Kept

John 20:29-31

What keeps you locked up in fear? We all have times of fear. Sometimes it keeps us from daring to move. Daring to be ourselves. Daring to try something new. Sometimes it is healthy and sometimes, like the disciples, it keeps us from moving forward.

Most often in this passage we lose ourselves in Thomas' doubt. Fear can keep us from being faith filled as well. Why were the disciples still in that room days later? Why hadn't they gotten it together and left after Jesus' first visit? Yet here they are days later, maybe even a week later, and they are still here frozen in time and fear.

What keeps us as the church from moving forward? We aren't so different than those first disciples. We don't dare to change a thing. We want our church frozen in time. The same old thing, the same old place, so we don't move outside of what we think should be and always has been.

Our whole story is one of movement. We were created then had to move out of the garden of Eden. Abram was called to move from all his family and friends in order to find the promise of God. Joseph moved his family from the lands Jacob settled in to Egypt so they wouldn't starve during a famine. In the prophets the people of Israel are moved from Jerusalem to Babylon and they discover the core of their faith. 

Movement away from fear is always what our story has been. So, why are we so afraid? We're comfortable with the way things are. We are uncomfortable with discerning what new thing God may be calling us to. We fear failure. We fear the unknown mystery of God. We want things we know. So how can we begin to step out in faith?

We need to return to the story. We are a people of stories and these stories can help us to see where we are, where we have been, and where God is calling us. Pray, pray we may have the blessing of knowing the breath of Jesus on us saying "Peace be with you". This peace helps and allows us to be faithful to where we might be being called. Lastly, let go. Let go of the fear and make a plan to follow in faith. Wherever that may lead. Don't be afraid to try and fail, because we learn things in failing.

The disciples weren't a success. As a matter of fact the Jerusalem church had few followers. It took Paul traveling out to all these other places to grow the church. If we stay shut and pulled in by fear we have no chance to try and start ourselves on a new road. Remember all this traveling can lead to light and peace. The first disciples were always  being pushed out by the Spirit. Don't be afraid to follow.