This package includes:
- 10 Dialogues on the Passion
- Liturgical dramas for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
- Messages for Good Friday based on the Seven Last Words
- Sermons on the Resurrection texts
- Exegesis on the Resurrection texts
- Sermons for the Easter season
The books in this package can make your Holy Week planning easier and more complete. With all the activity (and stress) that comes with preparing for the most important day of the year, give yourself a boost with these proven, field-tested resources. You'll be glad you got the help.
From My Point Of View
Ten Dialogues On The Passion
by Rolland R. Reece
Add flesh and blood to some familiar biblical characters with this collection of short presentations which offers a humanizing glimpse into the lives of a dozen individuals who played crucial roles in Jesus' death and resurrection. Each dialogue is a brief biographical sketch, with one reader portraying the featured personality while a narrator provides background information and historical context. Peter, Mary Magdalene, Simon of Cyrene, Caiaphas, and Pontius Pilate are just some of the people Reece humanizes. These scripturally sound dramatic pieces can be used in a wide variety of situations, but are particularly appropriate for the Lent and Easter seasons, either as midweek programming, a sermon series, for Bible study, or as introductory material for a longer program. A complete list of scriptural references is included.
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Getting Our Feet Wet
Liturgical Dramas For Maundy Thursday And Good Friday
by Gary William Bell
Lent is a great time to work dramatic presentations into your congregation's programming -- and Getting Our Feet Wet, a collection of 14 thoughtful sketches depicting Lenten themes, is a great resource for communicating the Gospel in fresh and exciting ways. Written with grace and style, the scenes probe common assumptions about faith, making a vivid impression on audiences while stretching their theological imagination. Most of the dramas explore familiar biblical events from novel vantage points: the proprietor of the upper room, two anonymous women at the crucifixion, wine-weary disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Some of the stories bring out the humor and theological edge in scripture, while others leave readers yearning for the Good News of Easter. Appropriate for intimate gatherings or large worship services (particularly during Holy Week), many of the scenes require only one or two characters, and each comes with specific directions for props, sound, and lighting. Performance time of the scenes varies from approximately 5 to 12 minutes.br>
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The Seven Last Words Of Jesus Christ
Messages For Good Friday
by Maurice A. Fetty
For centuries, the cross has been the central symbol of Christianity -- and the "Seven Last Words" of Jesus have been indelibly etched into the Christian conscience as these words remind us of the pain and torture that Jesus faced on our behalf. But despite our ongoing struggle with evil and death, we can find faith and courage in the noble example that Jesus set on the cross. Maurice Fetty reminds of this in practical, down-to-earth sermons on each of these famous utterances. The messages of this outstanding preacher are sure to provide great material for a Good Friday worship experience.
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If A Sermon Falls In The Forest...
Preaching Resurrection Texts
by Willam Shepherd, Jr.
Including 21 sermons, this fascinating volume looks at the scriptural texts concerning a pivotal New Testament theme -- the resurrection of Jesus -- and examines how they may be read in various interpretive communities. Shepherd analyzes each of the major New Testament writers -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul -- and places their distinctive accounts of Jesus' resurrection in the broader context of their entire output. Through a careful study of the literary, historical, theological, anthropological, and sociological dimensions that color each writer's picture of the resurrection, Shepherd helps readers understand the unique view each brought to bear on the life of Jesus and the faith of his followers.
But that is not all this book has to offer. Each section also includes one or more sample sermons illustrating how a preacher might treat these texts for an actual congregation. Each message is introduced with a description of its original setting and the homiletical and interpretive issues involved -- so this is an excellent resource for pastors looking for stimulating Easter material or instructive preaching models.
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Living The Easter Faith
Sermons For The Easter Season
by Donald William Dotterer
Dotterer has made imaginative use of contemporary parable and story to illustrate that God's presence is made known in the common circumstance of life. The intermixture of biblical parable and contemporary story helps to illustrate how the daily round is illumined by the light of the resurrection.
Neal F. Fisher, President,
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Living The Easter Faith is a series of Easter season sermons based on themes from Jesus' parables. The parables demonstrate in a concrete and specific way the very heart and mind of the God revealed in Jesus.
"The Resurrection Age invites a new way of thinking and living in God's world," writes Donald William Dotterer. "Being Christian means that we adopt an alternative lifestyle. The parables of Jesus provide us with direction and insight for living the Easter faith."
Sermons cover Easter Sunday through Easter 7. Texts are from Matthew, Luke and John. Sermon titles include "The Return Of The Lost," "Counting The Cost," and "Surprised By Grace."
