Leading to Easter: Sermons and Worship Resources - Softcover

Are you looking for fresh, thoughtful material for your congregation's Lenten journey that prepares them to experience the marvelous joy of the risen Christ? Here's an anthology of ready-to-use resources that you can build on to create memorable Ash Wednesday and Holy Week services. Included are:

* "A Season In Purgatory," an Ash Wednesday service with a sermon examining the concept of purgatory and how we atone for our sin.

* "Why I Am An Optimist," a service and message for Passion/Palm Sunday that reminds us why it is important to empty ourselves and experience the pain and despair of Holy Week. It is because only then can we truly participate in the optimism of God's ultimate victory, which we celebrate on Easter morning.

* "As I Have Loved You," a moving Maundy Thursday program that recalls the scene in the Upper Room by combining the food and symbolism of a traditional Passover meal with elements of a tenebrae service. As the meal progresses, scripture passages are read and candles are extinguished, until as the service ends only one candle remains lit, reminding us that Christ is the light of the world.

* "Through The Eyes Of Jesus," a Good Friday service that intersperses hymns, prayers, and scripture readings with brief meditations depicting the various groups of people Jesus saw at the crucifixion.

* "Behold, I Show You A Mystery," a set of three choral readings that are especially appropriate for Easter sunrise services, but could be profitably used any time during the Easter season.

Stan Purdum was a parish minister in Ohio for several years. He currently works as a freelance writer and editor. He writes curriculum for Cokesbury and edits "Emphasis" and "Proclaim", both nationally circulated preaching journals. He formerly was executive editor of "Homiletics", the most widely used preaching resource in America. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University Theological School. Stan's other books include "Roll Around Heaven All Day" and "Playing in Traffic", both accounts of his long distance bicycle journeys, as well as "New Mercies I See", a collection of parish stories of God's grace. Stan and his wife live in North Canton, Ohio. They have three grown children.

Bruce earned a B.A. degree in Marketing and Management from Mount Union College and his M.B.A. degree from Miami University. He received his M.Div. degree from Methodist Theological School and is currently pastor of Grace United Church of Christ.

Bruce earned a B.A. degree in Marketing and Management from Mount Union College and his M.B.A. degree from Miami University. He received his M.Div. degree from Methodist Theological School and is currently pastor of Grace United Church of Christ.

Kenneth Carlson is a professor of education at Rutgers. After serving as a teacher of secondary school in New York State, he earned his doctoral degree at the State University of New York, Buffalo. Among his publications is the book, Radical Ideas and the Schools, and a variety of journal publications on educational topics. Carlson was principal investigator on a three-year National Institute of Education study of compensatory education; he has also conducted research on urban schools and on issues of educational equity, sexism, and censorship. He has served as associate dean for teacher education, president of the state council of the American Association of University Professors, and as chair of the Rutgers University Senate.