Living Hope - A Collection for Holy Week and Easter

"I want to tell you the real story

of Jesus the King and his crazy glory.

He broke all the rules, didn't play by the book

Want to know why? Well, let's take a look"



In Living Hope: A Collection for Holy Week and Easter, Andy March invites us to take a fresh look at the events of Jesus and his followers' journey from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, through to the devastation of Jesus' death on the cross, then to the unexpected joy and hope of that resurrection day.



Through story and poetry, sermons and reflections, Living Hope will inspire, provoke, and give us a fresh understandingof the life-transforming power of Holy Week and Easter. May it lead us to a place of wonder and worship once more.



"Fresh, creative, insightful and powerful meditations for Easter - grateful to this gifted writer for such a superb resource for personal or group study - I highly recommend this."

Simon Ponsonby (Priest, Author, Teacher)



From the Introduction ...

Living Hope is not designed to be read front-to-back like a novel. See it more as something to be dipped into and enjoyed.



Part 1 - Telling the Story

A collection of monologues and sketches that seek to tell the familiar story in a new way, often from the perspective of the characters involved. These would be perfect for use in services and would work as stand-alone pieces.



Part 2 - The Power of the Cross - Devotional Services for Good Friday

Reflections (written from the perspectives of the characters involved) and prayers and interspersed with Bible readings from the Passion narratives in the Gospels. These were written for "Last Hour" services, taking place at 2pm on Good Friday. The Bible readings are part of the text to help you in your own devotions.



Part 3 - Proclaiming Hope - The Message of Holy Week and Easter

Sermons I have preached over the years on Gospel passages on the Passion (the period between Palm Sunday and Good Friday) and Resurrection of Jesus. These have been preached on ordinary Sundays during Lent and Easter season as well as Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Some are interspersed with the monologues that you will find elsewhere in the book.



Part 4 - Easter for All Ages

These are some of the all age talks I've written for our services on Easter Sunday. Hopefully these will inspire and help those who have the wonderful but challenging task of leading services and are looking for something fresh to say.



Part 5 - Responding to Hope

Poetry, which often forms my personal expression of worship in this season. My greatest challenge as a "professional Christian" is that I can be so focused on communicating the Good News to others that I fail to appreciate its meaning for myself. These poems flow from those times when I stop, reflect and worship.



Part 6 - Journeying in Hope

A four-week devotional for Holy Week and Easter that starts on Palm Sunday, containing Bible verses I selected and reflections I wrote on Twitter. You may want to use this to accompany your own devotions, perhaps at the end of the day.