Reviews

REVIEWS

VIDEO

Digging deeper

Christian Life and Today’s World - Not Conformed but Transformed. LBC Video/SU. Price £25

The pack includes a book of the same title (that has already been favourably reviewed in Christian Herald), a companion video and a study guide. The pack provides material for five evenings of stimulating reflection on how Christians can relate their faith to contemporary life. The five subjects are:

Culture
Human Identity and Personhood
Consumerism
Progress
Pluralism

The main components of each session are a dramatic introduction, a dramatised Bible reading, an exposition section and finally some practical application. Each session lasts about 30 minutes and is ably held together by the delightfully astute North American tones of Dr Angela Robbins.

The teaching (most of which is provided by London Bible College worthies) is fairly demanding and might prove to be a challenge to the average homegroup getting together on Wednesday night. That being said, the production team have worked hard to move away from too much from one talking head!

There are sufficient changes of style and pace in the video to maintain interest, even after a busy day. There are also natural pause points in the video for a group to reflect, discuss and pray. Christian Life and Today’s World is a very useful resource that provides thought-provoking help for Christians who are willing to dig deeper for answers to current questions.

John Woods is pastor of Lancing Tabernacle in West Sussex

MUSIC

Growing in maturity

Is It Any Wonder? by Heat, Survivor Records, CD, £14.99.

My first encounter with Heat was at Soul Survivor – The Message 2000 in Manchester, at which they gained a mainstage slot as an up-and-coming local worship team. In the two years since, they’ve appeared at Worship Together, Spring Harvest and elsewhere, and released Can I See Heaven?, the first EP/mini-album in Survivor Records’ Emerge series. Now here’s the full-length debut – 11 new songs in a style leaning towards the Matt Redman/Soul Survivor genre.

Production standards have gone up a notch, with string arrangements enriching the sound on reflective worship ballads such as As Angels Looked On and Each Day. By way of contrast, Wonderful, Beautiful, Merciful, opener Glorious God, 'hidden' track Our God Is Big Not Small, plus explosive crescendos on the Hammond-driven title track and All I Want, signal that they’re equally comfortable in rock band mode.

What's becoming increasingly apparent is that Heat are less a grouping of equals than a gathering of friends and musicians around songwriter/lead vocalist/guitarist James Gregory. Not a weakness per se, but I think they could be even better by developing more 'up-front' roles for vocalist Esther Lane, and Hayley Gregory (saxophones).

A maturing band, with real potential for the future.

Singing for charity

Phatfish Unplugged – Hope, by Phatfish, [focus] (Authentic Media), CD £14.99/Video £13.99.

Promoted at Soul Survivor, Stoneleigh and Spring Harvest, the Hope 10-10 initiative has got thousands of Christians using their gifts and talents to raise funds for work with Aids orphans in Southern Africa.

Brighton-based rock/worship team Phatfish have joined in with a series of 'unplugged' concerts, followed by a live CD and video. According to the sticker £1.46 per CD goes to Hope HIV, so hopefully they’ll raise a tidy sum, bolstered by a tour in November.

I’m not sure if anyone explained the 'unplugged' concept to Phatfish’s rhythm section (brothers Luke and Nathan Fellingham), and Michael Sandeman doesn’t exactly hold back on the piano. But there are subtle changes to the likes of Come Near To Me, Heavenbound, Castaway and Kingdom Coming, and finale There Is A Day works a treat with a modicum of subtlety and understatement.

Singer Louise Fellingham is on top form, and guest appearances are a bonus – regular NFI associates Stuart Townend and Kate Simmonds join them for This Love Is Enough and Creation Song while Miracle In My Heart features Brian Houston and band, who are perhaps a little more accustomed to the acoustic approach than their hosts.

With quality like this, who needs MTV?

Peter Dilley

© 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 VIDEO Digging deeper Christian Life and Today’s World - Not Conformed but Transformed. LBC Video/SU. Price £25 The pack includes a book of the same title (that has already been favourably reviewed in Christian Herald), a companion video and a study guide. The pack provides material for five evenings of stimulating reflection on how Christians can relate their faith to contemporary life. The five subjects are: Culture Human Identity and Personhood Consumerism Progress Pluralism The main components of each session are a dramatic introduction, a dramatised Bible reading, an exposition section and finally some practical application. Each session lasts about 30 minutes and is ably held together by the delightfully astute North American tones of Dr Angela Robbins. The teaching (most of which is provided by London Bible College worthies) is fairly demanding and might prove to be a challenge to the average homegroup getting together on Wednesday night. That being said, the production team have worked hard to move away from too much from one talking head! There are sufficient changes of style and pace in the video to maintain interest, even after a busy day. There are also natural pause points in the video for a group to reflect, discuss and pray. Christian Life and Today’s World is a very useful resource that provides thought-provoking help for Christians who are willing to dig deeper for answers to current questions. John Woods is pastor of Lancing Tabernacle in West Sussex MUSIC Growing in maturity Is It Any Wonder? by Heat, Survivor Records, CD, £14.99. My first encounter with Heat was at Soul Survivor – The Message 2000 in Manchester, at which they gained a mainstage slot as an up-and-coming local worship team. In the two years since, they’ve appeared at Worship Together, Spring Harvest and elsewhere, and released Can I See Heaven?, the first EP/mini-album in Survivor Records’ Emerge series. Now here’s the full-length debut – 11 new songs in a style leaning towards the Matt Redman/Soul Survivor genre. Production standards have gone up a notch, with string arrangements enriching the sound on reflective worship ballads such as As Angels Looked On and Each Day. By way of contrast, Wonderful, Beautiful, Merciful, opener Glorious God, 'hidden' track Our God Is Big Not Small, plus explosive crescendos on the Hammond-driven title track and All I Want, signal that they’re equally comfortable in rock band mode. What's becoming increasingly apparent is that Heat are less a grouping of equals than a gathering of friends and musicians around songwriter/lead vocalist/guitarist James Gregory. Not a weakness per se, but I think they could be even better by developing more 'up-front' roles for vocalist Esther Lane, and Hayley Gregory (saxophones). A maturing band, with real potential for the future. Singing for charity Phatfish Unplugged – Hope, by Phatfish, [focus] (Authentic Media), CD £14.99/Video £13.99. Promoted at Soul Survivor, Stoneleigh and Spring Harvest, the Hope 10-10 initiative has got thousands of Christians using their gifts and talents to raise funds for work with Aids orphans in Southern Africa. Brighton-based rock/worship team Phatfish have joined in with a series of 'unplugged' concerts, followed by a live CD and video. According to the sticker £1.46 per CD goes to Hope HIV, so hopefully they’ll raise a tidy sum, bolstered by a tour in November. I’m not sure if anyone explained the 'unplugged' concept to Phatfish’s rhythm section (brothers Luke and Nathan Fellingham), and Michael Sandeman doesn’t exactly hold back on the piano. But there are subtle changes to the likes of Come Near To Me, Heavenbound, Castaway and Kingdom Coming, and finale There Is A Day works a treat with a modicum of subtlety and understatement. Singer Louise Fellingham is on top form, and guest appearances are a bonus – regular NFI associates Stuart Townend and Kate Simmonds join them for This Love Is Enough and Creation Song while Miracle In My Heart features Brian Houston and band, who are perhaps a little more accustomed to the acoustic approach than their hosts. With quality like this, who needs MTV? Peter Dilley © 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.