Dale Cresap's blog

What do you expect when you go to church? Being beat up for your sins? Being reminded of how righteous you are and always have been? Hearing those who are outside your group denounced for their unrighteousness? Hearing detailed insights into obscure passages of scripture? Have you experienced any or all of these? Which of these practices do observe in me from the time of my ministry on earth? I spent my time declaring the Kingdom of God with illustrations that were as simple and familiar as they were timeless and profound. In the end I said it was enough.

Do you live in a ghetto? This term has a strong negative connotation of poverty but the actual meaning only describes a neighborhood with a common background or characteristics. The term could be extended to a group of people who join together. If all of your friends are of the same race, income level, educational level, and political ideology, then you are in effect living in a ghetto even if they are educated and well-off. In a church you would expect everyone to have a similar position on matters of doctrine and theology.

What are your thoughts about beauty? Do you think it is vain and superficial? This is a common understanding and there is a valid basis for looking deeper than outward appearances. But beauty can be found here too. Have you ever been moved by a beautiful piece of music? What about a natural landscape? Do you see beauty in patterns and thoughts and hold a properly reverential attitude toward acts of great sacrifice? If you are spiritual you will discern beauty everywhere you look. If you can look beyond the awkward confines of your culture you will be able to see the beauty of the Lord.

Do you see life in terms of compartments or connections? One view of life is that everything can be considered in isolation. This simplifies the calculations, but is it based on a true understanding of reality? You are right to think in terms of connections rather than compartments. That leads to the question of the size of your circle. How big is yours, and who is your neighbor? I faced a difficult task on earth of trying to move my own people from tribal identity to solidarity with all humanity and you can see how hard it was. Is it any easier with you?

Do you find satisfaction in helping those in need? Two things are necessary for you to accomplish this. You must be willing to be generous, and you must have the resources required by those in need. Do you think of this only in terms of money? This is one way but not the only way. It could be as simple as giving someone directions. There are many non-monetary ways to assist. Can you visit those in prison or the hospital? What about providing a word of encouragement to those who are weary? Can you provide validation of the value of life to those who are discouraged and uncertain of this?

What do you do with your moments of transcendence? Some people would claim to live in this state continuously, but all but  the most hardened skeptics will have moments that are too large to fit in the narrative of ordinary life and business as usual. Even unbelievers are moved by great music and other works of art, by extraordinary beauty in the natural world, and by the experience of or even stories of great suffering or self-sacrifice. What about believers? Does a transcendent world view guarantee that you will have a frame of reference large enough to comprehend these things?

Do you believe in holy ground? In ancient times it was assumed that I had an address the same way that you do. When Jacob spent the night at a random place in the middle of nowhere he was surprised to find that I was camping with him. He wasn’t expecting that since the doctrine of omnipresence had not been developed. Do you accept that some places are holy and others not? What about houses of worship? Could it be the intention of the people who gather there that makes it so? Perhaps there is more to that concept than to geographical grid coordinates.

Do you view growth in your life in terms of acquisitions and additions? Have you ever seen a great sculpture? These works of art start out as large blocks and the sculptor works by taking away everything that doesn’t belong in the finished product. Can you reverse the polarity of your growth paradigm and consider that you already have everything that you need, so further growth is facilitated by taking away things that you already have that are a hindrance to you? What are you willing to part with to improve? The master sculptor knows what needs to go.

Do you use the terms jealousy and envy interchangeably? Most people do, but these are separate concepts. Envy is covetousness of something belonging to someone else. Jealousy is possessiveness of something belonging to you. Can envy ever be good? It implies a lack of contentment with what is already yours, and learning contentment will be easier for you than obtaining an endless sequence of acquisitions that do not satisfy you. Is jealousy ever justifiable? You refer to me as a jealous God rather than an envious God and this statement reflects a correct usage of the terms.

Are you familiar with optical illusions? These are images made to distort your perception so things do not appear to be the way they really are. This concept extends beyond contrived images and parlor stunts. Can you see clearly and understand things that are right in front of you? Have you ever misinterpreted things that were in plain sight? Perhaps a better term for this would be optical delusions. Your overall worldview affects your perceptions.