Dale Cresap's blog

Are you judgmental? Do you feel that your faith has set you up to be this way? For when you believed you accepted a moral code; rules to follow. Do you find it easy to apply these to others and find where they fall short? Is this easier than judging yourself? But one of the rules is that you should judge yourself and not others. So if you offer judgment of others you are not following the rules yourself. You do not have control over them and have not been assigned to enforce the rules.

Are you jaded? This implies a cynical attitude. Do you feel it is more common today? You have a multitude of opportunities and experiences available to you. Do you take advantage of these to their fullness? Do you find them to be satisfying? You may find them to be empty and disappointing if you strip them of their spiritual potential. There is nothing that you will find to provide long term satisfaction if you strip the world of wonder and mystery and transcendent meaning. Jaded people may appear to be worldly wise but it is truly the wisdom of this world.

Can you point to people who have influenced your life? Most people can point to many. Do you see yourself as being influential in the lives of others? Most people do not. Can you see the disconnect between these concepts? People are watching you and you have an effect on them whether you are aware of it or not. If you can accept this premise then the question isn’t whether you have an influence or not, but what type it is. In this case it isn’t the spirituality you profess that matters but the spirituality you live. That you are saved by grace not works isn’t relevant here.

Do you have to agree with people to get along with them? This is a default assumption and you see people sort themselves out according to common beliefs, political ideology, occupation, income level, education and social standing among others, yet is this necessary or desirable? Is a common interest a deep or shallow basis for friendship? Are you surprised to see people of opposing viewpoints form deep, real, and lasting friendships? This shows it is possible even if it is rare. Are you surprised by how much I reached out from my own faith, culture, and tradition to those outside?

Are you more certain of what you are in favor of or what you are opposed to? Have you noticed an abundance of critics and a shortage of enthusiasm? Have you noticed that being a critic gives one the appearance of sophistication and worldly wisdom? This is not godly wisdom which is positive and redemptive rather than negative and condemnatory. You have to build to have something to tear down, and construct before you can deconstruct. Someone has to build before the critics have something to criticize. Do you have what it takes to keep building in the face of criticism?

Reformation is a term that can be used to apply to individuals who are in need of moral development, but it can also be applied to organizations. The most famous of these is the Protestant Reformation of the church. Do you see this as a one-time event, or is it ongoing or periodic? To bring this question up to date, is the church currently in need of another reformation? If you are currently a part of the church, are you in a position to know the answer? Were those who were a part of the existing church in a position to recognize the need and reform it from within?

Do you study to show yourself approved? There is Biblical support for this and some faith traditions place a great deal of emphasis on study. In a larger sense education is beneficial, but is there a difference between education and transformation? For the Bible also refers to those who are ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth. Can you see the difference between those who have been through the refiner’s fire and those who have only been to school? Which one do you want to be? You don’t have to stop studying to have a transformative encounter with me.

One thing that conservatives and liberals can agree on is that there is a problem, and they are not the problem. Do you see problems everywhere except in yourself? This issue isn’t limited to political ideologies. It happens in churches too. Is there anyone who thinks that the problem in their church is them, or that their church is the problem in comparison to other churches? Objective reality may suggest that problems are uniformly distributed, but the only ones you are in a position to address are yours. This begins with an awareness of reality.

Have you ever gone through a faith transition that created a difference between you and the people you normally share fellowship with? Did you see it as a step of spiritual growth and maturity? Did they see it differently, perhaps even an expression of heresy or apostasy? Can you see this developmental stage in my own life? If you really are more mature then you should not be the one to break relationships, but there is a time to move on. Did you feel alone as if you were the only one out of step? Don’t worry.

Have you had any spiritual experiences? Were these enjoyable? Were they transformative? People seek out experiences for entertainment and enjoyment, without expecting or receiving any spiritual benefit. This is not wrong in itself, and there is a valid human desire to expand by trying new things. How does this play out in the practice of your faith? For spiritual experiences can be more transformative than entertaining. In this case it may be more accurate to refer to them as encounters. Are you able to discern the difference between these?