Dale Cresap's blog

Have you reached the point in your life where you realize that you can’t make it on your own and need help? Do you also realize that I am the only one who can help you? Blessed are those who realize this. How do you think this works? Do you see it as me providing assistance for you or you consenting to me? There is a profound difference between these, for it determines which one of us is in charge of the process. If it isn’t within you to direct your own steps then no amount of assistance will help.

Are you capable of running your life? Do you think that you can weigh your alternatives according to your values and make good choices? But your life is subject to factors that you don’t know, and even if you had perfect knowledge of all things affecting you, do you think you could do the math to come up with the optimum choices and implement them? This task is beyond you. Yet have you ever been moved to act in a way that you couldn’t explain, but future events proved that it was the right choice at the time? Is this your routine experience? It can be.

Are you familiar with the passage of scripture that says, ‘Don’t you know that it is the goodness of God that leads you to repentance?’ How can this be? Does this seem like reverse logic? Are you used to a message of wrath and judgment? You have encountered these motivations in other settings and they can produce compliance even if it is not heartfelt and not good for morale. Have you ever found it more highly motivating to want to please someone who loves you and has extended favor to you? In this case it is good for morale and joyful. Would you agree that love is stronger than fear?

Do you like to be right? How important is it to you? Is it more important than learning and growth? Do you know people who are ‘always right’? Would you agree with their assessment of themselves? You have heard of the method of trial and error. People do not generally welcome trials or errors but this is a valid method for learning. Do you learn more by doing things right or by doing them wrong? You can only do everything right if you don’t attempt anything new. Anything worth doing is worth doing badly until you learn how. I have new things to teach you.

Do you think that I am easily offended? You know people like this and you don’t enjoy their company, because you have to walk on eggshells around them. The story of the ten thousand talents implies that your offenses toward me are great relative to your offenses to your brother, but the point of that story is forgiveness. Contrast that with another story with fewer talents about servants who worked (or did not) while their master was away. The one who thought his master was harsh and unjust and acted accordingly did not fare well.

Have you heard the old joke about the man who went to the doctor and said, it hurts when I do this? The doctor said, don’t do this. That is one approach to dealing with pain. The more modern approach is to get a pain killer that will allow you to do the same activities that lead to pain without experiencing pain. So which approach is really better? Is there a spiritual parallel to this story? Have you ever experienced spiritual pain? You could think of this as isolation and alienation from your true self and from your destiny.

Are you involved with the work of redemption? You may protest that only I could do that, and there is a level at which that is correct, but that does not absolve you from involvement in the work of redemption. Does this make you think of the Great Commission, where your part is to proclaim the good news of the gospel, that is already a finished work, to every creature?

I held a conversation with a woman who raised the question of the correct place to worship. I replied that manner was more important than location and said that the time was coming, and now was, to worship in spirit and in truth. Do you think of worship location as being of great importance? I do not criticize the building of structures for this purpose, but I do not inhabit the works of men’s hands. As I emphasized, the more important question is to worship God in spirit and in truth. Do you understand what this means?

Do you live in a loud world? A prophet wanted to hear my voice. There followed a series of natural calamities but I was not in them. But after them I spoke to him in a still small voice. You may face an even greater challenge than the prophet. Even without the natural calamities, are you surrounded by loud voices looking for dominance, even those without insight or wisdom that try to establish themselves with volume and persistence? Natural disasters have a fixed duration, but will these ever shut up?

You describe your faith as a relationship with me, and you are right. I portrayed this in my teaching on earth in many ways, in the story of the Good Samaritan, and in my acceptance of the Centurion, the woman at the well, and the Syro-Phoenician woman, among others. I showed favor to those outside of the conventional practice of faith, and criticized those at the top of the religious dominance hierarchy. I commended relationship but conducted my ministry as an outsider to the religious establishment.