Spiritual maturity might be one of those terms that sounds so familiar to Christian ears that all or most of us think we know exactly what it means. If we're not careful - and if we don't pay sufficient attention to scripture's descriptions - we fall back on patchwork images we pick up from here and there and we wind up not really knowing what spiritual maturity is. This loss has practical impact.

Not long ago I asked a group of college students which adults, in their congregations, demonstrate spiritual maturity in Christlike character. Who would they go to for spiritual guidance? None of them could name an adult that modeled Christ to them. 

There could be several mitigating reasons for this worrisome response. Sadly, it isn't an isolated circumstance. I can put their response with numerous others that leave me feeling uneasy about the state of many congregations. We need ordinary,local, present examples of spiritual maturity, of Christlike character. I know they exist....