Dale Cresap's blog

My word says woe unto the world because of offenses and gives detailed instructions on how to avoid them and how to deal with them when they happen, for it also says that offenses will come. How great an offense can you overlook? For you can see a wide range in responses of sensitivity to offense. Some people seem to be searching for them and others try to avoid finding them even when presented directly. Which do you admire more? Do you find it more noble minded to be able to overlook small things?

Do you find that everyone faces the same questions of identity, belonging, and meaning? These questions of existence are a universal expression of spirituality. Have you found answers to these questions through your faith? Blessed are those who walk in the light of truth. Do you find it discouraging when people come up with wrong answers to these questions? Did you get all the answers right on your first attempt? There are plenty of dead ends available. But I promised that those who seek would find, and the door would be open to them.

How many sacraments do you practice? Different churches recognize different numbers, but they are typically few and well-defined in terms of what they consist of, and who may administer them, and when. Do you think of them as outward symbols of inward graces? Could they also be thought of as simple actions that reinforce your connection to the divine? Have you ever had an experience that met this description that didn’t meet the recognized categories of sacraments? Are you free to make up your own sacraments? You are free to do those practices that you find spiritually beneficial.

Do you think that my offended justice is the most powerful influence in the world? You have a theology about atonement for the forgiveness of sins. Is this the central feature of your faith? Do you read the parable of the talents and think that your offenses toward me are greater than anything else? But there is also a story about the sheep and the goats in which the righteous received favor because of the way they treated the least of these, and the goats did not because they did not consider the needs of the least of these.

How do you view your status in the Kingdom of God? You know that you are saved by grace and not by works lest any man should boast. Does this trouble you? Would you prefer that it be something you earn? The Bible takes the concept further in saying you were bought with a price and you are not your own. This is reminiscent of the practice of slavery, common in Bible times, and those exchanged are not even party to the transaction, either as buyers or sellers. Do you find this offensive? Paul was not ashamed to refer to himself as my bondservant. He took it as a badge of honor. Do you?

Depending of the church you attend, you may think that there was only one act of redemption, performed by me long ago. But can you see the same theme of helping to change people’s lives in the world around you? Don’t you find that you are moved by stories of redemption? If you are called to follow me, doesn’t it follow that you should be involved in the work of redemption? Don’t excuse yourself by saying that was mine alone long ago. In what way can you have a positive impact in the lives of others?

Do you think of silence only as the absence of sound? If that is true then all silences are equal, but can a silence be profound? Have you ever been in a situation where the gravity of events prevented anyone from speaking? It is no trivial thing to break such a silence and it is a mistake to do so prematurely. Are you familiar with the passage about silence in heaven? Have you ever prayed with groaning too deep to be uttered? Everyone recognizes that there is meaning in words. Those who are spiritually mature can find meaning in silence. What does the silence speak to you?

I said that the poor in spirit were blessed. People have struggled to understand what this means ever since, and to accept what they do understand of it. In what other area of your life do you seek poverty? This goes against the values of your culture, and if spirituality is the most important thing to you is it an area in which you would want to be poor? How can you make this work in your favor? I told a story about 2 men praying. The one who was spiritually affluent was full of himself and went home without being justified, but the poor man who cried out of his poverty was.

Have you heard school kids say, sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me? This is a nice sentiment but it isn’t true. Words can be painful. Have you ever heard words of criticism or attack directed at you that were as painful as any injury? For they are an attack on your very identity and worth and value. Cruel words don’t leave visible marks or require bandages, but have you found that you need healing from attacks of this type as much as from a physical injury? Where do you go to get this?

Have you taken algebra class or any other math class? Did you have to solve problems to pass the course? What if the answers had been given to you with the problems and there were no tests? Would you have learned to solve the equations yourself? Do you see any parallel with your faith? When you go to church are you provided with answers to every question, or are you encouraged to engage with the questions yourself? Is there more to your faith than having right answers? Like the algebra class it is beneficial to you to work through the problems to learn the skill of relating to me.