(704) 599-9810 | Worship Sundays @ 10:55 a.m.
(704) 599-9810 | Worship Sundays @ 10:55 a.m.
Author: John Fugelsang | Year: 2024
In this sharp, soulful, and often humorous work, John Fugelsang—a devout Christian, political comedian, and cultural critic—lays out a compelling vision for reclaiming Christianity from weaponized hate. Separation of Church and Hate speaks to believers and skeptics alike, challenging Christians to live into the radical compassion of Jesus rather than the fear-based rhetoric of culture wars. For communities like Holy Covenant, this book affirms that justice, humility, and humor are holy ground—and that love is our highest public witness.
“If someone uses your religion as an excuse to hate people, it’s not your religion they’re defending—it’s their hate.”
📖 Scripture: 1 John 4:20
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
“When you weaponize scripture, you stop proclaiming the gospel and start justifying oppression.”
Reflection: This verse from 1 John cuts to the heart of Fugelsang’s prophetic message. Love of God is inseparable from love of neighbor—not in theory, but in action. When faith is distorted to justify exclusion, we violate the very gospel we claim to uphold. This book is both a challenge and a comfort: a reminder that Christianity’s greatest strength is not in control, but in compassion.
Authors: Chris Hays & Richard B. Hays | Year: 2023
In this poignant and powerful work, father and son scholars Richard and Chris Hays engage the biblical witness on salvation, judgment, and divine grace. Writing from both a personal and theological lens, they explore whether the scope of God’s mercy might extend farther than the boundaries of traditional doctrine. The Widening of God’s Mercy is a deeply respectful yet daring conversation on inclusion, hope, and the mystery of God’s redemptive love. For a church like Holy Covenant, committed to radical welcome, this book resonates with our lived theology: that God’s mercy is not narrow, but boundless.
📖 Scripture: Romans 11:32
“For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”
Reflection: Paul’s words in Romans 11 anticipate a mercy that transcends moral transaction. This verse suggests that human limitation is the very soil in which God’s expansive compassion grows. The Hays’ work brings this vision into focus, challenging us to embrace the mystery and wideness of grace—unearned, unstoppable, and for all.
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