Reviews

REVIEWS

PC GAME – Heaven Quest (PC)
BOOKS – Virtual Faith, The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X (Tom Beaudoin); Comfort and Care in Final Illness (June Kolf)
MUSIC – Songs From the Holy Land. BBC Songs Of Praise; A Different Man (Clay Crosse)

PC GAMES

Heaven Quest (PC, Sunrise Software, £19.95)

Travel from the Garden of Eden to the gates of Heaven by the free gift of Gods grace. Promising stuff from this American computer game ‘for the whole family’.

As one who is keen on all things to do with computers, I was disappointed to find myself thinking that Heaven Quest, which is essentially a board game with graphics for the PC, would have been much more fun ‘for the whole family’ as a traditional board game.

After reading the on screen help you are given a choice of four characters: a dancing baby (of Internet screensaver fame) a spaceman called Biff, Sir Clankalot (a knight) and Grandma Moses. As the electronic die move you around the ‘board’ you go past Noah building his ark (with slightly off-putting hammering noises) followed by various other graphical representations of biblical events.

Every now and then you are brought up short by temptation and presented with a 3D ‘biblical’ image. You are provided with a set of 3D glasses with the game but they didn’t seem to work very well on my PC. After a short biblical quote you then have to choose one of 12 headstones (at least I think that’s what they were). If you choose Judas Iscariot, you lose faith.

When you eventually get to the end of the game, a stone is rolled away from a tomb and you are lifted into the air and transported to the gates of heaven – which explode as you go through them.

The graphics are fairly good. The American voices, which emanate from the characters with annoying regularity, can grate after a while. My six-year-old son loved the game and my wife found it quite fun.

If the thought of the whole family huddled round a PC and mouse to play a board game appeals to you, then you will probably like Heaven Quest.

PLAYABILITY: ***
VALUE: **
QUALITY: ***
AGE GROUP: Whole family
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Windows 95, minimum 66 Mhz 486 (preferred Pentium 133Mhz), 16MB RAM, 10MB hard drive space (40MB preferred).

Simon Ellis – Group Advertisement Manager for Christian Media Centre
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BOOKS

Virtual Faith, The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X, by Tom Beaudoin. Jossey Bass £14.99

GETTING into the mindset of a generation is never easy. This is especially true of Generation X (those born between the early 1960s and 1981), an age group that is often thin on the ground in our churches. Tim Beaudoin, a X-er himself, comes from a Catholic background and has been influenced by a number of Christian denominations in the United States.

As one who has been at the heart of a generation nurtured by MTV and at home in cyberspace, he is well qualified to analyse the forces that have shaped today's twenty and thirtysomethings. He is especially good on assessing the way that images in music videos communicate the moods and aspirations of this generation.

Often there are insurmountable barriers between the Church and the 'Friends' generation. Beaudoin provides a handle of understanding to help Christians open doors of faith to an age group sick of institutions but longing for reality. How can the Church communicate to the Generation X the message 'I'll be there for you'?

This highly readable and practical book can assist us in this essential task. It is full of careful sociological research, enriched by sensitive theological reflection and rooted in a compassionate concern to reach a 'lost' generation for Christ.

John Woods is pastor of Lancing Tabernacle in West Sussex

Comfort and Care in Final Illness, by June Kolf. Sheldon Press £6.99

THIS book successfully condenses the many aspects of terminal care. With a straightforward, practical approach, June Kolf does not indulge in mawkish sentimentality. Rather, she writes of the many different ways in which the terminal care experience can be made easier, even joyful at times. She shares her own very moving personal experience, to make a point.

There are many good aspects to the book. She helpfully divides the book into two parts: the first from the patient's perspective and the second from the carer's. We are enabled to see the full round of the experience and so gain a fuller insight.

She gives some useful illustrations of people she has encountered to underline her argument. For example, the story of the lady who dies isolated and disappointed, because she chooses not to come to terms with old hurts and bitterness.

June Kolf is particularly encouraging about dealing with the pain of terminal illness, assuring us that there are excellent methods of pain control. TS Eliot wrote that "man cannot bear too much reality", but June counters this by sensitively facing the many unbearable issues of terminal illness.

As a criticism, there is lack of specific Christian comfort. She does write about talking to God, forgiving others and "sorting out the internal housekeeping as a patient faces their mortality". However, it was disappointing that Jesus Christ hardly gets a mention, apart from in the context of Holy Communion.

On the whole this is an excellent, practical manual for people dealing with terminal illness. A book to dip into and learn many helpful ways of easing what is often a very exhausting and sad experience.

Clare Russell Jones is a community nurse and mother of four
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MUSIC

Songs From the Holy Land. BBC Songs Of Praise (BBC Music), CD £14.99

WHILST I enjoy keeping up with the latest worship songs, there's something still special in recordings which span a range of music and hymnody, both old and new. Keen viewers of Songs Of Praise will recall the Easter 1999 broadcast from the Holy Land and the Millennium Stadium event on 2 January 2000, highlights of which are brought together here.

The 16 Easter/Passiontide pieces should include something for all tastes, whether traditional hymns (When I Survey, Thine Be The Glory, Jesus Christ Is Risen Today) or choral works (Stainer's God So Loved The World) by the Coventry Chorale, solos from bass-baritone Jonathan Veira (The Holy City, Were You There?, The Old Rugged Cross), or solos/choral music of a more contemporary kind (Pie Jesu, Lux Aeterna, Be Still) by trebles Liam O'Kane and Adam Harris and the popular choir Libera.

Songs from Cardiff were added as a bonus, but these may be the biggest selling points. For some there could be no better souvenir than the medley of Welsh hymns led so spiritedly by Bryn Terfel, By The Rivers Of Babylon (Daniel O'Donnell), and of course Cliff's Millennium Prayer. Not enough for others perhaps (no Noel Richards!), but space was limited.

Confession from the heart

A Different Man, by Clay Crosse. Reunion Records (Word), CD £14.99/Cassette £9.99.

CONFESSIONAL songwriting is nothing new (look at Psalm 51), but it's not exactly commonplace in the comfortable environs of American contemporary Christian music.

Clay Crosse's decision to bare his soul so publicly stems from a major turning point in his life, and his subsequent resolve to become quite literally A Different Man:

"1998 marked a year of dramatic change in my life and a complete rededication to Christ. I finally faced the reality that I was living for my desires, not God's," Clay explains on the sleeve, mentioning pride and lust in particular, and adding: "This project is my testimony and it has three testimony songs ... 98, Arms Of Jesus and Sinner's Prayer."

In these he sings of being "a wayward son" and of "a lesson learned", acknowledging that "a stronger hand is lifting me on high."

The blue-eyed soulster's response to his encounter with God is action – he calls us all to Be The Word with renewed conviction, and Memphis cries out for the healing of divisions in his hometown.

Having recounted his story, Clay hopes that it "will inspire you to evaluate your walk with God." His frankness may be unsettling, but it's a challenge just the same.

Peter Dilley is a freelance writer, bass guitarist and part-time studio technician
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© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		REVIEWS PC GAME – Heaven Quest (PC) BOOKS – Virtual Faith, The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X (Tom Beaudoin); Comfort and Care in Final Illness (June Kolf) MUSIC – Songs From the Holy Land. BBC Songs Of Praise; A Different Man (Clay Crosse) PC GAMES Heaven Quest (PC, Sunrise Software, £19.95) Travel from the Garden of Eden to the gates of Heaven by the free gift of Gods grace. Promising stuff from this American computer game ‘for the whole family’. As one who is keen on all things to do with computers, I was disappointed to find myself thinking that Heaven Quest, which is essentially a board game with graphics for the PC, would have been much more fun ‘for the whole family’ as a traditional board game. After reading the on screen help you are given a choice of four characters: a dancing baby (of Internet screensaver fame) a spaceman called Biff, Sir Clankalot (a knight) and Grandma Moses. As the electronic die move you around the ‘board’ you go past Noah building his ark (with slightly off-putting hammering noises) followed by various other graphical representations of biblical events. Every now and then you are brought up short by temptation and presented with a 3D ‘biblical’ image. You are provided with a set of 3D glasses with the game but they didn’t seem to work very well on my PC. After a short biblical quote you then have to choose one of 12 headstones (at least I think that’s what they were). If you choose Judas Iscariot, you lose faith. When you eventually get to the end of the game, a stone is rolled away from a tomb and you are lifted into the air and transported to the gates of heaven – which explode as you go through them. The graphics are fairly good. The American voices, which emanate from the characters with annoying regularity, can grate after a while. My six-year-old son loved the game and my wife found it quite fun. If the thought of the whole family huddled round a PC and mouse to play a board game appeals to you, then you will probably like Heaven Quest. PLAYABILITY: * VALUE: QUALITY: * AGE GROUP: Whole family SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Windows 95, minimum 66 Mhz 486 (preferred Pentium 133Mhz), 16MB RAM, 10MB hard drive space (40MB preferred). Simon Ellis – Group Advertisement Manager for Christian Media Centre Back to top BOOKS Virtual Faith, The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X, by Tom Beaudoin. Jossey Bass £14.99 GETTING into the mindset of a generation is never easy. This is especially true of Generation X (those born between the early 1960s and 1981), an age group that is often thin on the ground in our churches. Tim Beaudoin, a X-er himself, comes from a Catholic background and has been influenced by a number of Christian denominations in the United States. As one who has been at the heart of a generation nurtured by MTV and at home in cyberspace, he is well qualified to analyse the forces that have shaped today's twenty and thirtysomethings. He is especially good on assessing the way that images in music videos communicate the moods and aspirations of this generation. Often there are insurmountable barriers between the Church and the 'Friends' generation. Beaudoin provides a handle of understanding to help Christians open doors of faith to an age group sick of institutions but longing for reality. How can the Church communicate to the Generation X the message 'I'll be there for you'? This highly readable and practical book can assist us in this essential task. It is full of careful sociological research, enriched by sensitive theological reflection and rooted in a compassionate concern to reach a 'lost' generation for Christ. John Woods is pastor of Lancing Tabernacle in West Sussex Comfort and Care in Final Illness, by June Kolf. Sheldon Press £6.99 THIS book successfully condenses the many aspects of terminal care. With a straightforward, practical approach, June Kolf does not indulge in mawkish sentimentality. Rather, she writes of the many different ways in which the terminal care experience can be made easier, even joyful at times. She shares her own very moving personal experience, to make a point. There are many good aspects to the book. She helpfully divides the book into two parts: the first from the patient's perspective and the second from the carer's. We are enabled to see the full round of the experience and so gain a fuller insight. She gives some useful illustrations of people she has encountered to underline her argument. For example, the story of the lady who dies isolated and disappointed, because she chooses not to come to terms with old hurts and bitterness. June Kolf is particularly encouraging about dealing with the pain of terminal illness, assuring us that there are excellent methods of pain control. TS Eliot wrote that "man cannot bear too much reality", but June counters this by sensitively facing the many unbearable issues of terminal illness. As a criticism, there is lack of specific Christian comfort. She does write about talking to God, forgiving others and "sorting out the internal housekeeping as a patient faces their mortality". However, it was disappointing that Jesus Christ hardly gets a mention, apart from in the context of Holy Communion. On the whole this is an excellent, practical manual for people dealing with terminal illness. A book to dip into and learn many helpful ways of easing what is often a very exhausting and sad experience. Clare Russell Jones is a community nurse and mother of four Back to top MUSIC Songs From the Holy Land. BBC Songs Of Praise (BBC Music), CD £14.99 WHILST I enjoy keeping up with the latest worship songs, there's something still special in recordings which span a range of music and hymnody, both old and new. Keen viewers of Songs Of Praise will recall the Easter 1999 broadcast from the Holy Land and the Millennium Stadium event on 2 January 2000, highlights of which are brought together here. The 16 Easter/Passiontide pieces should include something for all tastes, whether traditional hymns (When I Survey, Thine Be The Glory, Jesus Christ Is Risen Today) or choral works (Stainer's God So Loved The World) by the Coventry Chorale, solos from bass-baritone Jonathan Veira (The Holy City, Were You There?, The Old Rugged Cross), or solos/choral music of a more contemporary kind (Pie Jesu, Lux Aeterna, Be Still) by trebles Liam O'Kane and Adam Harris and the popular choir Libera. Songs from Cardiff were added as a bonus, but these may be the biggest selling points. For some there could be no better souvenir than the medley of Welsh hymns led so spiritedly by Bryn Terfel, By The Rivers Of Babylon (Daniel O'Donnell), and of course Cliff's Millennium Prayer. Not enough for others perhaps (no Noel Richards!), but space was limited. Confession from the heart A Different Man, by Clay Crosse. Reunion Records (Word), CD £14.99/Cassette £9.99. CONFESSIONAL songwriting is nothing new (look at Psalm 51), but it's not exactly commonplace in the comfortable environs of American contemporary Christian music. Clay Crosse's decision to bare his soul so publicly stems from a major turning point in his life, and his subsequent resolve to become quite literally A Different Man: "1998 marked a year of dramatic change in my life and a complete rededication to Christ. I finally faced the reality that I was living for my desires, not God's," Clay explains on the sleeve, mentioning pride and lust in particular, and adding: "This project is my testimony and it has three testimony songs ... 98, Arms Of Jesus and Sinner's Prayer." In these he sings of being "a wayward son" and of "a lesson learned", acknowledging that "a stronger hand is lifting me on high." The blue-eyed soulster's response to his encounter with God is action – he calls us all to Be The Word with renewed conviction, and Memphis** cries out for the healing of divisions in his hometown. Having recounted his story, Clay hopes that it "will inspire you to evaluate your walk with God." His frankness may be unsettling, but it's a challenge just the same. Peter Dilley is a freelance writer, bass guitarist and part-time studio technician Back to top © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.