[Cal]

Life is like a game. Without obstacles and challenges it becomes boring and pointless. Every day holds new challenges and we are not to rest on our laurels, but are to step up to meet those challenges with the Lord's help. Through this process we learn, grow and have impact on those around us.

But we never "arrive." It's not about the destination, it's about the process. I'm regularly bemused by the challenges of leading a family. Just when you think you've got your ducks in a row, another crisis appears. Just when you think you have your kids figured out, they move to a different level.

So it goes. That's life and it's not an accident. It is an everyday, ever-evolving affair. There is no beginning and no end. Just the process.

Likewise, there is no arriving at the perfect church, or even the perfect understanding of the church, there is just being the church, day-in and day-out.

As I said earlier, the ultimate challenge of life is to be faithful to God while at the same time serving and cooperating with others--to maintain one's integrity while getting down in the trenches with flawed, fallen people. Jesus was the perfect model for this. We never get a hint in the Gospels of Jesus acting like anyone was too unholy for him to be around. He was always willing to engage with others. He wasn't afraid of getting dirty. He had that confidence we talked about.

Now, I know the Bible warns us about the company we keep. That's the other side of it. But to me, it's the exception to the larger rule that we are not to view others as a general hindrance to our spirituality. To have that attitude shows that you miss what being truly spiritual is. I understand going through the phase of being suspicious of groups, but what's the alternative? The Lord didn't give us one.

He had a reason. Emmanuel means "God with us." To manifest the incarnate God, you eventually need to be with someone.