Doors Wide in the Ruins: 20 Sermons from the Sanctuary That Never Closes

by Alex Parkview

In the ruins of doubt, grief, toxic ties, and weary faith, a sanctuary rises with doors flung wide open.
Doors Wide in the Ruins: Twenty Sermons from the Sanctuary That Never Closes is a raw, Christ-centered collection of twenty sermons that meet you right where you are—wrestling with questions, carrying scars, exhausted from the fight, or standing at the threshold wondering if there's still room for you.
Alex Parkview, the voice behind the bestselling Cathedral of Scars, returns with unfiltered baptizing metal anthems from Ded, Five Finger Death Punch, Stone Sour, and Mötley Crüe into gospel thunder; unearthing wisdom from Dead Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi codices, and the wider canon; confronting toxic family bonds, people-pleasing chains, political hatred, and the scandalously simple truth of salvation.
These sermons refuse polished religion. They drag outlaw songs and buried texts into the light, set holy boundaries against devouring spirits, grant rest to warriors on fumes, and declare that mercy never complicates what the Cross already simplified.
If you've ever felt too broken for grace, too doubtful for faith, or too far gone for home—this book kicks the doors off their hinges and Come anyway. The Father is already running. The Light is on. Your shaky yes is enough.
Perfect
Prodigals and wrestlers seeking honest faith
Those burned by rigid religion but still Jesus-hearted
Readers who love raw spiritual nonfiction like Cathedral of Scars, Philip Yancey, or Nadia Bolz-Weber—with a metal edge and ancient echoes
Welcome to the ruins.
The sanctuary never closes.
Mercy moved in and left the doors wide.

92 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2026

About the author

Alex Parkview is an Army veteran, single dad, proud polyjamorous genre-smasher, and survivor who finds truth in heavy riffs, hidden scriptures, and everything in between.

His memoirs Cathedral of Scars and Hearing the Echoes lay it all bare: PTSD, healing through music of all kinds, breaking free from containment, and waking up to the texts they buried centuries ago.

From the battlefield to the mosh pit to building playlists that span the spectrum, Alex writes for warriors carrying invisible wounds—the ones who know faith isn’t clean, recovery isn’t linear, and real connection doesn’t fit in one box.

Currently on a mission to get real books into the hands of military chaplains and anyone ready to turn the page on their scars.

Turn it up, switch the genre, dig deep—let’s walk this out.