Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more . . . And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less

Henri Nouwen says, "When we come to realize that ... only God saves, then we are free to serve, then we can live truly humble lives." Nouwen changed his approach from "selling pearls," or peddling the good news, to "hunting for the treasure" already present in those he was called to love - a shift from dispensing religion to dispensing grace. It makes all the difference in the world whether I view my neighbor as a potential convert or as someone whom God already loves.

I doubt God keeps track of how many arguments we win; God may indeed keep track of how well we love.

Christ bears the wounds of the church, his body, just as he bore the wounds of crucifixion. I sometimes wonder which have hurt worse.

Christians get very angry toward other Christians who sin differently than they do.

If your church conveys that spirit of condescension or judgment, it's likely not a place where grace is on tap.

The giants of the faith all had one thing in common: neither victory nor success, but passion.