Dale Cresap's blog

I told you to stand fast therefore in the liberty in which I have made you free, do not be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. Do you see liberty coming in two versions, internal and external? Which do you think is more important? Which do you think this verse refers to? Do you get the sense that the yoke of bondage referred to in this passage refers to thought patterns, habits and prejudices that are holding you back from an abundant life? You are sensitive to encroachments on your external liberty, which limit your freedom of action.

Have you ever gone through a major life transition? You may postpone such experiences because the upheaval and disruption are so great, but that is the price you pay for moving into a situation that is better for you in the long term. So there is a tradeoff between short term pain and long term gain. The transition may not be as traumatic as you imagine it. It is more a matter of letting go of certainty to face the unknown. How do you know when the time is right to change? When the pain or restraint of staying put are greater than the risk of moving forward into an unknown future.

How often do you write a blank check? How often do you commit to a purchase without knowing what it will cost? The gospel even warns against doing this, and encourages you to count the cost. This may be the Biblical commandment that is followed by more people than any other. But this same principle can apply beyond purely monetary exchanges. Can you see that safety and liberty are held in tension one with the other, so if you insist on more of one you will get it at the expense of the other?

Have you ever been convicted? This term has a legal sense but for this case consider the moral sense. Conviction of sin leads to repentance. What has been most effective in convicting you? The written word can do this, and believers commonly encounter forceful spoken messages from those with positions of authority in the church. But these are not the only alternatives. What about the unspoken and even unaware examples of those who act with an integrity that you do not yet possess? You have heard that actions speak louder than words.

Do you look to find the best in others? Does this sound like an approach that is both reasonable and loving? Yet it requires a high level of both maturity and security. Insecure and immature people tend to look for the worst in others. This provides a basis for exclusion and superiority. I spoke of those who sought to justify themselves and it never led to a positive outcome. If you are a child of grace and secure in that position, then you don’t need to establish yourself on the shortcomings of others. This is easier said than done.

Do you have a high-status job? This is a real concept whether it is discussed openly or not, and everyone knows where they fit in the hierarchy. Those who serve are considered to be of lower status than those who are served, but even within the realm of servants those who serve higher status people outrank those who serve lower status people, because they ‘tag along’ on the status of those they serve. You may recall that I addressed this matter of serving and turned the whole order upside down. By conventional logic those who serve the least of these would be at the bottom of the order.

Have you noticed that fathers have an image problem today? In popular culture they are portrayed as hapless and stupid. The most extreme insult that can be expressed today involves the accusation of patriarchy. How do you portray me? I am transcendent and ineffable, so I do not lend myself to exact parallels. So when I wanted to reveal myself to humanity I could have chosen any magnificent and powerful metaphor I wanted. I could have said that I was like an oak tree, or giant redwood, or an elephant, or a whale, or a mountain. But what did I in fact select from all things?

Are you in over your head? Children usually wade before they learn to swim, and the same imagery applies to the development of your faith. It is comforting to be able to touch the bottom, but this is only wading. This severely limits the places you can go in the water, keeping you close to shore. But there is risk and uncertainty and a loss of control in being in over your head. If you have been in deeper water you know that the water will support you even though it is not solid. In a spiritual parallel, do you know that the divine mystery will support you if you are in over your head?

In ancient Israel there was an annual ritual in which the sins of the people were pronounced upon a goat, and the goat was driven away, hence the term scapegoat. Do you smile and roll your eyes at this practice? Do you think that this custom is still practiced? It is, although it doesn’t involve a goat. The term is currently applied to people. Have you ever seen one group pronounce the sins of the world upon another group or person? This is still a common practice even if they aren’t able to drive that group into the wilderness. Have you ever done this yourself?

When someone complains about a problem, do you evaluate the situation to determine if they did anything to contribute to it by their own actions? Does this make it easy to dismiss their suffering by saying it is their own fault? Do you see how harsh and judgmental this is? Self-inflicted wounds are still painful. Who could be excluded from such a calculation? Who has perfect self-control and perfect comprehension of the consequences of their actions? How many lead such perfect lives that they don’t need grace and mercy? Would this include you?