To love with expectations is, in the end, an oppressive, driven thing, and people know it when they receive it.

The Christian life does not just evolve. It also requires specific decisions and public commitments to deepen our faith and obedience.

As is typical of this God [of Israel], he calls his people into freedom in the most unlikely place.

The Good News does not hinge on words like do or change but on the powerless, irrelevant, and frightening words like belief and faith.

If the church is the body of Christ [who was disguised in servant form], why would we think the world would be able to pick us out of a crowd of other well-meaning organizations?

For his own unfathomable reasons, God chooses to disguise himself when he comes to this planet, and there have been few disguises better than the church.

To live [in the church] at the beck and call of marketing logic is to live in slavery.

[denial] is an attempt to bring order to our lives.

And you look beautiful, " she added."I look like a cake.""But a beautiful cake.

I sometimes wonder if life isn’t a giant mirror that reflects back at me everything I hold up to it.

Man can only use money to buy man-made goods.

When we do cross paths with people whose beliefs and attitudes conflict with our own, we are rarely challenged.

One great thing about growing old is that nothing is going to lead to anything. Everything is of the moment.

I'd been a stepparent for about two years with a woman who had a child, and I came to realize I adored children and was good with them. So I was very happy when Anna got pregnant.

Women have plans for themselves, for their children, about their home, the meals. They have a Vision. A man wants to enjoy himself.

Whatever I write in email, it doesn't mean anything. It is just words I write.

The pope-and we know this well-is without doubt the most serious obstacle on the ecumenical road.

My family was a bunch of drunks. When I was six I came up missing, they put my picture on a bottle of scotch.