Chardon .  Newtown.  Boston.    Fertilizer Plants blowing up.  Chemicals sent in the mail.  Maybe when we hear these words and the horrific events attached to them we want to yell out with the Jews: "'How long will you keep us in suspense?’'' If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.  We do not want the suspense any longer.  We want God now.  In the midst of the calamities, in the midst of senseless we want the full resurrection peace, now, today. These inconsolable events and the families attached to them, leave us with our mouths often dropped in our own disbelief of humanity's in humanity to one another.  Jesus does give us, I guess, a partial response in his answer:  “I have told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me...   My sheep hear my voice.  I know them and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.'"  

From Pastor Randy's Sermon on 4/21/2013 

From Pamela:  
How true.  When despicable and senseless tragedy hits us, the voice of fear and doubt says, so where was God in any of this?  If God is all powerful then why didn't God prevent this from happening?

Then we remember that we (as CS Lewis said) live in enemy occupied territory.  True, most Americans do not live with the daily background sounds of gunfire, explosions and keening voices.  However, the possibility of tragedy is with us every single day. And in recent days, tragedy has erupted and traveled in shockwaves, and we are reminded of our vulnerability.

In our most vulnerable moments we are called to look and listen for the sights and sounds of hope.  They are there -- they beckon to us and gather us into heart of God.

It is not easy.  It never has and never will be.  But our faith assures us that it is possible -- Nothing and no one can ultimately snatch us from the hand of God.

What is your comfort zone?

.  I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want to be comfortable.  Whether it is financially, whether it sitting behind a new car during a test drive, whether it is the mattress on your bed, the people you hang around, the couch or the recliner that is positioned just right in front of the television, we seek comfort.  But sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances, and things out of our control, good and bad life changes, among some of the first group of feelings we find ourselves dealing with, is this sense of being uncomfortable.  And the human reaction to being uncomfortable is to seek comfort.  Again, it doesn’t matter if these changes are good or bad, expected or unexpected; we still seek out a new comfort level.  It may be leaving for college, it may be getting married, changing jobs, or moving into a new house.  And it might even be a new worship service, or a new church program, or doing things in a different way. 

 What about the disciples’ comfort zone?  How much of their world had been turned upside down?  Just about everything.  Each week since our Easter celebration we have heard these accounts of their encounters with the risen Lord.  How was their comfort level?  For now no matter what they experienced they knew that the tomb was empty, the Lord had risen; death had been conquered through their Teacher, Savior, and Messiah.  For them the world would now be forever changing, but the one level, the one thing that would remain the same, was their comfort in knowing completely that the tomb was empty.

(From Pastor Randy's Sermon)

From Pamela:  It seems to me that we have an abundance of comfort objects (or activities or substances) that actually decrease our need for understanding NEED for comfort zones.  To be sure, we have developed many patterns for increasing comfort -- think of the ice breakers or team builders at fellowship gatherings -- or the cocktail hour at business conferences.  They are all aimed at softening the raw, uncomfortable edges of unfamiliarity.  

I think about our worship services and the moments when I begin to feel on edge or uncomfortable.  (Chuckle... in another place, I will tell you about mine if you tell me about yours!!)  

Then I remember to remember the Empty Tomb.  I remember to remember that Jesus is with us, wandering around, saying "when you begin to feel uncomfortable, focus on me.  Together, we will see how this all works to help us praise God!"  

So... think about YOUR uncomfort zone.  Be honest about it.  Let Jesus walk with you into the comfort zone.  

Perhaps an unlikely model for us can be, of all people, the disciple Thomas. Thomas doubted, but yet he came back and stayed in the room with the disciples.  As Christians, we too are free to doubt.  God has created us with a mind to think and act freely.  God can handle our tough questions.  God can handle our moments of desperation, and certainly God can survive our doubt.  God, despite often our own acknowledgment, is there in our times of questioning, as well as our moments of great faith.  There is a saying that reads: "I respect faith, but doubt will get you an education."  As Christians we do not have to feel guilty that we sometimes question the things of God. God is there. God understands. But faith too, has an important role. We need to hold on to the example of Thomas when we doubt ourselves and our faith. Thomas was open and honest about it, and most importantly he stayed with the group of believers, despite the despair of this own thinking. We too, in times of frustration, in times of working things out, need to hold on to our community of faith, our church.  

 (From Pastor Randy's Sermon 4/7/2013)

From Pamela:  I think doubt is a universally shared human experience.  Everybody has moments when what we believe to be true is not validated by information or perceptions that moment.  Our beliefs and opinions benefit from regular affirmation, even if proof is not possible.  

You probably have heard that "the opposite of faith is not doubt, but, rather, indifference".  Indifference terminates the conversation (or the relationship).  The doubter still has a partially open mind that leans toward the matter at hand, waiting to learn more.  In many ways, doubt invites civil presence, and sometimes even civil conversation.  

So, when we "doubt" matters of God, in many ways it is an invitation to see what more (or what else) God is revealing to us.