“Most of us come to the church by a means the church does not allow.”

“The inflections of community are important because they get at the very meanings of marriage. Marriage is a gift God gives the church. He does not simply give it to the married people of the church, but to the whole church, just as marriage is designed not only for the benefit of the married couple. It is designed to tell a story to the entire church, a story about God’s own love and fidelity to us”

“Attending church does not necessarily mean living the principles taught in those meeting. You can be active in a church but inactive in its gospel.”

“But most of us put off the step of baptism and going to church. Most of us thought that it was quite possible to keep living without the Church, as long as we had God in our hearts, so to speak. Things might well have continued in this way, but then suddenly it became utterly clear to us both what the Church really was and why we in fact do need it.”

“The church is like a swimming pool. Most of the noise comes from the shallow end.”

“The Church is in eclipse at the moment, but what does it matter? It is God’s! And the Church will be brought to the place which God has purposed for her. Christ will come again. And he will come, probably as he did the first time, when we will all feel utterly hopeless and filled with despair and say that the Church is finished and that nothing can be done. He will come and he will scatter his enemies”