Promise - Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 - Pentecost 9 - 8-7-22

 

Sermon podcast from the Sunday, 8-7-22 worship service - St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Hebrews 11:1-3. 8-16

Sermon preview

"Promise" podcast

The whole worship service

Faith

This week's Bible reflection (Doubt) put it out there.  I went a whole lot further in this morning's inner dialogue sermon at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Downers Grove, IL
"Faith" podcast

Doubt

Doubt is necessary to exercise faith.

Yes. Necessary.

Doubt and faith must exist together:

When we don’t know something for sure, faith makes it possible for us to keep going. When we doubt, faith helps us to believe through the doubt. If we didn’t doubt – there would be no need to exercise our faith.

Check out these thoughts:

• Faith without doubt isn't faith at all -- it's certainty. (Thank you Anne Lamont, I think)
• Faith without doubt isn't faith at all -- it's indifference. (Thank you Elie Wiesel)
• If you know for sure - there's no need for faith.
• If you don't care -- there's no need for faith. 
• When you doubt -- faith is what keeps you seeking.

And I love the words of the poet Cahill Gibran:

Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.

Faith

This week's Bible study post (Hey - it's called Faith too!) forms some initial thoughts for what is now Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational UCC in Somonauk, IL.

"Faith" text
"Faith" podcast

Faith

This week's Bible reading from Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 praises the faith of Abraham and Sarah. It describes faith as "assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

I've also heard faith also described as

• Believing without seeing
• The belief or trust that something is true
• Taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. (Martin Luther King, Jr)

But all too often I have doubts bigger than what I believe.

I think that doubt and faith must exist together:

• Faith without doubt isn't faith at all -- it's certainty. (Thank you, Anne Lamont, I think)
• Faith without doubt isn't faith at all -- it's indifference. (Thank you, Elie Wiesel)

• If you know for sure - there's no need for faith.
• If you don't care -- there's no need for faith,
• When you doubt -- faith is what keeps you seeking.

I love the words of the poet Kahlil Gibran:
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.