Dale Cresap's blog

Do you like to play games? They provide a greater level of involvement and engagement than you get from entertainment or just being a spectator watching someone else play a game. They provide an opportunity for contact and involvement with other people, and competition sharpens your focus and brings forth your best performance. Yet they are still contrived contests, creating winners and losers without making a lasting improvement. Will your soul be satisfied with this? It is not wrong to play games, and they bring enjoyment, but don’t you have a hunger to make a difference in the world?

Do you understand the value of humility? Will you do anything to avoid humiliation? Do you see how these terms are related? The concepts are too. But if you see humiliation only in terms of shame and embarrassment you will do whatever it takes to avoid it. Yet is this the process by which you obtain humility? You can distinguish between that which you seek and that which is imposed on you. And so my word tells you to humble yourself that you may be exalted in due time, and to judge yourself that you would not be judged.

My word speaks of transformation as a desirable process. You understand that this is more than a superficial change in appearance. It involves a whole new way of being, and if you have experienced this you know that it is not quick or easy, but it is the best thing you can experience. Do you think of transformation only on an individual basis? What about organizations? In particular, what about churches? For a group has an identity that can grow even as an individual does. What do you think I meant when I said that new wine would require new wineskins?

Are you a conformist? My commandment to you is to not be conformed to this world. So are you a non-conformist? This depends on context. Gangs may be non-conformist with regard to the expectations of society, but within their own group do you think dissent is welcome? Colleges are not gangs and they are thought of as places of free and open inquiry. Do you think this is still true? In this regard would you say that most churches are internally conformist? How free do you feel to pursue your own spiritual journey and study of the Bible and embrace what you find in the process?

Have you heard it said that you should agree with your adversary quickly? Why would you agree with someone you disagree with? If you want to win over your brother, you should start with the weaknesses in your own argument and the strengths in his. He is expecting opposition, so if you start with something he can agree with, you have captured his attention and interest. Does this start you off at a disadvantage? Remember that you have the Holy Spirit to help you recover this if the door is open and exchange is occurring.

Do you have a community? It is not good for a man to be alone and this is a need for every person, to belong and to connect with others. You were not meant to lead an alienated and isolated life. How strong is your community? For most communities are structured on voluntary association, and people can choose to belong or not, and how involved they want to be if they are, and this includes churches. Do you see the value of accountability? Most people accept this in principle even if it is hard to practice.

Are you special? The egocentric part of every person would like to claim this, as somehow superior to others. You are a unique creation, but this applies to everyone else as well, so it doesn’t elevate one above another. You receive my favor and blessing, but I do this for everyone, in fact I send sun and rain on the evil and on the good alike. An even stronger statement is that I open my hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Arguments for being special create strife and a competition hierarchy.

Have you ever heard the phrase, consider the source? Is this ever used as a compliment? This is spoken to indicate that a statement in question is foolish and implies that the speaker is not capable of anything better. But the logic of this criticism fails as well. This is an attack on a person rather than an idea. The validity of a statement should be considered apart from the person who makes it. Is there anyone whose statements are above scrutiny? In like manner, is there anyone incapable of making a true statement?

Do you recognize the phrase, presumption of innocence? It is also stated as presumed innocent until proven guilty. This is a legal concept and is accepted doctrine in free countries on the basis that it is worth the risk to let some guilty people go free than to punish the innocent unjustly. Can you apply this principle in your own life, apart from a courtroom setting? You have no idea of the guilt or innocence of most of the people you encounter. Isn’t it better to show them favor even if it turns out to be undeserved? The alternative is to become judges of evil intent.

I told my disciples how the gentiles viewed authority, loving to lord it over one another when they could, but it was not to be so among my followers. I did not reject the concept of authority, but said that those who would hold positions of spiritual authority were to be as servants. Since my church is a voluntary association, those in leadership positions only have the authority that people are willing to give them. In this way authority is intrinsic rather than by title or office. You have to earn it by love and trust. Do not be discouraged if you are in a leadership position.