1 00:00:01,020 --> 00:00:03,810 In this morning's reading, I'm reminded of how often fear and 2 00:00:03,810 --> 00:00:07,080 doubts are responsible for the walls we seek to cover and hide 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:11,100 behind. Yes, the disciples had every reason to fear the same 4 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:14,970 mob that killed their leader. And to be fair to Thomas, he 5 00:00:14,970 --> 00:00:18,570 wasn't there to see what everyone else saw. Nevertheless, 6 00:00:18,570 --> 00:00:22,440 when fear and doubt get the best of us, we too retreat to 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,190 wherever we can take cover, lock the doors, and draw the 8 00:00:26,190 --> 00:00:30,360 curtains. I remember doing precisely the same thing in 9 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,950 February 2012. That year was a challenging started the new year 10 00:00:34,950 --> 00:00:39,540 for me, vocationally. After 11 years of service as pastor of a 11 00:00:39,540 --> 00:00:43,740 particular church in Tacoma, I resigned, and although several 12 00:00:43,740 --> 00:00:47,730 things precluded my resignation, the bottom line is that I found 13 00:00:47,730 --> 00:00:52,170 myself having to deal with immediate change and several 14 00:00:52,170 --> 00:00:58,290 questions, to name a few. What will I do? Where will I go? And 15 00:00:58,290 --> 00:01:01,260 how will I provide for my family? And you can add to the 16 00:01:01,260 --> 00:01:07,230 mix? What now? These questions explain why I enclosed myself 17 00:01:07,470 --> 00:01:12,330 behind the walls of fear, doubt and uncertainty. As our reading 18 00:01:12,330 --> 00:01:16,770 points out, the walls and locked doors we choose to hide behind 19 00:01:16,770 --> 00:01:21,990 are no match for our resurrected Lord. And despite the disciples 20 00:01:21,990 --> 00:01:26,070 fears and doubts, notice how Jesus enters their world to 21 00:01:26,070 --> 00:01:31,410 settle their hearts and calm their fears. Similarly, just 22 00:01:31,410 --> 00:01:35,160 when I needed him most, Jesus broke through my fears and 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,000 doubts, to remind me that he would see me through the change 24 00:01:39,210 --> 00:01:43,380 I was facing. And that gave me the peace I needed to trust in 25 00:01:43,380 --> 00:01:46,740 God and the courage to press on.