When Joey and Harry mentioned having an outing at the beach, I was not unreasonably skeptical. It sounded like just another one of Joey's the-lady-at-my-dry-cleaners-told-me-about-this-church-with-twelve-single-girls plans. Those usually turn into sixteen, then fifty, then a puff of smoke.

But they proved me wrong. Yesterday was a touch over eighty degrees, sunny with a slight cool breeze, the lake water warm from a summer of boiling, and altogether just absolutely perfect. We had bratwurst, spicy pork, buns, mustard, soda, water, a football, a frisbee, and the most relaxing and fun Bethel outing that I can remember.

If that wasn't enough, I had a chance to talk to Anson for a bit about how things were going for him. Initially I thought it might have been a bad idea because it was clear that it was still very painful for him. Of course, why wouldn't it be? But he was honest and open and soon enough the other guys had strolled over and we were joking around about various schemes to bring girls to church.

Near day's end I was standing at the water's edge watching a group of Bethel people splashing out in the deep. The waves lapped at my legs and I thought about my church family, each one flawed, fighting the current that pulls us back, weighed down by our mistakes, but leaning back, letting go, and floating out to where heaven meets earth.