Quotes to read every few weeks

Daniel Spoto, in speaking of Francis of Assisi - "Stories of saints too often describe them as essentially perfect, always pious, suffering without complaint, ever clear about their commitment and destiny. How much more credible and moving are the accounts of those who endured struggles to remain true to their beliefs. Whatever one takes it to mean, saintliness is not a position one attains or state of life one achieves, the way one is called a doctor after receiving a medical certificate. However we chose to discuss it, holiness is certainly a lifelong process, and genuine saints probably never think about it. Their energies are directed toward God, not toward a consideration of their own merits or excellence. Most of all, their lives proclaim to the world the existence of a reality that transcends it."

Henri Nouwen

When we are ready to die at any moment, we also are ready to live at any moment." - Henry Nouwen

Looking for answers again......an old problem

Scot McKnight quoted an author that stated something that sounds like it was written last week:

“Hostile to the church, friendly to Jesus Christ.” These words describe large numbers of people, especially young people, today. They are opposed to anything which savors of institutionalism. They detest the establishment and its entrenched privileges. And they reject the church — not without some justification — because they regard it as impossibly corrupted by such evils.

That sounds very 2005ish; but it's older. How old?
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Try 1958!

The author? John Stott, Basic Christianity.

But here's the questions I have:

1. Is the church impossibly corrupted?
2. Does the church deserve another chance?
3. If we abandon the institutional church, will the thing we create in it's place get institutionalized as well?

Hmm..