Dale Cresap's blog

Do you see yourself as a pilgrim? Nearly everyone goes from one place to another, for different reasons. Some are tourists and some go to conduct business or errands. In these cases it doesn’t matter how you get to your destination, and in your rapid pace world faster is considered better. But for a pilgrim the journey itself is important because it is transformative. If you are on a pilgrimage with me you know that speed is not the most important consideration. The destination is important but it is just as important that the person who arrives there is not the same person who started the journey.

Are you an evangelist? The great commission applies to all my followers. Do you enjoy this or do you consider it to be a grim burden? If it is an unpleasant burden to you then you can be assured that your audience feels the same way about it. Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s duty to share something out of obligation? Yet have you not also encountered those whose enthusiasm for their passion was contagious? Don’t look at this as a means to excuse yourself from sharing your faith. See it rather as an opportunity to find ways to facilitate transformative encounters in those you meet.

Have you ever been told not to take it personally? This is good advice, even though it may be hard to take from the person who is offering the insult. How much rudeness is intended personally? It isn’t possible to know; everyone has their projections and biased perspectives. Don’t let the other persons eagerness to be offended and offensive in return find a landing place to make a home in you. Woe unto the world because of offenses and those who bring them. If you refuse to take things personally whether they were intended that way or not, you can become unoffendable and break this cycle.

Do you only come to me when you are in a crisis? Can you build a house in a storm? I will not refuse you in your hour of need but this is not the best approach. I told a story about a wise man who built his house upon a rock, and a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. When the storm came, the house built upon a rock stood fast, and the house built on sand fell. But both of these men were wise enough to build their houses before the storm came. Are you? To answer the question above, it is possible to build a house in a storm but no one does, and I wouldn’t recommend it. Build your house now.

Are you creative? Do you think that only a few intuitive artists are creative, and you are not one of them? Perhaps you have set your criteria too narrow. I am creative and made you in my image, and you inherited this same ability as your birthright. What is creativity but being aligned with me and responsive to my spirit? In this condition it doesn’t matter what outlet you use to express it. I want you to look beyond the usual narrow definitions of creativity. I want you to feel the flow of my spirit moving freely through you. This is available to all my children and you should expect it. I want you to be creative in your creativity.

Athletes do exercises for physical conditioning for their craft. Students do exercises for their lessons. These are methods of learning and preparation and skill development. In these cases they are usually highly structured and focused. Do you think that your spiritual life would benefit from exercises? Different faith traditions approach this question from different perspectives and practices. Some are highly freestyle, and some have none at all. The cause and effect relationship of effort and benefit may not be as obvious for spiritual exercises as it is for calisthenics and academic study, but is this something you can neglect or leave to chance?

Are you full of questions about your faith? You should be, for your faith pertains to a mystery that is worthy of investigation, reflection, and pondering. I am not threatened by your questions and you should not equate them with doubt. I tell you to hold the mystery of your faith with a clear conscience. You may think of this as how you live with questions. Some questions are better than others. You know that questions can be accusatory in nature since you have asked and been asked questions of this type. Present your questions to me honestly in faith and you will find the process of pondering the questions to be transformative.

Do you always do the right thing? Have you ever done the right thing for the wrong reason? Is it possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason? The motivation for your actions does matter. Paul noted that some preached Christ out of division and strife, but was still pleased that the gospel message was going forth. But how much better to do it out of love? The wrong motives will not lead to the right actions consistently and in the long run, and it is the transformation of your being that I am looking for more than superficial compliance. The same action taken with the motivation of love is a better action.

My commandments for you include turning the other cheek, and not resisting evil. Do you find this hard to do? Do you understand why it is important? Consider the alternatives. The temptation is to respond in kind to insults, injuries, and provocations. This creates an escalating cycle of anger and violence. It takes two to play this game, but you can refuse to play. You can choose to act according to your internal compass rather than react to external provocations, and break the cycle of anger and violence. In the eyes of some people this will make you a loser, but in my eyes it makes you a winner.

Are you an evangelist? My Great Commission was given to all who follow me. Have you received instruction in evangelical work? Did it include listening? Most approaches to sharing my message have the believer do all the talking. Yet in the Biblical example of the woman at the well I listened to what she had to say, so there was a back and forth dialogue. You may not agree with someone’s perspective on eternal truth, but it won’t hurt you to listen to their story. Do you understand that you are asking them to be accept the transformation of the very foundation of their lives? Would you do that for someone who wouldn’t listen to you?