5 mins
REVIEWS
LET EVERYONE FIND THEIR VOICE
Reimagining the Psalms for Worship and Devotion Written by: Lezley Stewart Published by: Saint Andrew Press Price: £14.99
Written well over 2000 years ago the Psalms of the Bible can be challenging to 21st century readers.
Church of Scotland minister Lezley Stewart, the Church’s Recruitment and Support Secretary, has taken some of the texts and represented them in the powerful and beauty language of today to speak to contemporary Christians.
Grouped around six areas – Refuge, Created, Lament, Centre, Pathway and Refreshment, each themed section offers suggestions on scene setting, suggestions for listening and liturgy. A further section offers thoughts on communion and a final chapter offers three ‘new’ Psalms.
The simplicity of the book adds to its effectiveness: there are not too many words on each page to allow readers to concentrate on the Psalms and beautiful black and white images offer space for quiet reflection and contemplation.
This imaginative book rearranges some of the Psalms by theme and offers a helpful resource for worship leaders or for those seeking simply to examine the Psalms in a modern context.
ON PRIESTHOOD
Written by: Stephen Cottrell Published by Hodder & Stoughton Price: £12.99
The author, formerly Bishop of Chelmsford, replaced John Sentamu as Archbishop of York in July. This hardback is based on addresses he has given over the years to ordinands on the eve of their ordination.
The simple cover carries the inscription of the words ‘Servants,
Shepherds, Messengers, Sentinels & Stewards’ and that is precisely the message he seeks to convey.
The book is split into three parts: the first seeks to show that all are priests and a newly ordained priest is serving an already priestly people. The second part focuses on the five themes outlined on the cover and the third part focuses on the importance of ‘carrying the cross’ and ‘guarding the heart’. There is also a short final chapter reflecting on the ministry of the bishop.
Whilst obviously written for and from an Anglican perspective, it has messages relevant to those considering and already serving in ministry.
The premise of the work is perhaps best summed by his introduction, which simply describes all that ministry has come to mean to him: “On all the occasions where I have spoken to those about to be ordained I have wanted to instruct and inspire them in the ways and patterns of ordained ministry; and most of all I have wanted to share its joys and the sense of adventure that comes with following Christ in this way. For me, despite its challenges and ubiquitious encounters with darkness that can often be its daily bread, the ordained life has been a liberation and a joy.” The book has been endorsed by a number of high-profile figures in the Church of England, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and the Bishops of Kensington, Burley and Penrith, among other others.
THE HEART OF COMMUNICATION
Written by: Rob Parsons Published by: Hodder & Stoughton Price: £12.99
For anyone involved in public speaking, this volume, drawn from the 50 years of experience garnered by the author, is undoubtedly a useful tool.
Designed to give confidence to anyone who is delivering a presentation in a multitude of environments – from small audiences numbering a handful to much larger conference gatherings, Parsons offers a practical guide full of helpful tips on how to prepare and use the power of storytelling in a public forum.
The book taps into the psychology of an audience but is also grounded in the practical, drawn from his long experience of addressing both business and faith gatherings.
GOD IN FRAGMENTS
Worshipping with those living with dementia Published by: Church House Publishing Price: £14.99
An average 250,000 people each year are diagnosed as living with dementia. This book seeks to offer a helpful resource to those seeking to worship with those impacted by dementia and offers both a pastoral and common sense approach to enable the sharing of worship to help unlock ‘the gates of memory’ and enable active pariticpation.
Written by mainly Anglican practitioners, the wisdom and practical suggestions will undoubtedly resonate with worship leaders in other denominations.
12 RULES FOR CHRISTIAN ACTIVISTS
A Toolkit For Massive Change Edited by: Ellen Loudon Published by: Canterbury Press Price: £12.99
Church people can sometimes (inadvertently) find themselves at the heart of campaigns. Justice and peace are very often at the heart of campaigns, local and national and churches can become a focal point.
This is essentially a guide on the principles of Christian activism: from engagement on the matters that count, to building support and networks and listening and getting alongside communities seeking to campaign for justice.
Drawing on the real-life experiences of a number of eminent activists and campaigners in England, including Naomi Maynard and Ann Morisy, the insights are no less relevant for communities in
Scotland seeking to campaign on issues of local social justice or bigger issues – and for church people seeking to work with local people.
The book offers both a theological basis for activism (based on the thoughts and reflections of well-known campaigning voicers) but also very practical tips and reminders that activism is not about self, but about listening, journeying, service and love. It would be particularly helpful for those working in areas of social justice seeking inspiration and practical guides on effective short-term and long-term campaigning.
FOR CHILDREN
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL
Lyrics by: Cecil Frances Alexander Illustrated by: Jean Claude Published by: SPCK Price: £6.99
Taking the words of the well-known and well-loved hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful , publishers SPCK have created an enchanting book for younger children, which is beautifully and colourfully illustrated by artist Jean Claude.
The premise of the work is simple – it is simply the verses of the well-known hymn, beloved by many generations of schoolchildren. Everything from penguins to pumpkins and sea and sun features giving many talking points for young fertile minds. But the power of the work is that it expertly interprets the words of the hymn for the smallest people and makes learning about the powerful message at the heart of the hymn an absolute joy with many many talking points on each of the pages and only (at times) a single world of the hymn.
The book is probably best suited for three to five-year-olds in a shared environment, but slightly older children will enjoy reading solo and discovering anew the words of the hymn for themselves.
Lynne McNeil
This article appears in the September 2020 Issue of Life and Work
If you would like to view other issues of Life and Work, you can see the full archive
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