As I look around on Sunday morning at the people populating the pews, I see the risk that God has assumed. For whatever reason, God now reveals himself in the world not through a pillar of smoke and fire, not even through the physical body of his Son in Galilee, but through the mongrel collection that comprises my local church and every other such gathering in God's name. {p. 68, Church: Why Bother?}
In this reflective passage, the author observes the congregation on Sunday morning, highlighting the unique vulnerability that comes with God's presence being revealed through the church community rather than spectacular signs or physical appearances. He suggests that God's chosen method of revelation has shifted from dramatic displays of divinity to the everyday gathering of believers, emphasizing the imperfect and diverse nature of these communities. This underscores the idea that God's encounter with the world is now mediated through flawed human groups rather than direct divine phenomena.
Yancey emphasizes that the church, with all its imperfections, still serves as the primary vehicle for God's presence today. He notes that it is precisely within these diverse and often imperfect groups that God's revelation is found, suggesting a trust in the divine's willingness to work through human imperfection. The quote reflects on the risk God takes in revealing Himself through such worldly and sometimes inconsistent assemblies, yet it is through this chosen vessel that believers continue to experience and witness God's ongoing work.