Making way for Jesus

Readings for this week, of Sunday 27 April 2014 are for The Second Sunday of the Easter Season Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm 16 I Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31

Easter is not just a one day festivalbut rather a way of lifeThe rather good stories that tell how early Christians 
encountered Jesus after his deathhelp us to assimilate our own experiences of Jesus.Take Peter, for example, 
who stands up boldly and reminds his listeners
"This Jesus who you crucified"...he might also be saying...."and who I deserted at his time of need"...well "This Jesus 
God has shown to be the Messiah,
the incarnation of God himself."It is, a reminder of the way we take 
the revelation of the Godhead for grantedand fail to seewhat mind-blowingly transforming stuff we are involved in.Thomas, too, who is a quintessential figure in the Christian story.
Not with the disciples when Jesus appearshe does not just take at face valuethe fact that they have "seen the Lord"

Why, indeed, should he?

There is perhaps a salutary reminderthat sometimes we assume 
that people will take our witness for granted.When we tell them what our experience of the Godly encounter iswe should not just assume 
that is going to be the last word in the debate.We often mistake what is happeningwe do not name it rightlywe may fail to appreciate where the other person is(all these are warnings 
for the would-be evangelist)but more than this we need to appreciatethat conversion is not so much about persuasion
as about openness 
to the Holy Spirit of God.The disciples encourage Thomasto articulate 
what it would take for himto be convinced of the truthof what God is doing in our lives.What,indeed, would it take for me to be convinced?

Perhaps more deeply convinced, or more fundamentally convinced,

can we  write a short list of the doubts you haveand what God needs to do to allay those doubts.

Thomas did....I need to see and feel the wounds...to experience the physicality and the aliveness of Jesus.This confrontation and naming of doubt 
enabled him to respond wellwhen the moment came.This is an important statement about the integrity of GodThe God who honours our shortcomingsas well as our insights and our strengths.Indeed the story seems to suggestthat doubt is not necessarily a "shortcoming"The experience of resurrectioninvites us to exploreboth the light and dark placeswhere God is to be encountered in our faith journey.
What would you name as your doubts?What would it and does it take to be more firmly and deeply committed?
and can I allow that process to take place in God's good time?