Dale Cresap's blog

Do you think of church activities as being spiritual, and those outside in the secular world of commerce as not being spiritual? This is a commonly held view, but where did I perform my ministry? Was it in church, or was it in the marketplace, on a hillside, by the seashore, at the well, and on the way from one place to another, among others? I wasn’t exactly on church staff, particularly when you consider that confrontation with the money changers. Yet was I doing spiritual ministry?

You live in a commercial world and are surrounded by advertising you can hardly escape. What do you see as the content and theme of advertising? Is it about the features and benefits of the product? Isn’t the real message of the story the implied but not stated promise of a better life? This is a message that connects with everyone, even if the products available are similar and the promise is false, for a better life is not obtained by commercial gratification. So how can a fulfilling life be obtained? You already know the answer.

I asked my Father to forgive those who crucified me, for they knew not what did. Evil is real. How do you address the problem of allocating blame for it? Is there a sense of righteous satisfaction derived from the assumption that those who do evil do so with full awareness and intention? But can you know this if you can’t discern the intentions of the human heart? What about the times that you sin, or are you aware of all of them to the same extent that other people are? If you cannot know the intentions of others what is the most gracious assumption to make?

Do you believe in the power of stories? I did. That is how I taught the people about the Kingdom of God. People are wired to respond to stories and storytellers have always held a privileged place in society, including the film and popular literature industries of today. Do you see common themes recurring in popular stories? The stories I told, such as the prodigal son, were radical and shocking to my audiences, to illustrate the power and love of God. Do you see them this way? Do you see yourself as a writer?

Do you see me as your personal savior? What do you mean by this? For this same word is widely used in your culture of individualism, and is normally understood to mean for you alone, for your exclusive use. Is this the impression you want to give about your relationship with me? Doesn’t this imply a reversal of our actual roles? Isn’t it you who is bought with a price and you are not your own? Isn’t it you who is to follow me, laying down your life and picking up your cross? Isn’t it you who refers to me as Lord, and not the other way around?

Do you support my work financially? Some churches encourage this more strongly than others, but there are real expenses associated with operating a church and other worthwhile reasons for giving such as ministry to the poor. In most cases part of this money goes toward paying staff, since the worker is worthy of his hire. Do you do some of your home and vehicle maintenance yourself and hire the rest to be done by others?

Did you know that white light is actually a combination of colors and that a prism will separate it into the visible spectrum? This is common knowledge. Do you divide people into a small number of fixed categories, defined by the way they are not like you? Yet even among your friends don’t you notice subtle variations even within a group, that people take different paths, and arrive at slightly different positions? Does it make it hard to judge people if they won’t fit in their assigned categories? Extend this principle to those you disagree with.

How much attention do you pay to your adversary? For you wrestle not against flesh and blood, and he walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And you are not ignorant of his devices. You are a soldier in my army. What do soldiers pay more attention to, the actions of the enemy, or the orders of their commanders? Good soldiers rely on their commanders for intelligence matters, and trust them to know the big picture rather than figuring it out on by themselves and doing their own thing. If you trust me and follow me, you don’t need to pay much attention to your enemy. 

What do you look for when you look for the Kingdom of God? Magnificent heavenly glory? That is what people were looking for in a messiah, and most of them overlooked me because I didn’t fit the profile. Instead I spoke in familiar images of everyday things. Lost coins, sowing and reaping wheat, candles and bushels, sheep and fish. Where is the glory in that? Yet there were a few that got my message and knew that I was speaking the words of life.

You live in a culture of intense individualism. Do you see this trait in the church as well? Is this message inherent in the gospel, or is it a cultural overlay on the church? I said that it is not good for the man to be alone, but this was not my final word on this matter. Bear one another’s burdens. Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together. No one lives or dies unto himself. You are your brother’s keeper. In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me. Do you refer to your faith as a relationship with me?