Easter Sunday 2022 marks the start of our third Easter season of the pandemic. This is a strange observation to make on the day when we celebrate resurrection, perhaps. But there is wisdom to be found in the dissonance between this celebration of life and the crisis of a life-threatening virus plaguing our world.

Many of us were already expressing a deep longing to return to normal two years ago when Easter seemed almost meaningless in the locked-down world. Now vaccines and less deadly variants offer us the first glimpses of hope that normal may not be that far away. This means that the time has come to ask what normal will look like in the pandemic-altered world.

Of course, there are global issues that can be addressed in our search for answers. But for most of us, the question of what our future normal will look like is far more personal. We want to know how to experience our own resurrection now. Many of us have lost much of the life we knew before COVID entered our world. In some ways, that has been a liberation. In others, the grief still weighs us down. So, if we are to talk about resurrection and life, it has to be practical, experiential, and real. It has to lead us into a renewed energy, creativity, and vibrancy. And it has to show us the way back to Life (with a capital ‘L’) not just for now, but for the future.

And that is why I am proud and excited to offer you this Easter guide: BACK TO LIFE—Experience Your Own Resurrection.

The fifty-day Easter Season is more than a long remembrance of a strange event. It is not a time to focus on the ancient past. It is an invitation to dive into the deep, vibrant and meaningful life we long for. It is an opportunity—too often missed in our observances of this season—to experience resurrection again now.

After these years of pandemic in which we have felt entombed by lockdowns and restrictions, the world is finally showing the first signs of opening up. Our stones are finally being rolled away, and we are catching our first glimpse of the Life that awaits us beyond the grave. And BACK TO LIFE is the guide that will lead us into a new normal, a renewed life in a post-COVID, pandemic-altered world.

Based on the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Year C, BACK TO LIFE explores eight different practices that can guide us into a deep, personal experience of resurrection now.

You can purchase BACK TO LIFE – Experience Your Own Resurrection in any one of these three formats:

Back to Life (Liturgical Guide)

This is a liturgical guide designed for ministers, pastors, priests, and liturgists. It includes:

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• Sermon starters for every service from Easter Sunday to Easter 7.
• Prayers, liturgies, response rituals and integration practices.
• Suggestions for use in personal devotions and small groups.
• A theme-based Table Liturgy.

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Back to Life (Personal Spiritual Practice Guide)

This is a spiritual practice guide designed for personal devotions. It includes:

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• Reflection chapters for every week from Easter Sunday to Easter 7.
• Prayers, response exercises, and integration practices for every day of the Easter Season.
• Daily guided reflections to listen more deeply to the Scriptures and apply them to your life.

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Back to Life (Bundle)

This option allows you to download both the Liturgical Guide and the Personal Spiritual Practice Guide. It includes:

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• All of the above.
• A license for the daily practices to be distributed to congregation members via email, messaging, print, or on your church’s website or social media channels.