Sermon Scripture: Genesis 32:22-32 (NRSV)

The namesake of God’s covenant people is that they wrestled with God in the same way their forefather had. To have an “Israelite” faith did not mean to be certain about all your beliefs about God; it meant to wrestle honestly with those beliefs. You see this throughout the biblical narrative, particularly in the Old Testament!

In 2007, Rachel Held Evans started a blog where she wrote about her questions, doubts, and changing beliefs.

As it turned out, questions and doubts defined much of Rachel’s life. She exemplified an “Israelite” faith, and just like her ancient brothers and sisters, her questions were a sign of faithfulness. They meant she took God seriously. Her doubts meant that she was genuine in her faith, no matter how uncertain.

“Whether you are part of a church or not, whether you believe today or your doubt, whether you are a Christian or an atheist or an agnostic…you know this truth deep in your bones: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return. Death is a part of life. My prayer for you this season is that you make time to celebrate that reality, and to grieve that reality, and that you will know you are not alone.” -Rachel Held Evans

Further Reading: https://rachelheldevans.com

Proclamation - The Tree and the Thirst