Dale Cresap's blog

Have you seen people who live their lives and present themselves in a way that seems false and inauthentic? Sometimes this is called wearing a mask. Do you assume that people who do this are scheming and deceptive? This may be too harsh a judgment. They may be so alienated from their true self that they do it unintentionally and unaware. It is more gracious to others not to impute evil intent to them if you don’t have to. What should you learn from this?

Are you in a position of accountability? Do you see this as a control structure imposed from without, by some authority figure you are accountable to? That is one expression of this concept, but it should start before that at an individual level, being accountable to yourself. Are you honest with yourself? Can you see yourself clearly enough to know what your weaknesses are, and know which of these are beyond your ability to deal with yourself, and seek the help you need to overcome them? Does it seem too easy to think of accountability as starting internally?

Do you see yourself as an insider or an outsider? How do you see me? Structures of power emerge in any culture, and these can be political, religious, financial, and others. Those who belong to the structures and reap the benefits thereof are insiders. Have you noticed that insiders will fiercely defend the organizations they gain from? But they are unable to address structural problems and injustices in the system. I was an outsider to the religious establishment of my own generation, and that is where my opposition came from. Are you an insider in the religious organization of your time?

Do you see certain people as your enemies? You encounter those who are openly opposed to all that you believe in. There are several ways to view this situation. One is to think of them as your enemies. In this case you should love them as I commanded you to love your enemies. Another way to view this is that you have one adversary who is not flesh and blood and that these people are his captives. Do you see yourself in a battle against evil? In this case the prisoners of war held by your enemy are normally friendly forces.

How important is it to you to be right? How do you describe your faith? Would you say it is a relationship with me? So is it more important to be correct or to be connected? Do you see truth as a series of abstract propositional assertions, or do you see it as a living person? My revelation has been progressive and some who were commended in the Bible as heroes of faith held doctrinal positions you would not affirm today. I accepted them in spite of this because of the way they pressed in with what they knew and would not be denied. I will do the same for you.

Do you find that intelligence is highly rated in your culture? Everyone wants to be smart, and you have seen those who are not pretend that they are. Do you realize that there is something more important than intelligence? Asking the right questions is more important than being clever. You won’t get the right answers by asking the wrong questions no matter how smart you are. What if you pursue the right questions but have limited cognitive ability? Do not be discouraged. You have my promise that if you seek you will find.

Do you recall my statement that those who mourn are blessed? Does this seem obvious to you? Have you ever mourned and considered it to be a blessed experience? You have the promise that you will be comforted, and you do not grieve as those who have no hope, but does that help in the moment of mourning? The promise is written in future tense to those who shall be comforted, but have you found that you have to wait for this?

Do you see the benefits of having a direct encounter with me? In the beginning, before there was an organized church, this was the only way to experience me. Do you assume that this is no longer available since there is now a church? But this is not a valid assumption. Is it the longing of your heart to encounter me yourself? Have you found that this is not something you can arrange or stage yourself? You are in my hands but I am not in yours. Do not be discouraged.

Are you glad that you are under grace and not under the law? Does it sound too good to be true? Who would want a list of rules to follow if they didn’t have to? Yet how many people understand the implications of grace? For I invite those who respond to grace to have an encounter with me. Consider the accounts of those who did. They reported that they exceedingly trembled and quaked, or said, woe is me, for I am undone, for I have seen the Lord. But you are invited to this encounter at a higher level than Mount Sinai, for you have come to the City of the Living God.

Are you familiar with the theological terms propitiation and atonement and absolution? These are terms you normally only hear in church, and are unfamiliar to those outside. Yet there are terms they are familiar with that convey the same ideas, such as amnesty and immunity. Are you free to use terms like this to present my message? Do you want your audience to understand you? Specialized vocabulary can be used to exclude outsiders, but I want to include them. Consider my own words.