It's easy to call Thomas foolish;
easy to judge his doubt;
his need to touch Jesus
in order to believe that the impossible is really true.

But there is more to Thomas than his doubt:
When Jesus was ready to return to Judea,
the disciples warned him against it,
saying "the Jews were just now trying to stone you,
and are you going there again?” 
But when Jesus rose to go,
Thomas said to his fellow disciples:
“Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:7-16)

Can doubt and faith not co-exist?
Is not knowledge connected to a need to learn more?
Science labs have much to teach us
about how the search for knowledge
comes most often through proving something wrong.
When one approaches work and life with a need to question,
doubt is the default. 
Perhaps doubt is simply part of the journey
to find the answers we didn't realize we were looking for.

In Jesus' response to Thomas,
we can hear a reprimand in his words,
"Do not doubt, but believe."
But his actions speak
not of judgment, but of grace;
offering his body once again to his followers:
"Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side."

What does it mean that the risen body of Christ
has holes in it,
that Jesus' wounds are permanent,
offered to us as part of the body and blood of Christ?

This is the question that Hannah Foulger will be exploring with us on Tuesday morning. Hannah Foulger is a writer who has been participating in GCF and is currently in an MFA program. 
 
As always, we have a great group of people participating in the service:
Hannah is preaching,
Chris C is writing our prayers,
Deb is leading the music and bringing bread,
Amy is reading Scripture
and I get to put together the service and help with the Eucharist.

The service is on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at Trinity College Chapel. (Enter using the main doors of Trinity College and then turn left down the hallway to the Chapel).

I hope to see you there.

Living with hope,
Brenda Kronemeijer-Heyink
CRC Chaplain at the University of Toronto 


Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We've been posting weekly highlights from our services there as well as on our website. 

Does faith have anything to do with fluid dynamics? Do beliefs have anything to do with blueprints? Join the Global Scholars Network for a talk on February 10 at 7 pm where Derek Schuurman will draw on his book, A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers, to explore responsible technology and the implications for Christian engineers and others involved in various technical disciplines. For more information and zoom link, see here.

Reading Group on My Body is not a Prayer Request: We're hosting a book group on Amy Kenny's book on disability justice in the church. We'll meet 2-3 times over the semester, choosing a time that works for all those who'd like to participate. Let Brenda know if you're interested in joining us and would like a copy of the book.

Graduate Christian Fellowship on Thursdays at 7 p.m.: If you are a grad student or post-doc at UofT, you are invited to join other grad students, post-docs, and recent grads to have deep conversations about faith and scholarship, the Bible and society, relationships and calling. For more information, contact Brenda.