Well, I am back. I haven't gone anywhere, except to my sickbed. Something grabbed hold of me on Wednesday night and has not wanted to let go. I had a short reprieve yesterday and went to the WVU-ECU game with my in-laws and family. Perhaps I should have stayed home. I did stay home from church this morning though, and decided to read Hebrews while I lay in bed. Chapters 5 and 6 really grabbed my attention. The writer is talking about his audience being older in the faith but still needing to eat like a baby. He encourages them to go beyond the basic teachings of the faith and move on to more mature teachings. The basics he says are: repentance from acts that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. These are the main themes I have heard about all of my life!! Why are we still teaching the "basic elementary truths"? The problem is that the writer doesn't go on to tell what we ought to be talking about. Maybe the problem is that there are always new people in the church and they need to hear these things. Perhaps that is where the spiritual growth group comes in; a group of peers who can help you grow in your faith and take the journey with you to maturity.