Why has the church failed???

Why does society still suck? Why doesn't the gospel convert everyone who hears it? Why the denominational wars and so many people who proudly wear the badge 'Christian' and yet seem to deny it by their actions?

Emil Brunner has an interesting answer:

No Christian possesses absolute faith, no one is is really wholly converted, if regard these expressions empirically.

It also forms part of the incognito of Christ that the final significance, the absolute turning point, which His Cross means, can never appear historically in its effects.

It's all because of the 'incognito' of Christ, his veiled-ness. Reckon he's onto something?

How do you deal with...

Being the weak link in the team?

Today I played in a soccer quarter-final, and the game ended 2-2. I'd played pretty well, I thought. Then came extra time, and I really dug deep, and thought I'd helped out the team with my performance, but we didn't manage to score.

So, penalty shootout it was.

I put my hand up to take one, and was taking the last kick of the 5. I had to score, or we lost and our season was over.

I did not score.