Dale Cresap's blog

Are you familiar with the idea of valid criticism? Obviously, you should have your facts straight if you take it upon yourself to offer criticism. If you are convinced of the truth of your assertions, does that make the criticism valid? Is it possible to use the truth for condemnation, and that those who do so are judgmental? Even in adversarial proceedings in a court the accused has the opportunity to offer exonerating or extenuating testimony on his own behalf. Is the true story complete without this?

Have you ever had experiences that make you feel vulnerable, ashamed, humbled, contrite, and awkward? These are not experiences that people intentionally seek out, in fact, they go to great lengths to avoid them. Have you ever been on the receiving end of love? Can you see how receiving love would feel the same as those things listed above? Love is transformative, but the egoic self can’t admit the need for help, nor ask for it, nor receive it graciously when it comes.

You consider belief to be central to your faith, and you are right. Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. What do you think belief consists of? Is it assent to validity of the major doctrinal claims of your church? Yet none of these things existed for Abraham, so what did he believe? Do you see belief in terms of propositional truth? But for Abraham it was relational, even as you assert that your faith is a relationship with me. Can you expand your concept of belief to include the intangible connection that gives you life, as he did?

Is your faith robust? Will it withstand challenges? There is a normal human desire to surround yourself with those like-minded, who hold the same values, beliefs, and world view. This is comforting but not rigorous. If you arrive at the same conclusions they do, they will tolerate some sloppy reasoning in the process. Can you find opponents of good will? If you can have an honest engagement with those who do not share your values and world view, they won’t let you get away with sloppy reasoning and this will sharpen your thinking. As a result, your faith will be stronger.

Have you ever experienced righteous indignation? What about self-righteous indignation? Can you tell the difference? It may be more obvious to other people than it is to you. If it is possible to distance yourself from the problem and claim that it is due to other people who are entirely unlike you then you should suspect the self-righteous version. When Isaiah was undone he said, woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. He was headed in the right direction.

Are you happy? What makes you happy? The conventional understanding is that people who get whatever they want should be happy. Who could ask for more than getting their own way? Yet have you known people who make this their life’s pursuit and succeed at it? Don’t you find them to be spoiled and miserable? Have you found happiness to be elusive, and more successfully obtained indirectly than directly? Have you ever found more happiness by yielding your own way rather than insisting on it?

Have you met people who claim to love me and yet their love for other people is not obvious? Is it possible to separate these things? There are things that are widely regarded as Christian practices, such as Bible study, prayer, and worship. Doing them may result in more loving behavior toward others, and it should, but is it possible to do them and not come to this result? To whom does this apply? Consider my reply to the question, ‘who is my neighbor?’ Consider the question, ‘if you do not love your brother whom you can see, can you love God whom you cannot see?’ Obviously not.

Have you heard skeptics accuse believers of magical thinking? Believers pray and expect results, and the criticism is that there is no causal link between the prayer and results by scientific means. The error in this reasoning is assuming that the power is in the gesture, or incantation, or even sacrifice. Believers understand that their faith is an expression of their relationship with me. This takes prayer out of the realm of cause and effect. They are petitions for me to act. Though I am moved by the requests of my people I am not controlled by them.

Where do you keep your treasure? Do you lock it up in a secure place like a bank vault? Are you aware that you have the power to act in my name? I have given you a durable power of attorney. Have you seen other believers use this power casually or arrogantly? For it is also true that the sacrifices acceptable to me are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. Do you find that you get better results invoking my name if you do it in humility? It is still my power that is manifested through you, not yours. Do you wonder where I keep my treasure? I keep it in earthen vessels. Like you.

Do you see your talents and abilities as gifts from me? Perhaps you could think of them as gift certificates. Gift certificates are only beneficial when they are redeemed, and this is also true of the gifts I give you. Have you met those who have the potential to be leaders if they could get over their control issues? Or those who are empathetic, but only to themselves? Your gifts and talents are raw material, and for them to be employed in my service is not automatic. Are you willing to go through the process of redeeming your gifts that they may be employed in serving me?