinosaurs celebrate Easter?

They don’t. They’re eggs-tinct.

Not Easter themed, but still religious: What do you call a monk on an airplane?
An Air Friar.

Pretty silly, right? But Easter is the perfect day for laughter, b/c Easter = when God surprises everybody. On GF it 👀 like cruel and powerful people had won… like sadness had won… pain… death

This morning, God: “Not so fast.” We heard it in the Gospel for today.

Very early, still dark Mary M. ➡️ 🪦 where ✝️ had been laid. She ❤️ Jesus. She wants to be near him. She’s sad… grieving. Upon arriving she 👀 🥌 🧻 away

When Mary 👀 that, she 🚫🗣️, “Hooray! Resurrection!” 👎 She thinks something has gone wrong. So 🏃🏽‍♀️… to find Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. 🏃🏻🏃🏻 too

And this is one of the funniest little parts of the whole Bible, I told a joke about it a moment ago. It’s hilarious to me b/c John makes sure to tell us he’s #1. John: “Yes, yes, this is the greatest story ever told... but also, just so everyone knows, I beat Peter in a footrace.” I love that.

B/C it reminds us that the people in the Bible were real people. Holy people, ✅. Faithful people, ✅. But also human people. ~ competitive. ~ funny. Just like us.

So they 🏃 to the tomb. 1 gets there first. Peter goes inside. The other disciple 👀 and begins to believe. But here is the important part: they still do not fully understand.

And that matters, b/c sometimes we get it and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we understand what God is doing. Sometimes we 🚫. Sometimes life makes sense. Sometimes it really 🚫. But in those confusing moments, we are in good company because Mary 🚫 get it at first either.

After Peter and the other disciple leave, Mary stays…in the garden…near the tomb…with her 😔. She is 😭. She is 🤔. She is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Have you ever had one of those? Maybe… dropped your ice cream on the ground. Bff told you they were not their BFF anymore. Shoe store… homework on a Friday…team didn’t win the big game. Maybe you lost someone you love very much. Mary is in one of those moments.

With tears in her eyes she turns around and sees Jesus standing there, but she doesn’t know it is Jesus. She thinks he's the gardener…another funny moment. Wrong/right

B/c Jesus = gardener = Good Gardener of our souls = 1 who brings life out of dead places = 1 who plants hope where there was only sadness = 1 helps love grow again.

Mary still confused. And then Jesus 1 word…“Mary.” Her name. And suddenly she knows. It is Jesus. The risen Christ. Alive.

1/most beautiful parts of the whole Easter story: Jesus meets Mary not when she is cheerful…it all figured out…she is at her best, but when she is 😭, 🤔, 🤕, & lost.

That is when Jesus comes to her. & good news for us 2. B/C God meets us 🚫 only when we’re 😄…we understand everything…we are doing our best. God is with us then, yes.

But God is also with us when we are sad, grieving, confused, or having a no good, very bad day.

Sometimes, in those moments, what we need most is to slow down and 👂. Not just with our ears. But also ⛪️ calls the 👂 of our ♥️. That means the quiet place inside us where we feel things, where we notice love, where we learn what is bearing good fruit and what is not, where we can hear God speaking most clearly to us.

Mary stayed still long enough to hear Jesus call her name. And here is the really amazing thing: Mary is the 1st to meet the risen Jesus… 1st -> the others… apostle to the apostles. We’re here in part b/c of her witness. B/C she stayed, listened, and heard her name.

And her story teaches us something beautiful: Even when everything seems to be going as badly as it possibly could...God is still with us—Even when we’re sad, scared, confused, don’t understand.

God is with us, sweetly, lovingly, calling each of us by name. And that is Easter. Jesus is alive. Love is stronger than death. And the risen Christ still calls his people by name. And for that, thanks be to God. Amen.