Reviews

BOOKS

A subject to think about

Carers in the community: Why have you forsaken me? by Edna Hunneysett.
Academic Publishing Services £12.95 ISBN 0 9537234 7 X

This is a moving book that surprised, even shocked me! Written in two parts – the first is the poignant account of a Mum’s nightmare when her 13-year-old daughter became seriously clinically depressed and suicidal.

Edna describes the profound stress, distress, isolation and trauma that were part of her experience as she supported, accompanied and strived to help her daughter through several years of deep depression. Edna also honestly reflects her enormous spiritual struggle as she sought to make sense of their shattered world.

The second part of the book takes us through Edna’s work for a dissertation looking at mental health and the churches’ involvement, and especially reviewing the level of support available for carers.

She powerfully highlights the huge deficits in support and understanding for carers and sufferers of mental health problems specifically within the Catholic Church. However, I suspect that much is applicable to a wide variety of church structures.

I read this book through the eyes of someone who works professionally with sufferers and the families of those experiencing mental illness, but also as an individual who has also had severe clinical depression. Yet, I was taken aback to find recounted such strong themes of stigma and prejudice surrounding the area of mental illness. I usually find much less stigma and prejudice surrounding depression than those described within this book. However, that is not to take away from the horror of those who have experienced otherwise.

This book is at times a struggle to read, and some of the details of the dissertation are wearisome! However, the recommendations contained at the end of the book are important for all churches and communities to reflect and act upon.

Heather Beattie

Getting to know yourself

Finding the Key to Personal Integrity – How to be true to yourself, by Mary Pytches. Eagle Publishing £5.99 ISBN 0 86347 5055

Mary Pytches, after 45 years together, describes her husband as fun, encouraging, stimulating and a man of integrity. Although she claims not to have arrived totally herself, we can have confidence that Mary is well qualified to write on such a subject This is a wise book, based on many years of proven experience.

We are reminded in the opening chapter of lost moral ground, resulting in religious gothic young people with no moral absolutes and where society is in danger of losing its freedom. A nation of truth decay. However, this is only used to thrust us into the key subject of self-awareness.

Stories and word pictures help us grasp this simple, but life-changing means of becoming the people to whom we aspire. The open plan house, with no hidden mess, is contrasted with one of their mission homes, where rats lurked behind a locked door because no-one had wanted to tackle the unpleasant task of removing them.

This book is for all, but especially anyone who is puzzled by their disappointment with the Christian life, or their failure to make progress. The means all of us are inclined to use to self-deceive may well surprise us, and a 'know yourself' questionnaire, if taken, will no doubt prove the point.

With only 158 pages, it is not an in-depth book, but will introduce the reader to some key steps in developing a relationship with God and a life respected by others. Highly recommended.

Wendy Iliffe

MUSIC

Singing for Christmas

WOW Christmas – 30 Top Christian Artists and Holiday Songs, Word Records (Authentic Media), 2 CDs £14.99
City on a Hill – It’s Christmas Time by Various Artists, Essential Records (Authentic Media), CD £13.99

Whatever you think of Christmas albums, they’re almost a rite of passage for US Christian artists, with each year’s selection spanning the musically inventive, the amusing/surprising and the sentimentally saccharine. Spanning a veritable 'who's who' in CCM/gospel music, WOW Christmas takes a sweep through this festive fayre, old and new.

With 30 songs, the odd Christmas turkey is excusable, so skip instead to the likes of Sweet Little Jesus Boy from Rebecca St James, tobyMAC’s This Christmas (Joy To The World), Sing Mary Sing by Jennifer Knapp, or the sheer exuberance of Hallelujah! from 1992 classic Handel’s Messiah – A Soulful Celebration.

Sixpence None The Richer, Jars of Clay, Out of Eden and Caedmon’s Call are amongst artists featured on both the WOW compilation and the Christmas album from the City On A Hill collective. With just 11 songs, this stands on the quality of the material (Away in A Manger excepted, perhaps).

Sixpence’s Leigh Nash duets with Michael Tait (dcTalk) on O Holy Night, pc3 make nice work of In The Bleak Midwinter, Sara Groves’ passionately worshipful Child Of Love looks set to endure, and It’s Christmas Time is a Band Aid-style all-star number.

Plenty to savour over hot mince pies.

The wait is over

Divine Discontent, by Sixpence None The Richer. Squint Entertainment (Authentic Media), CD £14.99

It's nearly four years since Kiss Me took Sixpence None The Richer into the Top 10 in America, Europe and the UK, but apart from the occasional track on the City On A Hill worship series, they’ve kept a low profile recently. Much delayed, the follow-up to their platinum-selling third album has now finally arrived.

Breathe Your Name puts spirituality at the top of the band’s agenda: "I need the plot, to find my place. I need some truth, I need some grace ... You are in my heart, I can feel your beat, and you move my mind. From behind the wheel, when I lose control, I can only breathe your name."

Tonight draws on the styling of Sixpence's second hit There She Goes, and as with their adoption of that track, they’ve included a cover version here too – Crowded House’s Don't Dream It’s Over.
Throughout Divine Discontent, Matt Slocum’s own songs are crafted to make the best of Leigh Nash’s enticing, dream-like vocals, and his 12-string electric guitar is becoming a trademark sound, as it once was for The Byrds.

After the long wait, I was expecting something to blow me away, but I’ll settle for this to keep growing on me.

Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities with the charity InterAct

© 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.


		BOOKS A subject to think about Carers in the community: Why have you forsaken me? by Edna Hunneysett. Academic Publishing Services £12.95 ISBN 0 9537234 7 X This is a moving book that surprised, even shocked me! Written in two parts – the first is the poignant account of a Mum’s nightmare when her 13-year-old daughter became seriously clinically depressed and suicidal. Edna describes the profound stress, distress, isolation and trauma that were part of her experience as she supported, accompanied and strived to help her daughter through several years of deep depression. Edna also honestly reflects her enormous spiritual struggle as she sought to make sense of their shattered world. The second part of the book takes us through Edna’s work for a dissertation looking at mental health and the churches’ involvement, and especially reviewing the level of support available for carers. She powerfully highlights the huge deficits in support and understanding for carers and sufferers of mental health problems specifically within the Catholic Church. However, I suspect that much is applicable to a wide variety of church structures. I read this book through the eyes of someone who works professionally with sufferers and the families of those experiencing mental illness, but also as an individual who has also had severe clinical depression. Yet, I was taken aback to find recounted such strong themes of stigma and prejudice surrounding the area of mental illness. I usually find much less stigma and prejudice surrounding depression than those described within this book. However, that is not to take away from the horror of those who have experienced otherwise. This book is at times a struggle to read, and some of the details of the dissertation are wearisome! However, the recommendations contained at the end of the book are important for all churches and communities to reflect and act upon. Heather Beattie Getting to know yourself Finding the Key to Personal Integrity – How to be true to yourself, by Mary Pytches. Eagle Publishing £5.99 ISBN 0 86347 5055 Mary Pytches, after 45 years together, describes her husband as fun, encouraging, stimulating and a man of integrity. Although she claims not to have arrived totally herself, we can have confidence that Mary is well qualified to write on such a subject This is a wise book, based on many years of proven experience. We are reminded in the opening chapter of lost moral ground, resulting in religious gothic young people with no moral absolutes and where society is in danger of losing its freedom. A nation of truth decay. However, this is only used to thrust us into the key subject of self-awareness. Stories and word pictures help us grasp this simple, but life-changing means of becoming the people to whom we aspire. The open plan house, with no hidden mess, is contrasted with one of their mission homes, where rats lurked behind a locked door because no-one had wanted to tackle the unpleasant task of removing them. This book is for all, but especially anyone who is puzzled by their disappointment with the Christian life, or their failure to make progress. The means all of us are inclined to use to self-deceive may well surprise us, and a 'know yourself' questionnaire, if taken, will no doubt prove the point. With only 158 pages, it is not an in-depth book, but will introduce the reader to some key steps in developing a relationship with God and a life respected by others. Highly recommended. Wendy Iliffe MUSIC Singing for Christmas WOW Christmas – 30 Top Christian Artists and Holiday Songs, Word Records (Authentic Media), 2 CDs £14.99 City on a Hill – It’s Christmas Time by Various Artists, Essential Records (Authentic Media), CD £13.99 Whatever you think of Christmas albums, they’re almost a rite of passage for US Christian artists, with each year’s selection spanning the musically inventive, the amusing/surprising and the sentimentally saccharine. Spanning a veritable 'who's who' in CCM/gospel music, WOW Christmas takes a sweep through this festive fayre, old and new. With 30 songs, the odd Christmas turkey is excusable, so skip instead to the likes of Sweet Little Jesus Boy from Rebecca St James, tobyMAC’s This Christmas (Joy To The World), Sing Mary Sing by Jennifer Knapp, or the sheer exuberance of Hallelujah! from 1992 classic Handel’s Messiah – A Soulful Celebration. Sixpence None The Richer, Jars of Clay, Out of Eden and Caedmon’s Call are amongst artists featured on both the WOW compilation and the Christmas album from the City On A Hill collective. With just 11 songs, this stands on the quality of the material (Away in A Manger excepted, perhaps). Sixpence’s Leigh Nash duets with Michael Tait (dcTalk) on O Holy Night, pc3 make nice work of In The Bleak Midwinter, Sara Groves’ passionately worshipful Child Of Love looks set to endure, and It’s Christmas Time is a Band Aid-style all-star number. Plenty to savour over hot mince pies. The wait is over Divine Discontent, by Sixpence None The Richer. Squint Entertainment (Authentic Media), CD £14.99 It's nearly four years since Kiss Me took Sixpence None The Richer into the Top 10 in America, Europe and the UK, but apart from the occasional track on the City On A Hill worship series, they’ve kept a low profile recently. Much delayed, the follow-up to their platinum-selling third album has now finally arrived. Breathe Your Name puts spirituality at the top of the band’s agenda: "I need the plot, to find my place. I need some truth, I need some grace ... You are in my heart, I can feel your beat, and you move my mind. From behind the wheel, when I lose control, I can only breathe your name." Tonight draws on the styling of Sixpence's second hit There She Goes, and as with their adoption of that track, they’ve included a cover version here too – Crowded House’s Don't Dream It’s Over. Throughout Divine Discontent, Matt Slocum’s own songs are crafted to make the best of Leigh Nash’s enticing, dream-like vocals, and his 12-string electric guitar is becoming a trademark sound, as it once was for The Byrds. After the long wait, I was expecting something to blow me away, but I’ll settle for this to keep growing on me. Peter Dilley is a bass guitarist and co-ordinator/mentor for a support scheme for young people with learning disabilities with the charity InterAct © 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.