Book Pre-order Have Mercy:
Following Jesus in Politically Perilous Times
Pre-order now the culmination of the Have Mercy Initiative, a book featuring insight from twenty theologians, pastors, teachers, and leaders in the Episcopal Church. Following Bishop Budde’s lead, each chapter considers one basic Christian commitment–“Love your neighbor” or “Consider the lilies,” for example–in light of this political moment. Together, they explore the power of the Gospel for our times and provide guidance to Christian leaders and the faith communities they serve. With discussion questions and additional resources, the book is an excellent resource for adult Christian formation and book studies.
Pre-order NowHave Mercy
A Curriculum on Faith and Politics for Christian Churches
Want to bring the wisdom, insight, questions, and discernment of the Have Mercy Initiative to your faith community? You can download a curriculum with video interviews, discussion questions, and additional resources of five of the authors of Have Mercy Initiative essays here. The curriculum provided by the Saint Nicholas Center for Faith and Justice and Lifelong Learning offers an out of the box five-week adult formation opportunity to help your community have productive conversations about the distinctive calling of followers of Jesus in these perilous times.
Essays were published weekly during the summer of 2025
Edited by The Rev. Ruthanna Hooke, Ph.D., Kyle Lambelet, Ph.D., and The Rev. Canon Altagracia Pérez-Bullard, Ph.D [Pictured above].
It’s Simply Biblical
“No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27).
Love Your Neighbor
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27).
Lift Up the Lowly
“He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly” (Luke 1:52).
God’s Weakness…God’s Power
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).
Love Your Enemies
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27–28).
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few
“When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer and fasting.’” (Mark 9:28-29).
Walk Humbly
“You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19). “You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice” (Deuteronomy 24:17).
Obey God More than Human Authorities
“But Peter and the apostles replied, saying: ‘We must obey God more than human beings’” (Acts 5:29).
Consider the Lillies
“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” (Luke 12:27).
Slip away and pray
“But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds were gathering to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. Meanwhile, he would slip away to deserted places and pray” (Luke 5:15-16).
