Reviews

COMPUTER GAMES

Fun and games with Toad

The Wind in the Willows (Focus Multimedia, £9.99, PC only)

This children's classic gets a fun reworking on CD-Rom for a new young generation - probably 5-7s will find it most enjoyable - in a way that mixes games and education in the best tradition of edutainment.

There are plenty of clips from the animated film of the story made with the likes of Rik Mayall (Toad) and Michael Palin (Ratty) providing the voices, games to play and nature quests to follow with the languid commentary of much missed veteran Johnny Morris.

Point and click is the order of the day, and while the graphics and games are pretty rudimentary by today's standards, it's still a fun title that youngsters will enjoy. Perfect for a rainy afternoon.

Christian Herald review team

Worship material for all ages

MUSIC

The Best of Spring Harvest Kids Praise and Little Kids Praise (ICC, £12.99)

The Spring Harvest Kids Praise series has been going for some 12 years now, and has really made its mark on the church worship scene, showcasing material by the likes of Ishmael, Sammy Horner, Doug Horley, Jim Bailey, Whizz Kids and many others.

And it's probably not widely recognised that many of the songs are quite happily sung by adults, from the quietly worshipful Jesus reign in me, Lord of the future and Father God you love me to the more bouncy I'm Gonna Walk by faith, Jesus is the one for me, As for me and my house and Jesus is greater than the greatest heroes.

This collection gathers together 40 of the best, and there's plenty here for all tastes, even if the likes of Fruity song, I once was frightened of spiders and the delightfully-titled Wobble your knees are best left to the kids on their own.

Sometimes sneered at as theologically lightweight, twee and patronising, Kids Praise songs have actually brought a welcome sense of fun and worship to many a family service in recent years. Long may they continue.

Christian Herald review team

Fresh sounds

Surrender, by Vineyard Music UK Worship, Alliance Music, Enhanced CD (for acetate masters, guitar chord sheets, background info) £14.99.

TAKING the studio route this time are the same Vineyard team who brought us last year’s highly-acclaimed Hungry live set. With greater diversity and complexity in the arrangements, they certainly haven’t wasted the extra
flexibility afforded by this alternative approach to recording – not such a raw sound perhaps (the drumming isn’t quite so thunderous), but there’s no less intensity or freshness in the songs.

Seven of the 12 tracks are by members of the team. Contrasting with both the acoustic rock/country flavour of Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing) by Brenton Brown (co-written with Brian Doerkson), and the gradually building power of Marc James’ title cut, With You (also by Brenton Brown) is a song of intimate devotion: “Jesus I was born to spend this life with you”.

Other highlights come from Kathryn Scott – Devotion, which also picks up on the title theme, and the beautiful piano ballad finale (not counting the bonus track) What A Child Is Meant To Be.

CD-ROM features on the enhanced CD are a useful extra for church musicians, and would be welcome on other albums. I do have doubts about the sleeve picture though – surely surrender to Christ brings true freedom (John 8: 31-32)?

Peter Dilley is a part-time studio technician and bass guitarist

BOOKS

Misses the target

Jesus Unplugged, by Dave Burke, IVP, £4.99.

DO we need yet another life of Jesus? IVP and Dave Burke obviously think we do, aimed explicitly (according to the introduction) at those who are not yet Christians and more particularly (to judge from the style) at the young and cool. So chapter 1, on Jesus’ birth, is called "Away with the fairies?", and chapter 2 opens with an illustration from Formula One Grand Prix.

At the same time, Dave Burke tries to introduce his reader to some serious scholarship, tackling the demythologisers in chapter 1, for instance, and explaining what Q is in chapter 2.

The problem is that in trying to be both scholarly and clear for non-Christians the book often ends up being neither.
Thus, on the one hand, the author talks without explanation about the Holy Spirit "descending on Jesus’ followers" or Jesus being the "Lamb of God", and throws in terms like "Decapolis", "spirituality" and "legalistic". But on the other hand he describes an inscription discovered in 1871 as "recently dug out" and states that "outside Jerusalem there was no elaborate Jewish architecture" (what about Hebron? Herodium? Masada?)

More worrying, he describes Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness as "possibly not the first" (my italics). Surely being "tempted in every way, just as we are" is a bit stronger than that?!

At the end of the book, Dave Burke recommends Philip Yancey’s book, The Jesus I Never Knew. If you’re looking for a credible contemporary life of Jesus, I have to say that’s the one I’d go for, too.

Simon Coupland, Team Vicar of Queen Street Fellowship in Worthing, and author of Spicing Up Your Speaking

© 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.


		COMPUTER GAMES Fun and games with Toad The Wind in the Willows (Focus Multimedia, £9.99, PC only) This children's classic gets a fun reworking on CD-Rom for a new young generation - probably 5-7s will find it most enjoyable - in a way that mixes games and education in the best tradition of edutainment. There are plenty of clips from the animated film of the story made with the likes of Rik Mayall (Toad) and Michael Palin (Ratty) providing the voices, games to play and nature quests to follow with the languid commentary of much missed veteran Johnny Morris. Point and click is the order of the day, and while the graphics and games are pretty rudimentary by today's standards, it's still a fun title that youngsters will enjoy. Perfect for a rainy afternoon. Christian Herald review team Worship material for all ages MUSIC The Best of Spring Harvest Kids Praise and Little Kids Praise (ICC, £12.99) The Spring Harvest Kids Praise series has been going for some 12 years now, and has really made its mark on the church worship scene, showcasing material by the likes of Ishmael, Sammy Horner, Doug Horley, Jim Bailey, Whizz Kids and many others. And it's probably not widely recognised that many of the songs are quite happily sung by adults, from the quietly worshipful Jesus reign in me, Lord of the future and Father God you love me to the more bouncy I'm Gonna Walk by faith, Jesus is the one for me, As for me and my house and Jesus is greater than the greatest heroes. This collection gathers together 40 of the best, and there's plenty here for all tastes, even if the likes of Fruity song, I once was frightened of spiders and the delightfully-titled Wobble your knees are best left to the kids on their own. Sometimes sneered at as theologically lightweight, twee and patronising, Kids Praise songs have actually brought a welcome sense of fun and worship to many a family service in recent years. Long may they continue. Christian Herald review team Fresh sounds Surrender, by Vineyard Music UK Worship, Alliance Music, Enhanced CD (for acetate masters, guitar chord sheets, background info) £14.99. TAKING the studio route this time are the same Vineyard team who brought us last year’s highly-acclaimed Hungry live set. With greater diversity and complexity in the arrangements, they certainly haven’t wasted the extra flexibility afforded by this alternative approach to recording – not such a raw sound perhaps (the drumming isn’t quite so thunderous), but there’s no less intensity or freshness in the songs. Seven of the 12 tracks are by members of the team. Contrasting with both the acoustic rock/country flavour of Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing) by Brenton Brown (co-written with Brian Doerkson), and the gradually building power of Marc James’ title cut, With You (also by Brenton Brown) is a song of intimate devotion: “Jesus I was born to spend this life with you”. Other highlights come from Kathryn Scott – Devotion, which also picks up on the title theme, and the beautiful piano ballad finale (not counting the bonus track) What A Child Is Meant To Be. CD-ROM features on the enhanced CD are a useful extra for church musicians, and would be welcome on other albums. I do have doubts about the sleeve picture though – surely surrender to Christ brings true freedom (John 8: 31-32)? Peter Dilley is a part-time studio technician and bass guitarist BOOKS Misses the target Jesus Unplugged, by Dave Burke, IVP, £4.99. DO we need yet another life of Jesus? IVP and Dave Burke obviously think we do, aimed explicitly (according to the introduction) at those who are not yet Christians and more particularly (to judge from the style) at the young and cool. So chapter 1, on Jesus’ birth, is called "Away with the fairies?", and chapter 2 opens with an illustration from Formula One Grand Prix. At the same time, Dave Burke tries to introduce his reader to some serious scholarship, tackling the demythologisers in chapter 1, for instance, and explaining what Q is in chapter 2. The problem is that in trying to be both scholarly and clear for non-Christians the book often ends up being neither. Thus, on the one hand, the author talks without explanation about the Holy Spirit "descending on Jesus’ followers" or Jesus being the "Lamb of God", and throws in terms like "Decapolis", "spirituality" and "legalistic". But on the other hand he describes an inscription discovered in 1871 as "recently dug out" and states that "outside Jerusalem there was no elaborate Jewish architecture" (what about Hebron? Herodium? Masada?) More worrying, he describes Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness as "possibly not the first" (my italics). Surely being "tempted in every way, just as we are" is a bit stronger than that?! At the end of the book, Dave Burke recommends Philip Yancey’s book, The Jesus I Never Knew. If you’re looking for a credible contemporary life of Jesus, I have to say that’s the one I’d go for, too. Simon Coupland, Team Vicar of Queen Street Fellowship in Worthing, and author of Spicing Up Your Speaking © 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.