Ordained to give itself away

This post is from the defunct blog “Dying Church”

The Church is the only institution which, without irresponsibility, can expend all its resources on great and lavish outbursts of compassion. It is ordained to give itself away, yet without loss. The Church, above all earthly symbols, bears the responsibility of declaring in the outpouring of resources, the utter dependability of God. To preserve its life is to lose it. (Robert Lupton, Theirs is the Kingdom)