Reviews

REVIEWS

CD-ROM GAME

PC fun for Odyssey fans

Adventures in Odyssey - 3-D CD ROM interactive adventure (Focus on the Family, £29.95. PC only - Pentium 133 or faster. Order from Care for the Family on 029 2081 0800)

If your youngsters have enjoyed any of the Adventures in Odyssey videos, tapes or books produced by US-based Focus on the Family, they'll have fun with this computer game.

Down at Whit's End, everyone's excited about the big scavenger hunt and Eugene's new robot he built for the forthcoming Science Fair. But some baddies are about to spoil the show. Your help is needed in a challenge that "combines a multi-level mystery, arcade games, creative projects, puzzles and a wacky quiz show into a unique gaming experience that requires skill and integrity".

Starting point is the scavenger hunt, where you have to find a variety of objects around the house, and then help different characters in some arcade-style games. The point-and-click approach to the gameplay is simple enough to grasp, but the games proved quite hard, especially for my five-year-old. I suspect eights and over would be best suited to it.

There's little direct Christian content, but plenty of helpful moral guidance and pointers on helping people, being honest, respecting authority and being loyal to friends. Occasionally the humour or colloqualisms don't cross the Atlantic that well, but generally it's fun, educational and helpful.

One minor criticism, though: the saving, loading and game progress mechanism isn't all that clear. At one stage we seemed to have progressed on a level, only to be forced to start at the beginning again.

Maybe I need a bright eight-year-old to show me where I went wrong ...

Russ Bravo

BOOKS

Bible tour guide - a pleasure to read

Journey into the Bible by John Drane. Scripture Union £4.99

To write a book about Bible study is a brave venture. The writer risks producing a dry tome or a work which guarantees guilt for the reader. John Drane has skilfully managed to avoid these pitfalls and has produced a little gem.

Don’t be put off by what some may consider to be a somewhat drab cover. Journey into the Bible is a journey worth taking with John Drane as the tour guide. He engagingly charts the background to the history of the Bible, discusses some of the versions available today and, with passion, expands upon the problems which arise from trying to read and apply the Bible today.

This book also helpfully suggests some methods of approaching the Bible with a view to communicating with the Spirit of God and actually letting God speak into our lives.
John Drane states that his purpose in writing this book was "to help those who might be struggling to come to terms with [the Bible] for the first time – whether young people or those who have recently come to faith".

I wouldn’t count myself to be in any of those categories and yet the mixture of personal anecdotes, deep issues and (no doubt) years of research – John Drane teaches theology at Aberdeen University – touched and challenged me. I’m sure it would help those it is aimed at.

More paragraphs might be useful – one paragraph of wall-to-wall text running for a page and a quarter can be daunting! However, the content of this little guide is a pleasure to read.

Eamon Mooney is a solicitor and member of City Church, Sheffield

I HAVE to confess I approached this book with more than a degree of suspicion, wondering if it would offer a slick approach to change.

In The Power of a New Identity Don Sneed asks: "Do you ever have a problem believing that God loves you as much as everyone else says he does?" He invites the reader to go on a “journey of discovery” to become the person s/he was created to be. The journey involves looking at what it means to be "in Christ" as a new creation and goes on to look at things that get in the way of the new identity, and suggestions for dealing with them.

Many of the people who enter my counselling room are asking in one form or another the questions it addresses. I was relieved to discover it is not offering a quick fix. Particularly helpful are the chapters entitled Parents and You and The Power of Forgiveness.

The book will be useful to pastors to give to new Christians seeking to learn more about how God wants to change them, as well as being a resource to help those who are blocked or stuck in their Christian journey. It is an accessible read, with clear headings helpfully backed up with Scripture references.


		REVIEWS CD-ROM GAME PC fun for Odyssey fans Adventures in Odyssey - 3-D CD ROM interactive adventure (Focus on the Family, £29.95. PC only - Pentium 133 or faster. Order from Care for the Family on 029 2081 0800) If your youngsters have enjoyed any of the Adventures in Odyssey videos, tapes or books produced by US-based Focus on the Family, they'll have fun with this computer game. Down at Whit's End, everyone's excited about the big scavenger hunt and Eugene's new robot he built for the forthcoming Science Fair. But some baddies are about to spoil the show. Your help is needed in a challenge that "combines a multi-level mystery, arcade games, creative projects, puzzles and a wacky quiz show into a unique gaming experience that requires skill and integrity". Starting point is the scavenger hunt, where you have to find a variety of objects around the house, and then help different characters in some arcade-style games. The point-and-click approach to the gameplay is simple enough to grasp, but the games proved quite hard, especially for my five-year-old. I suspect eights and over would be best suited to it. There's little direct Christian content, but plenty of helpful moral guidance and pointers on helping people, being honest, respecting authority and being loyal to friends. Occasionally the humour or colloqualisms don't cross the Atlantic that well, but generally it's fun, educational and helpful. One minor criticism, though: the saving, loading and game progress mechanism isn't all that clear. At one stage we seemed to have progressed on a level, only to be forced to start at the beginning again. Maybe I need a bright eight-year-old to show me where I went wrong ... Russ Bravo BOOKS Bible tour guide - a pleasure to read Journey into the Bible by John Drane. Scripture Union £4.99 To write a book about Bible study is a brave venture. The writer risks producing a dry tome or a work which guarantees guilt for the reader. John Drane has skilfully managed to avoid these pitfalls and has produced a little gem. Don’t be put off by what some may consider to be a somewhat drab cover. Journey into the Bible is a journey worth taking with John Drane as the tour guide. He engagingly charts the background to the history of the Bible, discusses some of the versions available today and, with passion, expands upon the problems which arise from trying to read and apply the Bible today. This book also helpfully suggests some methods of approaching the Bible with a view to communicating with the Spirit of God and actually letting God speak into our lives. John Drane states that his purpose in writing this book was "to help those who might be struggling to come to terms with [the Bible] for the first time – whether young people or those who have recently come to faith". I wouldn’t count myself to be in any of those categories and yet the mixture of personal anecdotes, deep issues and (no doubt) years of research – John Drane teaches theology at Aberdeen University – touched and challenged me. I’m sure it would help those it is aimed at. More paragraphs might be useful – one paragraph of wall-to-wall text running for a page and a quarter can be daunting! However, the content of this little guide is a pleasure to read. Eamon Mooney is a solicitor and member of City Church, Sheffield No quick fix The Power of a New Identity, by Don Sneed. Sovereign World 2000 £7.99 I HAVE to confess I approached this book with more than a degree of suspicion, wondering if it would offer a slick approach to change. In The Power of a New Identity Don Sneed asks: "Do you ever have a problem believing that God loves you as much as everyone else says he does?" He invites the reader to go on a “journey of discovery” to become the person s/he was created to be. The journey involves looking at what it means to be "in Christ" as a new creation and goes on to look at things that get in the way of the new identity, and suggestions for dealing with them. Many of the people who enter my counselling room are asking in one form or another the questions it addresses. I was relieved to discover it is not offering a quick fix. Particularly helpful are the chapters entitled Parents and You and The Power of Forgiveness. The book will be useful to pastors to give to new Christians seeking to learn more about how God wants to change them, as well as being a resource to help those who are blocked or stuck in their Christian journey. It is an accessible read, with clear headings helpfully backed up with Scripture references. Sue Clements-Jewery is co-ordinator of Bridge Counselling Services © Christian Family Network is run by Christian Media Centre, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.