Dale Cresap's blog

Do you like to have money? It seems that everyone wants more, but money is only valuable in the way that it is spent. You are familiar with the proverb that a fool and his money are soon parted, and you have seen people spend money on things that you think are foolish. What about your liberty? This is more equally distributed than money is. Is it possible to spend your freedom foolishly? If you think that all expenditures of freedom are equal, consider that those who seek to save their lives will lose them, and those who lay down their lives for the Kingdom of God will save them.

Do your days fill up with demands on your time so that you are in constant motion to run errands and take care of items on your list? What sort of things do you have on your list? Are they things of enduring significance or do they seem mundane? Do the urgent things that demand your attention crowd out the important things that will matter for the long term? If you were to find an unexpected opportunity for divine encounter, or to minister to one of the least of these, which you know is the same thing, would you have the time available to respond, or would you be too busy?

Do you see the church as a business? You may think this is a sacrilegious comparison, but what lessons can you learn from this? What product is the church offering for sale? The forgiveness of sins? How effectively does it market this product? Is there sufficient demand for this from the potential customer base to keep the church in business? Should the church do some market research to find out what people want and need to find out if there are opportunities to expand the product line? Would the church profit by addressing existential questions about identity, belonging, and meaning?

Have you ever heard of a narrative account dismissed because it is ‘just a story’? This statement reflects an incorrect understanding of stories. People live and die by their stories. Does this statement imply that ‘just a story’ means it is not true? What does truth mean in this context? That it is an accurate description of actual historical events, or that it describes enduring principles of human conduct whether it refers to a specific instance or not? If you have a bias for facts, remember that I taught eternal truth in parables.

I tell you that he who seeks to save his life will lose it, but that he who loses his life for my sake will find it. Does this seem like a paradox to you? Do you understand what it means? Do you desire the transformation that I offer you? It doesn’t matter how much you want it if you are unwilling to let go of what you have. If you think of spiritual growth only as acquisition it explains why you have trouble with this concept. What you currently cling to will oppose your progress. Could it be that you suffer from having too much rather than too little?

Have you ever inherited a large amount of money? This is an experience that anyone would welcome. What about your faith? Did you inherit that? If you were born into and raised in a faith tradition, and embraced it and still practice it on your own, then is it fair to say that you inherited it? Is this easier to see in those of other faiths? Would you have ended up in the same place without the childhood influence? You can be grateful to those who have led you on the path of life. Yet the questions concerning inherited faith still remain? What can you do to make your faith your own? 

Have you ever wanted something with great intensity and obtained it and been disappointed in it? Disappointments correspond to great expectations. The more you imagine that something will be satisfying and even life transforming the harder it is for that thing to live up to your expectations. If you have experienced this in the past, perhaps you should recalibrate your expectations going forward. Reasonable expectations lead to fewer disappointments. My followers have been called sojourners and pilgrims.

Are you objective? This is considered an admirable goal in a rational world. The implication is that if you are influenced by emotion or affection then you can’t think clearly. But the term clearly implies that it is desirable to view everything in the situation (including people) as objects. It also implies that it is best to remain detached and uninvolved. Is this the true perspective from which accurate judgments can be made? It is a small step from being disinterested to being uninterested. Don’t you find that you are better able to assess reality when you are involved and caring?

Are you familiar with the story about Jacob wrestling with me? The story says he wrestled with a man, but you would correctly infer that this was no ordinary man. Have you ever wrestled with a God you can’t see? You may recall from the story that the wrestling match took place at night, and further that this man/angel/God was motivated to end the engagement before sunrise when he would have been visible, for no man can see God and live. Do you view this encounter as a positive or negative experience for Jacob? Do you think it would be beneficial for you to wrestle with me?

Do you think that your church has a corner on the truth? Something attracted you to go there in the first place, and the leadership and others attending will reinforce your original assumption that this is the right place for you. But have you ever found truth outside of your tradition? It is there if you look, but this can be a threatening experience if your identity is based on already being in possession of the truth. Are you prepared to engage with other groups for the purpose of finding the best of what they have to offer?