VIDEOS
3-2-1
Penguins - Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn (Big Idea, Word Entertainment,
length: 30 minutes)
From the team that brought you singing cucumbers and the like in Veggie
Tales, comes 3-2-1 Penguins “four of the wackiest space cowboys
ever to leave our solar system”.
Describing itself as “part Chronicles of Narnia, part Looney
Tunes and all fun”, the storyline involves two youngsters staying
at their eccentric English grandmother’s for the summer, where
they get sucked into a space adventure with four crazed penguins and
end up learning that patience is a virtue, and “having to go
first all the time leads to trouble”.
And actually, it’s great. The graphics and animation are top
notch, and would certainly give the makers of Toy Story a run for
their money. The humour is classy, too, mixing slapstick and quickfire
repartee with endearing characterisation – although the eccentric
English grandmother’s accent and expressions are more hilarious
than the makers probably realise (remember Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins?
Lawks-a-mercy ...)
The Christian content is there but understated, and actually works
better for that. And kids will love it.
If they can sustain the quality, I’d say 3-2-1 Penguins has the
potential to knock Veggie Tales all the way back to the freezer cabinet.
Buy it.
- Russ Bravo
BOOKS
Fire
and Blood: The work of the Spirit, the work of the Cross,
by Mark Stibbe. (Monarch £6.99)
IT’S
Mark Stibbe’s conviction that there are many Christians who have
discovered the redeeming power of the Cross but not the power of the
Spirit, and conversely, many others who have been liberated by the
power of the Spirit but neglect the power of the Cross. In this book
the vicar of St Andrew’s, Chorleywood, seeks to redress that
imbalance by reintegrating the Cross and the Spirit.
The book falls somewhere between the scholarly and the popular, pitched
at the level of the Christian conference: Keswick, Spring Harvest,
New Wine, etc. I deliberately put those names together because that’s
the author’s avowed aim: to write both for the Calvary-centred
Christian, wary of the charismatic, and the Pentecost-centred Christian,
forgetful of the Cross, and to bring the two together: fire and blood.
To this end he also brings together the Bible and experience, feeding
both the mind and the spirit. The first part of the book is a careful
and thought-provoking exposition of the work of the Spirit in salvation
history, containing many valuable insights into Old and New Testament
alike.
The second part is more devotional: an exploration of the work of
the Spirit and the Cross in the life of the believer. There are plenty
of illustrations and examples here to help the reader apply the biblical
teaching to his or her life.
Because ultimately Mark Stibbe sees this not as an issue for academic
debate, but a crucial question of discipleship. What he longs for
is that we become people of the Cross and the Spirit: fire and blood.
- Simon Coupland is an Anglican team vicar, based in West Sussex
Practical help
Lost
for words, by James Lawrence. The Bible Reading Fellowship £6.99
BASED
on the Lost for Words course run by the Church Pastoral Aid Society,
this is a practical guide showing how every Christian can be involved
in God’s ongoing work of evangelism. Urging us to be ourselves
with God and for others, the book successfully encourages and helps
equip those who fear the dreaded ‘E word’.
Although it has an Anglican flavour, it will be helpful to Christians
of any denomination. Lawrence introduces us to characters who face
a variety of obstacles in sharing their faith. They are people with
whom we can easily identify. He sensitively explains that we don’t
have to be professional evangelists to effectively communicate Christ.
The emphasis of the book is on relational evangelism: not so much
sharing our faith with friends, but sharing our faith with people
we know in a friendly way.
In the chapter on the message we share, I would have preferred a little
more explanation of the cross. But for the new believer, or anyone
who is intimidated into silence concerning Christ, I wholeheartedly
recommend this book.
It won’t take long to read, but it gently packs a punch, and
is very instructive. It will help prepare you to never be “lost
for words” when speaking of Christ.
- Roger
Carswell is an evangelist based in Horsforth, near Leeds
MUSIC
Two
to savour
Coming
From Somewhere Else, by Kennedy, Kirkpatrick, Madeira &
Sprague. Rocketown Records (Word), CD £10.99.
- In
The Long Run, by Paul Field.
Nearfield Records (ICC), CD £14.99.
WHEN
the charts are filled with ‘manufactured’ groups regurgitating
lifeless cover versions of pop classics, it’s refreshing to find
something which turns the whole covers concept on its head. Gordon
Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Phil Madeira and Billy Sprague are best
described as a ‘supergroup’ of Nashville songwriters, reclaiming
for themselves material already popularised by other artists, both
Christian and secular.
Seeing
them photographed around a garden table, you can almost picture the
song selection process – “Remember this?” Phil Madeira
might ask, strumming through the Beatles-influenced Everywhere
I Look, which first appeared on a Phil Keaggy album, or Hunger
And Thirst, previously showcased by Susan Ashton. Kirkpatrick and
Kennedy match that with a couple more of Susan Ashton’s best
tracks – Grand Canyon and You Move Me (the latter
also covered by Garth Brooks), and then Billy Sprague chips in with
the moving Via Dolorosa (Sandy Patty, 1984), or Man After
Your Own Heart (Gary Chapman, 1995).
The pick of the bunch must be Change The World (co-written
by Kennedy, Kirkpatrick and Tommy Sims), a Grammy Award winner for
Eric Clapton – you don’t easily equal that for quality.
By coincidence, Phil Madeira is listed as a co-writer of In The
Long Run, title track of the latest opus from veteran UK singer/songwriter
Paul Field (latterly of Hopes And Dreams and Dangerous Journey
renown). Billy Sprague is similarly credited for the song Have
You Ever Felt Like This? And picking up the theme of songwriters
and popular acts, it’s interesting to note that Paul’s song
Testify To Love has already been covered by American CCM popsters
Avalon and country star Wynonna.
Like the material on Coming From Somewhere Else, this too has
a relaxed, predominantly acoustic feel – songs of this calibre
don’t need flashy adornment. Lyrically there’s a lot of
questioning – Who Wants To Be The King Of Rock & Roll?
examines the price of fame, Dreams Made In Heaven probes the
painful side of human love, but Paul encounters hope in Faithtown.
I saw Paul perform the worshipful God Of The Moon And Stars
in one of Greenbelt 2000’s smaller venues. Savouring his solo
set, I was joined by a couple of teenage girls who had just arrived
on site, and hadn’t yet explored the festival properly. Nevertheless
they listened intently for some time, before enquiring, “Who
is he?” As I gave an explanation, “He’s very good!”
was their assessment.
I wouldn’t disagree.
Face of British worship
Worthy
in This Place, by Noel Robinson & Nu Image. Kingsway Music,
CD £14.99.
IN the Millennium Dome’s controversial Faith Zone, Noel Robinson appeared on video as the ‘Face of British Worship’. Others describe the London-based worship leader, guitarist and songwriter as the Martin Smith of the black-majority churches.
Released
under Kingsway’s British Urban Praise banner, complete with Union
Jack logo (good to see it used without racist/nationalist overtones),
Worthy In This Place combines Noel’s talents with those
of the equally impressive Nu Image choir and band.
After kicking off with the energetically funky title track, the groove
keeps up with Proclamation, before You Reached Down And
Saved Me mellows the mood and the bi-lingual (English/French)
Yes I Thank You follows with a lilting outflowing of love to
the Lord.
Later highlights include the reggae-styled I Give You Praise,
Noel’s acoustic guitar instrumentals on Zamar and Praise
My Soul, the quietly reverent Hallowed Be Thy Name, and
bubbly final cuts I Love To Praise Your Name and The Joy
Of The Lord Is Running Over.
Comparable in standard to the best from LCGC or the Wades, Worthy
In This Place is more than a match for many a contemporary American
gospel import.
- Peter
Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/
mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning difficulties with the charity InterAct
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