Quotes from favorite authors

"To worship God is to serve him in imitation of our Savior Jesus who did not come to be served, but to serve (Matt.20:28). I believe that the temporal care of the poor is no less sacred than ecclesiastical activity. While the gathering for worship always takes precedence, the love of our neighbor must be an inevitable corollary. The duties of worship (pietas) and love (caritas) are inseparable." --John Calvin

"Mercy is not an option or even an addition to being a Christian. Instead, a life poured out in deeds of mercy is the inevitable sign of a life which has experienced the grace of God" (Tim Keller in Training for Deacons).