Real faith is refined in the fires and storms of pain.

The life of faith isn't meant for tourists. It's meant for pilgrims.

A person has to get fed up with the ways of the world before he, before she acquires an appetite for the world of grace.

Religion is a very scary thing, because a pastor is in a position of power. And if you use that power badly, you ruin people's lives, and you ruin your own life.

The Spirit works through community. Somebody will have a stupid, screwy idea. That's okay. The point of having creeds and confessions and traditions is to keep us in touch with the obvious errors.

Pity can be nearsighted and condescending; shared suffering can be dignifying and life-changing.

The religious leader is the most untrustworthy of leaders; in no other station do we have so many opportunities for pride, covetousness and lust, and with so many excellent disguises to keep such ignobility from being found out and called to account.