Doubt Is A Virtue
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For April 27, 2025:
Doubt Is A Virtue
by Tom Willadsen
John 20:19-31, Psalm 150, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8
Stop thinking of Thomas as “the Doubter!” He was the original Missourian; he was the one who needed to be shown for him to believe. And he was the one who changed his mind when the evidence showed the truth.
I propose calling him “the Fearless!”
Remember, that first evening, ten of the disciples were in a locked room “for fear of the Jews?” Thomas was not with them, perhaps he was not afraid.
I propose calling him “the Diligent Student!”
Remember, it was Thomas who needed to really understand what Jesus meant in the fourteenth chapter of John’s gospel. After Jesus said, “And you know the place where I am going,” it was Thomas who said, “Lord, we do not know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” Every teacher wants a student like Thomas who insists on understanding the lesson on their own terms.
I propose calling him “the Committed!”
Remember, in the 11th chapter of John’s gospel, as Lazarus was dying, Jesus decided to return to Judea, even though his disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” It was Thomas who spoke up and said to the other disciples “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
In the Scriptures
John 20:19-31
I’ve already made my case in the teaser that Thomas is mislabeled as the Doubter. There are some other things to explore in this text. In vv. 21-22 John’s gospel has a kind of Pentecost moment, as Jesus breathes onto (into) his disciples. Whether the power to forgive is universal, or simply something they share among themselves is in dispute.
Jesus appears to them that first night when they are in a locked room. There is no description of what kind of entrance he made. Mark’s gospel would have at least begun with “immediately,” or “suddenly.” What kind of noise, if any, do you imagine hearing when Jesus just appears there, where you’re hiding because you’re afraid?
And another thing, Jesus has a body that has wound marks in his hand and side, the very thing Thomas insists on seeing and touching, so he’s got a body. Did he just disparate to borrow a term from Harry Potter and pass through the walls or locked door? In the next chapter Jesus caters breakfast for them and serves them, though the text does not specify that he ate anything, it just says, “when they had finished breakfast.” The text is silent on who cleaned up and took care of the fire there on the shore.
Psalm 150
Sing, recite, shout this psalm today! There are plenty of settings for it, and also, music in praise of the gift of music and its ability to help people worship and encounter God. Your people are very tired of Psalm 118. Well, I am. And yes, keeping whooping it up! Easter’s a season, not a day!
Revelation 1:4-8
First of all, in English, this title of this book is singular. It is not “revelations,” please, do not make that mistake. John of Patmos had one revelation and it went on for 22 chapters. Resurrection imagery runs throughout today’s passage. Jesus Christ is “the firstborn of the dead.” He loves us and freed (some texts read “washed”) us from our sins by his blood.
Mainline Protestants tend to steer clear of Revelation and our evangelical and Pentecostal siblings have sort of taken it as their own. This is unfortunate, Revelation is a message of hope, a heavily coded and often ghastly message of hope, to be sure.
The story is told of a pastor who served the church I grew up in, when asked to preach a sermon on Revelation said, “Here it is, in two words: God wins.”
Acts 5:27-32
Peter got a shot at redemption in John 21 after eating breakfast with Jesus. He has grown bold and assertive. His speech to the council is the conviction of a man confident in what he has seen and come to know. This is after he’d been miraculously sprung from prison and was back at the Temple teaching the people.
He is correct when he tells the council that they had Jesus killed, though it was the Romans who did the actual killing. Verse 30, “The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.” is a direct reference to Deuteronomy 21:22-23: When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you must bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the Lord your God is giving you for possession. (NRSV) It recalls the gruesome events Christians observed nine days ago.
In the News
In 2014 the Most Reverend Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, titular head of the Church of England, caused alarm among some of the faithful — and delight among some who disparage “organized religion” in any form — when, at a gathering at Bristol Cathedral, was asked if he ever harbored doubts. He responded, “It is a really good question…. The other day I was praying over something as I was running, and I ended up saying to God, ‘Look, this is all very well, but isn’t it about time you did something, if you’re there?’ Which is probably not what the archbishop of Canterbury should say.” (New York Times, September 26, 2014.)
The writer of this editorial, Julia Baird, continues,
Faith cannot block out darkness, or doubt. When on the cross, Jesus did not cry out “Here I come!” but “My God, why have you forsaken me?” His disciples brimmed with doubts and misgivings.
Smug certainty and manliness seem to be the order of the day, especially in the current presidential administration, but aren’t we stronger and better when we are more humble?
In the Sermon
“It’s hard to change your mind. It’s impossible to change someone else’s mind.” TikTok personality, author of Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding True Faith, and “ex-vangelical” April Ajoy, said at the Summit for Religious Freedom, sponsored by Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Alexandria, Virginia, April 6. She grew up in an evangelical household, a PK (that’s “Preacher’s Kid”) and was fully steeped in what is now identified as Christian Nationalism. She even sang a song she composed on Jim Bakker’s show when she was in high school.
Her book has been described as “part memoir, part guidebook and part call to action.” It recounts moments from her childhood and adolescence when things didn’t quite make sense to her, when the faith she was taught did not feel Christ-like. She said in her keynote speech, “Faith and statistics don’t change hearts.” Her path away from American Evangelical Christianity felt like she was leaving a cult. She was stunned to find other people, other kinds of Christians, even Democrats, were thoughtful, faithful, and loving.
When asked how to reach people who are locked in the certainty she grew up in, Ms. Ajoy replied, “People need something to happen to them or to someone they love to change.” Until then, she suggested leading with curiosity and asking questions to help them experience cognitive dissonance. That is, most will not have the “a-ha” moment that Thomas had. Accepting their doubt, even nurturing it, encouraging it, can be freeing and life-giving. But it takes time.
Doubt is a virtue, I’m even willing to say it can be a gift of spirit, to which I’d also add curiosity and playfulness. I’ll close with a few more insights from Julia Baird.
Just as courage is persisting in the face of fear, so faith is persisting in the presence of doubt.
If we don’t accept both the commonality and importance of doubt, we don’t allow for the possibility of mistakes or misjudgments. While certainty frequently calcifies into rigidity, intolerance, and self-righteousness, doubt can deepen, clarify, and explain. [NYT 9/26/2014]
SECOND THOUGHTS
Standing Up to Bullies
by Mary Austin
Acts 5:27-32
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who famously spoke an uncomfortable word to the new president right after his inauguration, writes, “When we decide to start toward something that requires courage, we are often creating new possibilities for those who come after us. Our example may be the one to inspire others to turn toward their Jerusalem, whatever the path God has set before them.” Peter and the followers of Jesus are in that very place, as they preach about Jesus in the Jerusalem temple.
Our story begins in the middle of the action in Jerusalem. Just before this, Peter and the other apostles have been teaching, preaching, and healing, drawing lots of attention. People are even coming from out of “town, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.” The high priest and the Sadducees are “filled with jealousy,” and arrest the apostles and put them in prison, where an angel of God sets them free. The angel instructs them to go back to the temple and “tell the people the whole message about this life.” So, they continue to speak out.
The high priest and his companions look for the apostles in the securely locked jail and have to be told by some unfortunate messenger that their supposed prisoners are on the loose. They’re not under lock and key at all, and instead are right back in the temple, preaching again.
When questioned by the high priest, Peter and the other apostles say that they have to obey God, not human rulers. The call to speak up has been laid on them by God and can’t be ended by human authority.
In our country, people have to choose to speak up now, or keep silent. Lots of people have chosen to be quiet, out of fear. The stakes are high.
Fired federal workers who are worried about losing their homes ask not to be quoted by name. University presidents fearing that millions of dollars in federal funding could disappear are holding their fire. Chief executives alarmed by tariffs that could hurt their businesses are on mute. Even longtime Republican hawks on Capitol Hill, stunned by President Trump’s revisionist history that Ukraine is to blame for its invasion by Russia, and his Oval Office blowup at President Volodymyr Zelensky, have either muzzled themselves, tiptoed up to criticism without naming Mr. Trump, or completely reversed their positions…People on both sides of the aisle who would normally be part of the public dialogue about the big issues of the day say they are intimidated by the prospect of online attacks from Mr. Trump and Elon Musk, concerned about harm to their companies and frightened for the safety of their families. Politicians fear banishment by a party remade in Mr. Trump’s image and the prospect of primary opponents financed by Mr. Musk, the president’s all-powerful partner and the world’s richest man.
Speaking the truth to powerful people is frightening, as Senator Lisa Murkowski confessed recently. Even as a member of a select group of people with extraordinary power, the senator said, “We are all afraid.” After a short pause, she added, “It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. I’ll tell you, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.”
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde spoke a firm and gentle truth to the incoming president in January, inviting him to the work of mercy. In her most recent book, How We Learn to Be Brave, the Bishop writes:
The courage to be brave when it matters most requires a lifetime of small decisions that set us on a path of self-awareness, attentiveness, and willingness to risk failure for what we believe is right. It is also a profoundly spiritual experience, one in which we feel a part of something larger than ourselves and guided, somehow, by a larger Spirit at work in the world and in us. Decisive moments make believers out of everyone, for no matter what name we give to it, the inexplicable, unmerited experience of a power greater than our own working through us is real. The audacious truth is that we matter in the realization of all that is good and noble and true.
Becoming brave, then, isn’t one big act; it’s a thousand small choices that add up in the right direction.
The work of speaking for God belongs to all of us, as we follow in the steps of the first disciples. The story doesn’t say that they weren’t afraid; I suspect they were. Better than anyone else, they knew the power of the empire, and they knew that speaking up could be as fatal for them as it was for Jesus. They also knew the resurrection power of God and how it can’t be stopped. When they have to pick, they choose that power over the world’s power. That’s a dangerous choice, and also the only one that gives us food for our spirits.
As Bishop Budde says, in a prayer that evokes the courage of the early followers of Jesus, “My prayer is that, by grace, we all will be emboldened to lean into the wisdom, strength, power, and grace that come to us, whenever we find ourselves at a decisive moment. May you and I dare to believe that we are where we are meant to be when that moment comes, doing the work that is ours to do, fully present to our lives. For it is in this work that we learn to be brave.” May it be so.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
John 20:19-31
In Spite Of Doubt
Sometimes, questioning the norm and taking a leap of faith — even when you’re unsure — can lead to incredible outcomes.
Karyn Bosnak was drowning in $20,000 of credit card debt. Initially, she doubted whether she could ever climb out of the financial hole she had dug for herself. But instead of accepting defeat, she took an unconventional approach — she launched a website called “ave Karyn,” where she openly shared her struggles and asked for donations.
At first, she wasn’t sure if anyone would help. But her honesty and transparency resonated with people, and soon, donations started pouring in. The media picked up her story, and before long, she had raised enough money to pay off her debt completely. Her doubts about whether people would support her turned out to be unfounded, and her bold move paid off in a way she never expected.
* * *
John 20:19-31
I Saw It On The Internet: When Skepticism Is Appropriate
Sometimes doubt is totally appropriate. The website bitglint.com offers 30 examples of when some healthy skepticism is often called for. Here are the top six:
1. Expertise Testimony — The questioning of the reliability and authority of so called experts in various fields. Skeptics may question whether experts are truly objective or whether they have biases or conflicts of interest, such as financial incentives, that might influence their opinions or findings. No expert can be all-knowing..
2. Claims of Scientific Discovery — Skepticism is a cornerstone of the scientific method. While breakthroughs are exciting, a prudent approach involves withholding complete acceptance until findings undergo rigorous peer review and are independently verified.
3. Conspiracy Theories — Conspiracy theories often emerge in the absence of concrete evidence, relying on speculation and mistrust. Skepticism here is a rational response, prompting individuals to demand robust evidence before embracing narratives suggesting covert activities.
4. Advertising Claims — Being cautious about exaggerated marketing messages and understanding that the goal is to sell a product.
5. Political Promises — Acknowledging the intricacies of governance and the constraints faced by political leaders helps individuals avoid undue optimism. This skepticism encourages voters to delve deeper into proposed policies, scrutinizing their feasibility and considering potential challenges.
6. Health Fads — Resisting the allure of quick fixes and demanding credible scientific evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of new health fads. By prioritizing information from reputable sources and questioning extravagant health claims, individuals can make more informed choices for their well-being.
* * *
Acts 5:27-32
Theological Censorship
In 1633, astronomer and scientist, Galileo Galilei published his book Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems and created an immediate firestorm in the Catholic church. His intention had been to compare two world views: One with the sun at the center of the solar system and another with the earth at the center.
Church officials believed, however, that he gave too much weight to the “heliocentric” or Copernican, sun-centered world view which was, they believed, contrary to Holy Scripture and, therefore, blasphemous.
He was put on trial by the Inquisition, forced to recant (which saved him from being burned at the stake) and spent the rest of his life under house arrest where he died, eight years later, at the age of 77.
In November of 1992, a mere 359 years after Galileo was convicted by the Inquisition, Pope John Paul II posthumously pardoned Galileo and admitted that the astronomer’s observations about the nature of the solar system were, in fact, correct.
* * *
Acts 5:27-32
Theological Censorship Run Amok
A couple of weeks ago The New Yorker magazine published a cartoon that showed a cartoonish image of a young, smiling Jesus sitting at a table with twelve men, presumably his disciples, grouped in tightly around him. On the table in front of him is a chalice, a loaf of bread, and a large chocolate rabbit.
The caption says: “So the bread is my body, the wine is my blood, and the chocolate bunny is a fun springtime treat.”
That cartoon set off a firestorm of anger and indignation. Op-ed columns condemned the cartoonist, The New Yorker, and anyone who found it even slightly funny. The Religion News Service ran an outraged opinion piece about it and the comments that followed ran red with wrathful outrage. People canceled their subscriptions to The New Yorker and I heard that some churches were telling people to buy all the copies they came across and burn them so others wouldn’t see the cartoon and be led astray.
I won’t lie. I thought it was funny. The cartoon, not the outrage.
The New Yorker cartoons are always slanted toward satire, and I didn’t see this cartoonist satirizing religion or Jesus, the church, the last supper, holy communion, or the seder feast. No, what I saw was satire directed at how our culture has commercialized the highest and holiest day of our religious calendar.
Easter, for most Americans, is a celebration of candy and eggs. Do a Google search of Easter images and you will see 1,000 pictures of ducks, rabbits, and eggs for every one picture of an empty tomb. I imagine a person from another planet walking through Walmart or Target and deciding that Easter must be a holiday about Earth people eating candy.
But that was not the understanding of the majority in the comments section. The majority wanted The New Yorker punished, even run out of business for committing the sin (the crime, if they had their way) of blasphemy. In short, they want it silenced.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:
John 20:19-31
What Happened After That?
What happened to Thomas after this encounter with Jesus, when his faith was restored? Legend has it that he went to India to spread the good news there. Author Candida Moss says, “A second-century narrative known as the Acts of Thomas imagines a scriptural afterlife in which Thomas traveled to India as a missionary. After Jesus’ resurrection, the apostles drew lots to see where each would go next. Thomas, finding himself assigned to India, was immediately resistant. His first excuse, that he was too physically fragile, quickly wore down to a question: how could a Hebrew preach among the people of India?”
She adds, “At the time India was considered — at least by those in the Roman Mediterranean — to be both the farthest limit of the world and a valuable long-distance trading partner. It was well-known for luxury spices, dyes, and precious stones, and was equally renowned for celebrated specialists in medicine, philosophy, and magic. Though Thomas claimed he was worried about xenophobia, he had reason to feel intimidated. He had good material — the marvelous exploits of the gospels radiate in their retelling — but he still worried. In a land where griffins roamed and monkeys were said to harvest pepper, Thomas’s message about a resurrected wonder-working savior would not necessarily look so special.” (from God’s Ghostwriters)
* * *
John 20:19-31
Location, Location, Location
Jonathan Merritt says the location of this story deserves more emphasis than we give it. He says the whole story turns on the first sentence, where “John “locates” the story: “It was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked out of fear.” The disciples returned to their “happy place” where they had felt safe, loved, comfortable. The last place where they had seen Jesus alive. The upper room around the same table where they had shared that last meal. They were cowering with fear in the dining room of that house.” Who among us, when we hear upsetting news, doesn’t seek a familiar place filled with people who can comfort and reassure us? Though having your dead friend show up for dinner is about the least expected, least familiar thing you can imagine, Jesus did something very familiar, and by the way, very Jewish: He said grace. Jesus offered a new prayer full of deep gratitude: “Peace.” A familiar setting can ease our grief — and amazing things can happen.
* * *
John 20:19-31
Falling Back in Love
Writing about faith recently, David Brooks said, “I’ve had to keep reminding myself that faith is more like falling in love than it is like finding the answer to a complicated question. Given my overly intellectual nature, I’ve had to get my brain to take a step back. I’ve had to accept the fact that when you assent to faith, you’re assenting to putting your heart at the center of your life. The best moments are giddily romantic — when you are astounded at the great blessing of God’s love and overcome by the desire to do the things that will delight him. It’s a reminder that we’re rarely changed by learning information, but we are acquiring new loves.”
He adds, “When religion is seen as belief, the believer lives on a continuum between belief and doubt. But when religion is seen as a longing, the believer lives on the continuum between intensity and apathy. That’s the continuum I live on these days. I’ve gone whole months when God may or may not have been walking beside me, but I can’t bring myself to care. Other desires, chiefly the desire for achievement and prowess, crowd out the higher desire for contact with the divine. [Then] I try to get back on the path.”
In this post-resurrection story, we get to watch Thomas fall back in love with Jesus.
* * * * * *
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Easter is a Season
Attendance will be lower this week than last. Sing Easter hymns anyway! Easter isn’t a day, but a season! Heck, sing Easter hymns up until Pentecost, June 8, this year. At the church I serve we begin each Sunday of Easter with
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
In all honesty, I’m training, maybe a better word is “conditioning” them, to shout “He is risen indeed!” every time they hear “Christ is risen!”
* * *
Psalm 150
Officially, the lectionary has Psalm 118 again! This week we get all the way to verse 29, the end of the psalm. Last week’s lectionary portion ended at v. 24. The Palm Sunday reading went all the way to the last verse. So, because I’m bored, I suggest focusing on Psalm 150, which appears as an alternative psalm to 118. Psalm 150 is a happy, festive, celebrative psalm. It mentions eight different musical instruments that can be used to praise the Lord. (I’m counting “clanging cymbals” and “loud, clashing cymbals” as separate instruments.)
This is a sharp contrast to some faith traditions, even Christian traditions, that do not permit musical instruments in worship. At last year’s interfaith Thanksgiving service sponsored by the Nevada Interfaith Association, based in Reno, all musical instruments were forbidden by the host entity, the Northern Nevada Muslim Community. The men’s quartet from the Latter-Day Saints Community could not even use a pitch pipe. At the planning meeting, I asked whether it would be all right to beatbox.
This psalm recalls a hymn in the latest Presbyterian hymnal, Glory to God, “When in Our Music God Is Glorified,” whose last verse is
Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always:
Alleluia!
* * *
John 20:19-31
What, exactly, did Thomas touch?
I have always imagined that Thomas touched a scab, or scar in John 20:27. In John 20:25 Thomas says, “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.”
Apparently, Jesus is aware of Thomas’s insistence to see for himself, then he (Jesus) said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” (John 20:27)
The Greek term rendered in v. 25 as “mark” is τυπον. It can also mean “pattern,” “example,” and “standard.” Probably, the most faithful translation in this place is “scar.”
Other translations render it “print,” “marks and wounds” (The Contemporary English Version uses two different English words for the same Greek term) and “holes.”
While a still bleeding, or oozing, wound would be dramatic, the original Greek does not support such a reading.
* * *
Revelation 1:4-8
The letter begins
The first three verses of Revelation are a kind of prologue. Starting at verse four it follows the pattern of a letter, with a standard epistolary greeting. The phrase “firstborn of the dead” is provocative, the Greek term is πρωτοτοκος. It may imply that “Jesus’ resurrection was the first of an imminent general resurrection.” (The Jewish Annotated New Testament, Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, New York: Oxford University Press, 2011, p. 468n.)
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:
John 20:19-31
The true blessing of Thomas, of course, is that Jesus’ words of “Blessed are those who believe but have not seen” are not for Thomas. They are echoed down — for us. Here we are over 2,000 years later, not having seen the physical presence of Jesus, not being able to touch his wounds. Most days we are apt to mourn how few of us are present, and yet we miss the miracle of this very text. Jesus is breaking the fourth wall of the Bible, across the centuries and without regard to the author, and speaking directly to us. How amazing is it that we are able to believe and not see him? What a miracle.
* * *
Psalm 118:14-29
When things get as unhinged as they are right now in this world, I cannot help but think that “The Lord is my strength and my might.” I think of Pope Francis’s death. An imperfect human being, yes, but an amazing individual who relied not on big shows of power, but instead on servanthood and drawing attention to the poor. He definitely believed that God’s power was enough. He thought that God was the Lord and relied upon his ways to reach people. It is truly beautiful to have that kind of leadership in the church world. Many reflections on his life and leadership of twelve years reflect how giving more credit to God can truly help to change the world.
* * *
Revelation 1:4-8
Sometimes when I look at the news and don’t know what to do anymore, I just pray about the fact that Jesus is the beginning and the end of all things. It does not change the facts of the situation, but it helps me to remember that humans do not have the last word. On weekends where the powers and principalities still are imprisoning people unjustly and LGBTQIA rights are being taken away and the SAVE act is passing through and legislature’s recess seems more important than democracy, Easter reminds me that evil will never have the last word. “God has dominion forever.” I repeat to myself when things look impossible. Because we are human, and what seems like power to us, is but a breath on the wind. And so I breath in Easter, and I remember God. God’s way is first and last.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Praise the Lord! Praise God in the sanctuary.
All: Praise God in the mighty firmament!
One: Praise God with trumpet sound; praise God with lute and harp!
All: Praise God with tambourine and dance; with strings and pipe!
One: Praise God with clanging cymbals; with loud clashing cymbals!
All: Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
OR
One: God comes among us to share eternal life.
All: We long for life but we really don’t understand eternity.
One: It is not necessary to understand a gift to receive it.
All: But we have so many questions we can’t answer.
One: Bring your questions and your open heart to God.
All: We open our hearts and minds to our loving God.
Hymns and Songs
Thine Be the Glory
UMH: 308
PH: 122
GTG: 238
NCH: 253
CH: 218
LBW: 145
ELW: 376
W&P: 310
AMEC: 157
He Lives
UMH: 310
AAHH: 275
NNBH: 119
CH: 226
W&P: 302:
How Great Thou Art
UMH: 77
PH: 467
GTG: 625
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELW: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
UMH: 184
PH: 309
GTG: 108
NCH: 118
CH: 104
LBW: 42
ELW: 295
W&P: 181
My Jesus, I Love Thee
UMH: 172
AAHH: 574
NNBH: 39
CH: 349
W&P: 468
AMEC: 456/457
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
UMH: 452
H82: 691
PH: 383
GTG: 829
AAHH: 456
NNBH: 273
CH: 576
LBW: 479
ELW: 759
W&P: 419
AMEC: 415
Open My Eyes, That I May See
UMH: 454
PH: 324
GTG: 451
NNBH: 218
CH: 568
W&P: 480
AMEC: 285
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
GTG: 729
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Amazing Grace
UMH: 378
H82: 671
PH: 280
GTG: 649
AAHH: 271/272
NNBH: 161/163
NCH: 547/548
CH: 546
LBW: 448
ELW: 779
W&P: 422
AMEC: 226
STLT: 205/206
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
UMH: 361
H82: 685
GTG: 438
AAHH: 559
NNBH: 254
NCH: 596
CH: 214
LBW: 327
ELW: 623
W&P: 384
AMEC: 328
Give Thanks
CCB: 92
Renew: 266
Thank You, Jesus
CCB: 89
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who desires to be known by all your creatures:
Grant us the wisdom to seek to know you fully
even as you fully know and love us;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are the one who desires to be known by all your creatures. You come and seek us in all of our lives. Help us to seek you, as well, and to come to know you as you fully know us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when we are content to know about you more that to actually know you.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. God comes to be in loving communion with us, but we would rather just know about you. We would rather keep you at a distance where we feel safe from your demands. If we get to know you, we would learn that your instructions are for us to have a full and abundant life. Forgive us for our foolishness and open our ears to hear your loving voice. Amen.
One: God desires to be known by us. As you open yourself to receive God’s grace and love so that you may share it with others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God our creator. Your love surrounds us and fills all creation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. God comes to be in loving communion with us but we would rather just know about you. We would rather keep you at a distance where we feel safe from your demands. If we get to know you we would learn that your instructions are for us to have a full and abundant life. Forgive us our foolishness and open our ears to hear your loving voice.
We give you thanks for all the blessings you bestow upon us. We thank you for our earthly lives and for the wonder of our eternal life in you. We thank you for those who share your love with us and with others. We thank you for Jesus who comes among us to fill us with your love.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for others in their need. We lift up to you those who feel they are stuck in a dying situation. We offer into your care all who find life so difficult that it is hard to believe they are loved.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Seeing Is Believing
by Katy Stenta
John 20:19-31
The story of Thomas is a good one.
In the story, Thomas has trouble understanding that Jesus is alive because he is the only one who isn’t in the room when Jesus comes back to visit the disciples.
This is because the disciples are all kind of hiding out in a room, scared that they are going to be arrested or killed after Jesus comes back, and Thomas is the only one who is not there.
How do you think Thomas felt being not there? (Jealous? Angry? Not able to believe it?)
We call Thomas “Doubting Thomas,” but he was also brave to go out when the other disciples were scared. He was also kind being practical to say that he wanted to touch Jesus to believe that he was alive after it was known that he died.
So, Jesus returns again, when Thomas is there, and says, “Go ahead and touch my wounds.”
Do you Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds? (Wait for responses.)
The Bible actually doesn’t say that he did touch Jesus’ wounds.
You know what I think? I think that they Thomas and Jesus hugged when Jesus and Thomas saw each another. They were so happy to be reunited.
Let’s pray.
Dear God,
Thank you
For helping us
To remember
And believe
In you
Even when
It’s hard.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 27, 2025 issue.
Copyright 2025 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- Doubt Is A Virtue by Tom Willadsen based on John 20:19-31, Psalm 150, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8.
- Second Thoughts: Standing Up to Bullies by Mary Austin based on Acts 5:27-32.
- Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer, Tom Willadsen, Katy Stenta.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children’s Sermon: Seeing is Believing by Katy Stenta based on John 20:19-31.
Doubt Is A Virtueby Tom Willadsen
John 20:19-31, Psalm 150, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8
Stop thinking of Thomas as “the Doubter!” He was the original Missourian; he was the one who needed to be shown for him to believe. And he was the one who changed his mind when the evidence showed the truth.
I propose calling him “the Fearless!”
Remember, that first evening, ten of the disciples were in a locked room “for fear of the Jews?” Thomas was not with them, perhaps he was not afraid.
I propose calling him “the Diligent Student!”
Remember, it was Thomas who needed to really understand what Jesus meant in the fourteenth chapter of John’s gospel. After Jesus said, “And you know the place where I am going,” it was Thomas who said, “Lord, we do not know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” Every teacher wants a student like Thomas who insists on understanding the lesson on their own terms.
I propose calling him “the Committed!”
Remember, in the 11th chapter of John’s gospel, as Lazarus was dying, Jesus decided to return to Judea, even though his disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” It was Thomas who spoke up and said to the other disciples “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
In the Scriptures
John 20:19-31
I’ve already made my case in the teaser that Thomas is mislabeled as the Doubter. There are some other things to explore in this text. In vv. 21-22 John’s gospel has a kind of Pentecost moment, as Jesus breathes onto (into) his disciples. Whether the power to forgive is universal, or simply something they share among themselves is in dispute.
Jesus appears to them that first night when they are in a locked room. There is no description of what kind of entrance he made. Mark’s gospel would have at least begun with “immediately,” or “suddenly.” What kind of noise, if any, do you imagine hearing when Jesus just appears there, where you’re hiding because you’re afraid?
And another thing, Jesus has a body that has wound marks in his hand and side, the very thing Thomas insists on seeing and touching, so he’s got a body. Did he just disparate to borrow a term from Harry Potter and pass through the walls or locked door? In the next chapter Jesus caters breakfast for them and serves them, though the text does not specify that he ate anything, it just says, “when they had finished breakfast.” The text is silent on who cleaned up and took care of the fire there on the shore.
Psalm 150
Sing, recite, shout this psalm today! There are plenty of settings for it, and also, music in praise of the gift of music and its ability to help people worship and encounter God. Your people are very tired of Psalm 118. Well, I am. And yes, keeping whooping it up! Easter’s a season, not a day!
Revelation 1:4-8
First of all, in English, this title of this book is singular. It is not “revelations,” please, do not make that mistake. John of Patmos had one revelation and it went on for 22 chapters. Resurrection imagery runs throughout today’s passage. Jesus Christ is “the firstborn of the dead.” He loves us and freed (some texts read “washed”) us from our sins by his blood.
Mainline Protestants tend to steer clear of Revelation and our evangelical and Pentecostal siblings have sort of taken it as their own. This is unfortunate, Revelation is a message of hope, a heavily coded and often ghastly message of hope, to be sure.
The story is told of a pastor who served the church I grew up in, when asked to preach a sermon on Revelation said, “Here it is, in two words: God wins.”
Acts 5:27-32
Peter got a shot at redemption in John 21 after eating breakfast with Jesus. He has grown bold and assertive. His speech to the council is the conviction of a man confident in what he has seen and come to know. This is after he’d been miraculously sprung from prison and was back at the Temple teaching the people.
He is correct when he tells the council that they had Jesus killed, though it was the Romans who did the actual killing. Verse 30, “The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.” is a direct reference to Deuteronomy 21:22-23: When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you must bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the Lord your God is giving you for possession. (NRSV) It recalls the gruesome events Christians observed nine days ago.
In the News
In 2014 the Most Reverend Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, titular head of the Church of England, caused alarm among some of the faithful — and delight among some who disparage “organized religion” in any form — when, at a gathering at Bristol Cathedral, was asked if he ever harbored doubts. He responded, “It is a really good question…. The other day I was praying over something as I was running, and I ended up saying to God, ‘Look, this is all very well, but isn’t it about time you did something, if you’re there?’ Which is probably not what the archbishop of Canterbury should say.” (New York Times, September 26, 2014.)
The writer of this editorial, Julia Baird, continues,
Faith cannot block out darkness, or doubt. When on the cross, Jesus did not cry out “Here I come!” but “My God, why have you forsaken me?” His disciples brimmed with doubts and misgivings.
Smug certainty and manliness seem to be the order of the day, especially in the current presidential administration, but aren’t we stronger and better when we are more humble?
In the Sermon
“It’s hard to change your mind. It’s impossible to change someone else’s mind.” TikTok personality, author of Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding True Faith, and “ex-vangelical” April Ajoy, said at the Summit for Religious Freedom, sponsored by Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Alexandria, Virginia, April 6. She grew up in an evangelical household, a PK (that’s “Preacher’s Kid”) and was fully steeped in what is now identified as Christian Nationalism. She even sang a song she composed on Jim Bakker’s show when she was in high school.
Her book has been described as “part memoir, part guidebook and part call to action.” It recounts moments from her childhood and adolescence when things didn’t quite make sense to her, when the faith she was taught did not feel Christ-like. She said in her keynote speech, “Faith and statistics don’t change hearts.” Her path away from American Evangelical Christianity felt like she was leaving a cult. She was stunned to find other people, other kinds of Christians, even Democrats, were thoughtful, faithful, and loving.
When asked how to reach people who are locked in the certainty she grew up in, Ms. Ajoy replied, “People need something to happen to them or to someone they love to change.” Until then, she suggested leading with curiosity and asking questions to help them experience cognitive dissonance. That is, most will not have the “a-ha” moment that Thomas had. Accepting their doubt, even nurturing it, encouraging it, can be freeing and life-giving. But it takes time.
Doubt is a virtue, I’m even willing to say it can be a gift of spirit, to which I’d also add curiosity and playfulness. I’ll close with a few more insights from Julia Baird.
Just as courage is persisting in the face of fear, so faith is persisting in the presence of doubt.
If we don’t accept both the commonality and importance of doubt, we don’t allow for the possibility of mistakes or misjudgments. While certainty frequently calcifies into rigidity, intolerance, and self-righteousness, doubt can deepen, clarify, and explain. [NYT 9/26/2014]
SECOND THOUGHTSStanding Up to Bullies
by Mary Austin
Acts 5:27-32
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who famously spoke an uncomfortable word to the new president right after his inauguration, writes, “When we decide to start toward something that requires courage, we are often creating new possibilities for those who come after us. Our example may be the one to inspire others to turn toward their Jerusalem, whatever the path God has set before them.” Peter and the followers of Jesus are in that very place, as they preach about Jesus in the Jerusalem temple.
Our story begins in the middle of the action in Jerusalem. Just before this, Peter and the other apostles have been teaching, preaching, and healing, drawing lots of attention. People are even coming from out of “town, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.” The high priest and the Sadducees are “filled with jealousy,” and arrest the apostles and put them in prison, where an angel of God sets them free. The angel instructs them to go back to the temple and “tell the people the whole message about this life.” So, they continue to speak out.
The high priest and his companions look for the apostles in the securely locked jail and have to be told by some unfortunate messenger that their supposed prisoners are on the loose. They’re not under lock and key at all, and instead are right back in the temple, preaching again.
When questioned by the high priest, Peter and the other apostles say that they have to obey God, not human rulers. The call to speak up has been laid on them by God and can’t be ended by human authority.
In our country, people have to choose to speak up now, or keep silent. Lots of people have chosen to be quiet, out of fear. The stakes are high.
Fired federal workers who are worried about losing their homes ask not to be quoted by name. University presidents fearing that millions of dollars in federal funding could disappear are holding their fire. Chief executives alarmed by tariffs that could hurt their businesses are on mute. Even longtime Republican hawks on Capitol Hill, stunned by President Trump’s revisionist history that Ukraine is to blame for its invasion by Russia, and his Oval Office blowup at President Volodymyr Zelensky, have either muzzled themselves, tiptoed up to criticism without naming Mr. Trump, or completely reversed their positions…People on both sides of the aisle who would normally be part of the public dialogue about the big issues of the day say they are intimidated by the prospect of online attacks from Mr. Trump and Elon Musk, concerned about harm to their companies and frightened for the safety of their families. Politicians fear banishment by a party remade in Mr. Trump’s image and the prospect of primary opponents financed by Mr. Musk, the president’s all-powerful partner and the world’s richest man.
Speaking the truth to powerful people is frightening, as Senator Lisa Murkowski confessed recently. Even as a member of a select group of people with extraordinary power, the senator said, “We are all afraid.” After a short pause, she added, “It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. I’ll tell you, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.”
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde spoke a firm and gentle truth to the incoming president in January, inviting him to the work of mercy. In her most recent book, How We Learn to Be Brave, the Bishop writes:
The courage to be brave when it matters most requires a lifetime of small decisions that set us on a path of self-awareness, attentiveness, and willingness to risk failure for what we believe is right. It is also a profoundly spiritual experience, one in which we feel a part of something larger than ourselves and guided, somehow, by a larger Spirit at work in the world and in us. Decisive moments make believers out of everyone, for no matter what name we give to it, the inexplicable, unmerited experience of a power greater than our own working through us is real. The audacious truth is that we matter in the realization of all that is good and noble and true.
Becoming brave, then, isn’t one big act; it’s a thousand small choices that add up in the right direction.
The work of speaking for God belongs to all of us, as we follow in the steps of the first disciples. The story doesn’t say that they weren’t afraid; I suspect they were. Better than anyone else, they knew the power of the empire, and they knew that speaking up could be as fatal for them as it was for Jesus. They also knew the resurrection power of God and how it can’t be stopped. When they have to pick, they choose that power over the world’s power. That’s a dangerous choice, and also the only one that gives us food for our spirits.
As Bishop Budde says, in a prayer that evokes the courage of the early followers of Jesus, “My prayer is that, by grace, we all will be emboldened to lean into the wisdom, strength, power, and grace that come to us, whenever we find ourselves at a decisive moment. May you and I dare to believe that we are where we are meant to be when that moment comes, doing the work that is ours to do, fully present to our lives. For it is in this work that we learn to be brave.” May it be so.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:John 20:19-31
In Spite Of Doubt
Sometimes, questioning the norm and taking a leap of faith — even when you’re unsure — can lead to incredible outcomes.
Karyn Bosnak was drowning in $20,000 of credit card debt. Initially, she doubted whether she could ever climb out of the financial hole she had dug for herself. But instead of accepting defeat, she took an unconventional approach — she launched a website called “ave Karyn,” where she openly shared her struggles and asked for donations.
At first, she wasn’t sure if anyone would help. But her honesty and transparency resonated with people, and soon, donations started pouring in. The media picked up her story, and before long, she had raised enough money to pay off her debt completely. Her doubts about whether people would support her turned out to be unfounded, and her bold move paid off in a way she never expected.
* * *
John 20:19-31
I Saw It On The Internet: When Skepticism Is Appropriate
Sometimes doubt is totally appropriate. The website bitglint.com offers 30 examples of when some healthy skepticism is often called for. Here are the top six:
1. Expertise Testimony — The questioning of the reliability and authority of so called experts in various fields. Skeptics may question whether experts are truly objective or whether they have biases or conflicts of interest, such as financial incentives, that might influence their opinions or findings. No expert can be all-knowing..
2. Claims of Scientific Discovery — Skepticism is a cornerstone of the scientific method. While breakthroughs are exciting, a prudent approach involves withholding complete acceptance until findings undergo rigorous peer review and are independently verified.
3. Conspiracy Theories — Conspiracy theories often emerge in the absence of concrete evidence, relying on speculation and mistrust. Skepticism here is a rational response, prompting individuals to demand robust evidence before embracing narratives suggesting covert activities.
4. Advertising Claims — Being cautious about exaggerated marketing messages and understanding that the goal is to sell a product.
5. Political Promises — Acknowledging the intricacies of governance and the constraints faced by political leaders helps individuals avoid undue optimism. This skepticism encourages voters to delve deeper into proposed policies, scrutinizing their feasibility and considering potential challenges.
6. Health Fads — Resisting the allure of quick fixes and demanding credible scientific evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of new health fads. By prioritizing information from reputable sources and questioning extravagant health claims, individuals can make more informed choices for their well-being.
* * *
Acts 5:27-32
Theological Censorship
In 1633, astronomer and scientist, Galileo Galilei published his book Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems and created an immediate firestorm in the Catholic church. His intention had been to compare two world views: One with the sun at the center of the solar system and another with the earth at the center.
Church officials believed, however, that he gave too much weight to the “heliocentric” or Copernican, sun-centered world view which was, they believed, contrary to Holy Scripture and, therefore, blasphemous.
He was put on trial by the Inquisition, forced to recant (which saved him from being burned at the stake) and spent the rest of his life under house arrest where he died, eight years later, at the age of 77.
In November of 1992, a mere 359 years after Galileo was convicted by the Inquisition, Pope John Paul II posthumously pardoned Galileo and admitted that the astronomer’s observations about the nature of the solar system were, in fact, correct.
* * *
Acts 5:27-32
Theological Censorship Run Amok
A couple of weeks ago The New Yorker magazine published a cartoon that showed a cartoonish image of a young, smiling Jesus sitting at a table with twelve men, presumably his disciples, grouped in tightly around him. On the table in front of him is a chalice, a loaf of bread, and a large chocolate rabbit.
The caption says: “So the bread is my body, the wine is my blood, and the chocolate bunny is a fun springtime treat.”
That cartoon set off a firestorm of anger and indignation. Op-ed columns condemned the cartoonist, The New Yorker, and anyone who found it even slightly funny. The Religion News Service ran an outraged opinion piece about it and the comments that followed ran red with wrathful outrage. People canceled their subscriptions to The New Yorker and I heard that some churches were telling people to buy all the copies they came across and burn them so others wouldn’t see the cartoon and be led astray.
I won’t lie. I thought it was funny. The cartoon, not the outrage.
The New Yorker cartoons are always slanted toward satire, and I didn’t see this cartoonist satirizing religion or Jesus, the church, the last supper, holy communion, or the seder feast. No, what I saw was satire directed at how our culture has commercialized the highest and holiest day of our religious calendar.
Easter, for most Americans, is a celebration of candy and eggs. Do a Google search of Easter images and you will see 1,000 pictures of ducks, rabbits, and eggs for every one picture of an empty tomb. I imagine a person from another planet walking through Walmart or Target and deciding that Easter must be a holiday about Earth people eating candy.
But that was not the understanding of the majority in the comments section. The majority wanted The New Yorker punished, even run out of business for committing the sin (the crime, if they had their way) of blasphemy. In short, they want it silenced.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:John 20:19-31
What Happened After That?
What happened to Thomas after this encounter with Jesus, when his faith was restored? Legend has it that he went to India to spread the good news there. Author Candida Moss says, “A second-century narrative known as the Acts of Thomas imagines a scriptural afterlife in which Thomas traveled to India as a missionary. After Jesus’ resurrection, the apostles drew lots to see where each would go next. Thomas, finding himself assigned to India, was immediately resistant. His first excuse, that he was too physically fragile, quickly wore down to a question: how could a Hebrew preach among the people of India?”
She adds, “At the time India was considered — at least by those in the Roman Mediterranean — to be both the farthest limit of the world and a valuable long-distance trading partner. It was well-known for luxury spices, dyes, and precious stones, and was equally renowned for celebrated specialists in medicine, philosophy, and magic. Though Thomas claimed he was worried about xenophobia, he had reason to feel intimidated. He had good material — the marvelous exploits of the gospels radiate in their retelling — but he still worried. In a land where griffins roamed and monkeys were said to harvest pepper, Thomas’s message about a resurrected wonder-working savior would not necessarily look so special.” (from God’s Ghostwriters)
* * *
John 20:19-31
Location, Location, Location
Jonathan Merritt says the location of this story deserves more emphasis than we give it. He says the whole story turns on the first sentence, where “John “locates” the story: “It was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked out of fear.” The disciples returned to their “happy place” where they had felt safe, loved, comfortable. The last place where they had seen Jesus alive. The upper room around the same table where they had shared that last meal. They were cowering with fear in the dining room of that house.” Who among us, when we hear upsetting news, doesn’t seek a familiar place filled with people who can comfort and reassure us? Though having your dead friend show up for dinner is about the least expected, least familiar thing you can imagine, Jesus did something very familiar, and by the way, very Jewish: He said grace. Jesus offered a new prayer full of deep gratitude: “Peace.” A familiar setting can ease our grief — and amazing things can happen.
* * *
John 20:19-31
Falling Back in Love
Writing about faith recently, David Brooks said, “I’ve had to keep reminding myself that faith is more like falling in love than it is like finding the answer to a complicated question. Given my overly intellectual nature, I’ve had to get my brain to take a step back. I’ve had to accept the fact that when you assent to faith, you’re assenting to putting your heart at the center of your life. The best moments are giddily romantic — when you are astounded at the great blessing of God’s love and overcome by the desire to do the things that will delight him. It’s a reminder that we’re rarely changed by learning information, but we are acquiring new loves.”
He adds, “When religion is seen as belief, the believer lives on a continuum between belief and doubt. But when religion is seen as a longing, the believer lives on the continuum between intensity and apathy. That’s the continuum I live on these days. I’ve gone whole months when God may or may not have been walking beside me, but I can’t bring myself to care. Other desires, chiefly the desire for achievement and prowess, crowd out the higher desire for contact with the divine. [Then] I try to get back on the path.”
In this post-resurrection story, we get to watch Thomas fall back in love with Jesus.
* * * * * *
From team member Tom Willadsen:Easter is a Season
Attendance will be lower this week than last. Sing Easter hymns anyway! Easter isn’t a day, but a season! Heck, sing Easter hymns up until Pentecost, June 8, this year. At the church I serve we begin each Sunday of Easter with
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
In all honesty, I’m training, maybe a better word is “conditioning” them, to shout “He is risen indeed!” every time they hear “Christ is risen!”
* * *
Psalm 150
Officially, the lectionary has Psalm 118 again! This week we get all the way to verse 29, the end of the psalm. Last week’s lectionary portion ended at v. 24. The Palm Sunday reading went all the way to the last verse. So, because I’m bored, I suggest focusing on Psalm 150, which appears as an alternative psalm to 118. Psalm 150 is a happy, festive, celebrative psalm. It mentions eight different musical instruments that can be used to praise the Lord. (I’m counting “clanging cymbals” and “loud, clashing cymbals” as separate instruments.)
This is a sharp contrast to some faith traditions, even Christian traditions, that do not permit musical instruments in worship. At last year’s interfaith Thanksgiving service sponsored by the Nevada Interfaith Association, based in Reno, all musical instruments were forbidden by the host entity, the Northern Nevada Muslim Community. The men’s quartet from the Latter-Day Saints Community could not even use a pitch pipe. At the planning meeting, I asked whether it would be all right to beatbox.
This psalm recalls a hymn in the latest Presbyterian hymnal, Glory to God, “When in Our Music God Is Glorified,” whose last verse is
Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always:
Alleluia!
* * *
John 20:19-31
What, exactly, did Thomas touch?
I have always imagined that Thomas touched a scab, or scar in John 20:27. In John 20:25 Thomas says, “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.”
Apparently, Jesus is aware of Thomas’s insistence to see for himself, then he (Jesus) said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” (John 20:27)
The Greek term rendered in v. 25 as “mark” is τυπον. It can also mean “pattern,” “example,” and “standard.” Probably, the most faithful translation in this place is “scar.”
Other translations render it “print,” “marks and wounds” (The Contemporary English Version uses two different English words for the same Greek term) and “holes.”
While a still bleeding, or oozing, wound would be dramatic, the original Greek does not support such a reading.
* * *
Revelation 1:4-8
The letter begins
The first three verses of Revelation are a kind of prologue. Starting at verse four it follows the pattern of a letter, with a standard epistolary greeting. The phrase “firstborn of the dead” is provocative, the Greek term is πρωτοτοκος. It may imply that “Jesus’ resurrection was the first of an imminent general resurrection.” (The Jewish Annotated New Testament, Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, New York: Oxford University Press, 2011, p. 468n.)
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:John 20:19-31
The true blessing of Thomas, of course, is that Jesus’ words of “Blessed are those who believe but have not seen” are not for Thomas. They are echoed down — for us. Here we are over 2,000 years later, not having seen the physical presence of Jesus, not being able to touch his wounds. Most days we are apt to mourn how few of us are present, and yet we miss the miracle of this very text. Jesus is breaking the fourth wall of the Bible, across the centuries and without regard to the author, and speaking directly to us. How amazing is it that we are able to believe and not see him? What a miracle.
* * *
Psalm 118:14-29
When things get as unhinged as they are right now in this world, I cannot help but think that “The Lord is my strength and my might.” I think of Pope Francis’s death. An imperfect human being, yes, but an amazing individual who relied not on big shows of power, but instead on servanthood and drawing attention to the poor. He definitely believed that God’s power was enough. He thought that God was the Lord and relied upon his ways to reach people. It is truly beautiful to have that kind of leadership in the church world. Many reflections on his life and leadership of twelve years reflect how giving more credit to God can truly help to change the world.
* * *
Revelation 1:4-8
Sometimes when I look at the news and don’t know what to do anymore, I just pray about the fact that Jesus is the beginning and the end of all things. It does not change the facts of the situation, but it helps me to remember that humans do not have the last word. On weekends where the powers and principalities still are imprisoning people unjustly and LGBTQIA rights are being taken away and the SAVE act is passing through and legislature’s recess seems more important than democracy, Easter reminds me that evil will never have the last word. “God has dominion forever.” I repeat to myself when things look impossible. Because we are human, and what seems like power to us, is but a breath on the wind. And so I breath in Easter, and I remember God. God’s way is first and last.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Praise the Lord! Praise God in the sanctuary.
All: Praise God in the mighty firmament!
One: Praise God with trumpet sound; praise God with lute and harp!
All: Praise God with tambourine and dance; with strings and pipe!
One: Praise God with clanging cymbals; with loud clashing cymbals!
All: Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
OR
One: God comes among us to share eternal life.
All: We long for life but we really don’t understand eternity.
One: It is not necessary to understand a gift to receive it.
All: But we have so many questions we can’t answer.
One: Bring your questions and your open heart to God.
All: We open our hearts and minds to our loving God.
Hymns and Songs
Thine Be the Glory
UMH: 308
PH: 122
GTG: 238
NCH: 253
CH: 218
LBW: 145
ELW: 376
W&P: 310
AMEC: 157
He Lives
UMH: 310
AAHH: 275
NNBH: 119
CH: 226
W&P: 302:
How Great Thou Art
UMH: 77
PH: 467
GTG: 625
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELW: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
UMH: 184
PH: 309
GTG: 108
NCH: 118
CH: 104
LBW: 42
ELW: 295
W&P: 181
My Jesus, I Love Thee
UMH: 172
AAHH: 574
NNBH: 39
CH: 349
W&P: 468
AMEC: 456/457
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
UMH: 452
H82: 691
PH: 383
GTG: 829
AAHH: 456
NNBH: 273
CH: 576
LBW: 479
ELW: 759
W&P: 419
AMEC: 415
Open My Eyes, That I May See
UMH: 454
PH: 324
GTG: 451
NNBH: 218
CH: 568
W&P: 480
AMEC: 285
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
GTG: 729
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Amazing Grace
UMH: 378
H82: 671
PH: 280
GTG: 649
AAHH: 271/272
NNBH: 161/163
NCH: 547/548
CH: 546
LBW: 448
ELW: 779
W&P: 422
AMEC: 226
STLT: 205/206
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
UMH: 361
H82: 685
GTG: 438
AAHH: 559
NNBH: 254
NCH: 596
CH: 214
LBW: 327
ELW: 623
W&P: 384
AMEC: 328
Give Thanks
CCB: 92
Renew: 266
Thank You, Jesus
CCB: 89
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who desires to be known by all your creatures:
Grant us the wisdom to seek to know you fully
even as you fully know and love us;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are the one who desires to be known by all your creatures. You come and seek us in all of our lives. Help us to seek you, as well, and to come to know you as you fully know us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when we are content to know about you more that to actually know you.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. God comes to be in loving communion with us, but we would rather just know about you. We would rather keep you at a distance where we feel safe from your demands. If we get to know you, we would learn that your instructions are for us to have a full and abundant life. Forgive us for our foolishness and open our ears to hear your loving voice. Amen.
One: God desires to be known by us. As you open yourself to receive God’s grace and love so that you may share it with others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God our creator. Your love surrounds us and fills all creation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. God comes to be in loving communion with us but we would rather just know about you. We would rather keep you at a distance where we feel safe from your demands. If we get to know you we would learn that your instructions are for us to have a full and abundant life. Forgive us our foolishness and open our ears to hear your loving voice.
We give you thanks for all the blessings you bestow upon us. We thank you for our earthly lives and for the wonder of our eternal life in you. We thank you for those who share your love with us and with others. We thank you for Jesus who comes among us to fill us with your love.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for others in their need. We lift up to you those who feel they are stuck in a dying situation. We offer into your care all who find life so difficult that it is hard to believe they are loved.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN’S SERMONSeeing Is Believing
by Katy Stenta
John 20:19-31
The story of Thomas is a good one.
In the story, Thomas has trouble understanding that Jesus is alive because he is the only one who isn’t in the room when Jesus comes back to visit the disciples.
This is because the disciples are all kind of hiding out in a room, scared that they are going to be arrested or killed after Jesus comes back, and Thomas is the only one who is not there.
How do you think Thomas felt being not there? (Jealous? Angry? Not able to believe it?)
We call Thomas “Doubting Thomas,” but he was also brave to go out when the other disciples were scared. He was also kind being practical to say that he wanted to touch Jesus to believe that he was alive after it was known that he died.
So, Jesus returns again, when Thomas is there, and says, “Go ahead and touch my wounds.”
Do you Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds? (Wait for responses.)
The Bible actually doesn’t say that he did touch Jesus’ wounds.
You know what I think? I think that they Thomas and Jesus hugged when Jesus and Thomas saw each another. They were so happy to be reunited.
Let’s pray.
Dear God,
Thank you
For helping us
To remember
And believe
In you
Even when
It’s hard.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 27, 2025 issue.
Copyright 2025 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
