The Sacrament of Doubt

Rev. Peter Wallace has spent decades inviting listeners into deeper encounters with Scripture and faith through his work here on Day1. In this brief but powerful clip from Episode #4181, the first time he's joining us as a guest, he reflects on a moment of mishearing that sparked profound theological insight: “the sacrament of doubt.” What begins as a humorous misunderstanding evolves into a meaningful meditation on doubt as an integral, even sacred, element of spiritual life.

In conversation with host Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime, Rev. Wallace explores how doubt isn't a threat to faith, but rather its companion—a path through which we more honestly engage with God. Drawing on his experience within the Episcopal Church and his own journey from a more conservative background, he highlights the freedom and authenticity that come when we allow ourselves to wrestle openly with our questions.

Whether you’re a preacher, spiritual seeker, or simply someone navigating faith’s complexities, this clip offers encouragement to name your doubts and see them not as barriers but as sacraments—signs of God's ongoing presence in the questions themselves.

Watch the Clip

Full Transcript

Rev. Peter Wallace
It's interesting. I was at a group of clergy recently, and one of the priests said something about sacramental something, and I misheard it. And I said, "What did you say?" and he said, "Well, I said sacramental...something." I said, "I heard you say the sacrament of doubt," and I said, "I think that may have been the Spirit kind of putting that in my head," because in many ways, doubt is a sacrament.

It is a way of experiencing and exploring God, and what is God doing in this world, what is God doing in my life? It is something that I know in the Episcopal Church when I came to the Episcopal Church out of a very conservative background. And they openly talked about doubt and struggle. What a concept. And it's like, "Oh, this is authentic."

This is real. And acknowledging that, and understanding that that's just part of what faith involves, it wouldn't be faith if there were no struggle.

Reflection

Doubt and faith have often been treated as opposites, but Rev. Peter Wallace reminds us that they may be closer companions than we think. By describing doubt as a sacrament, he elevates it from something to be feared to something to be embraced—a holy invitation to wrestle with God.

For many believers, especially those raised in traditions that equate doubt with weakness, this perspective is liberating. Wallace offers a gentle affirmation that struggle is not only permissible but essential to authentic spiritual life. Faith deepens not despite our questions, but through them.

This insight offers preachers, theologians, and educators a framework for honesty in the pulpit and classroom. Naming doubt creates space for healing, authenticity, and renewed trust in God's presence—even in uncertainty.

Consider these questions as you reflect on the clip:

• What role has doubt played in shaping your own faith journey?
• How might naming doubt in your sermons or teachings open doors for deeper trust?
• In what ways can our communities become safer spaces for spiritual questioning?
• How does the idea of “the sacrament of doubt” shift your view of God’s presence?
• What stories from Scripture affirm that God meets us in our uncertainty?

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