Dale Cresap's blog

You meet professed atheists who reject my existence. Have you ever met any functional atheists? These may not deny my existence, but they go through life claiming that they take care of all their own provision, and that they are responsible for all of their developments and transitions. You do not accept this position, but how can you refute it? I claim that I send the sun and rain on the just and on the unjust. This would include those who acknowledge my provision and those who do not.

Do you take the Great Commission seriously? Are you aware that it is about making disciples rather than converts? Yet the process begins with making converts, so this is implied rather than stated explicitly. Have you ever made a convert and been pleased with yourself for doing so? There is rejoicing in heaven for every lost sheep brought into the fold. But this is the beginning rather than the completion of your work. You wouldn’t abandon a newborn infant to the elements or to their own devices. The same arguments apply for those who respond to the gospel message. Feed my sheep.

There are some denominations that have practices involving holy water. Ordinary water is blessed and used for sacramental purposes. Other denominations do not follow these practices. Do you? Could all water be holy water? When I created the world I said that it was good. This is a blanket statement, but don’t overlook or diminish it for this reason. Water in particular is essential for life, and you are fortunate if you have an adequate supply of clean water.

Do you like to spend time in nature? People are drawn to hike in the woods, to seek out parks and lakes and streams and mountains, and this is true even if they can’t articulate the reasons that they are attracted to do this. Is this a spiritual experience for you? Consider how many of the founders of the faith had their encounter with God in the wilderness, including me. It is possible to be drawn to outdoor sanctuaries without understanding why. When you do it is it with deliberate intent to seek me? If you seek you will find and if you walk in the woods I will meet you there.

Are you often angry? My word tells you to be angry and sin not, implying that anger comes in more than one version. You have already seen the sinful version that includes hatred, and bitterness, and judgment. Have you ever seen true righteous anger that is free of these contaminants? It is easier to claim righteous indignation than it is to practice it. Anger can be a motivation to address and correct an injustice, but the same passage above says it is best dealt with quickly, before the day is over. Anger has a short shelf life for spoilage. What version of anger do you practice?

If you were making a sales pitch for the gospel message, what would be your selling points? The forgiveness of sins? Are your friends in despair longing for this? An effective sales pitch must relate to a felt need on the part of the customer. If they don’t realize the need for what you are selling; they won’t buy. Is there another approach? What if you presented the message as a means for dealing with their alienation, isolation, and loneliness? Would this capture their attention and be more likely to get a response?

Have you ever been the smartest person in the room? This would work for anyone depending on the room you are in. Have you ever been in a room in which someone felt the need to prove that they were the smartest person there? Was this awkward, uncomfortable, and unpleasant? Have you ever been in the reverse situation in which someone interacted with you with interest and curiosity so that you felt like the smartest person in the room? Was this a pleasant, although rare experience?

Skeptical people struggling with doubts are really wrestling with me, even if they wouldn’t describe it that way. Have you encountered such people? This is more and more common and you can expect this trend to continue. Are you prepared to be my advocate for eternal truth when you encounter them? If you are it may feel like pinch-hitting in baseball, or tag-team wrestling. Start with what you know to be true and be prepared to be led by the Spirit in the moment. I’m always looking for people to be on my team. It may seem like they are wrestling with you but don’t take it personally.

Are you a competitive person? Do you play to win? Is there any other way to play? But you can play to win and still enjoy the game if you lose. Have you ever wrestled with me? This is a different sort of engagement than playing a game of ball or cards. Most games are deliberately structured to be contests of equal conditions so the better player may prevail. But wrestling with me is obviously an unequal contest. Yet I’m still eager to engage in it. Are you? What would winning or losing look like in this context? Would you expect to win? Would you want to?

My word tells you to examine yourself and to judge yourself. How well do you do this? Can you be sure that you are doing this well? Can you accurately evaluate your performance at evaluating your performance? Is it possible that others can see things in you that you can’t see in yourself? Do you see things in the lives of people you know that they don’t appear to be aware of? Is there anyone that you trust enough to ask for an evaluation of things present in your life that aren’t working for you; that are holding you back?