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This little book provides a usefully practical guide to many aspects of speaking publicly in an interesting and audible manner. The author approaches public worship from an Anglican perspective but his advice and suggestions are valuable whatever the denomination of the reader.

The book is extremely informative but the author employs a light touch with many examples of humour. However, he lays out his basic principles most clearly by stating that "the purpose of conducting services ... is to help the congregation to be carried along in an act of exploring God's worth - worship." He describes the function of words and focuses on simple tools and techniques such as stress, intonation, pause, pace and phrasing, offering clear examples of all these techniques ion relation particularly to Scriptural readings.

There is a final, very useful but brief chapter, offered as an Addendum, on Speech Act Theory, by Arthur Brookes in which he gives a simple differentiation between locutionary meaning, illocutionary force and perlocutionary effect and comments on the philosopher, Searle's classification of speech acts into Commissive, Declarative, Directive, Expressive and Representative.

Although there are only 87 pages, this little book could provides valuable support for those beginning to lead worship or preach.

This little book, of only 120 pages, is written by the 'Master' of the Temple Church, which features in Dan Brown's book.

The 'Master' clearly respects those who come to the Temple seeking answers to the questions the book raises in their minds and addresses them by trying to make clear the difference between the facts and the fiction. He describes much of the plot of the book, explores the novel's gripping claims and offers a scholarly approach to those issues. The book ends with several pages of references to other texts for further reading on such subjects as: The Priory of Sion, Opus Dei, The Templars, Constantine, The Gnostics. This is a well written little book which should be prescribed reading for those who seek after truth.

The subtitle of this stimulating book is potentially misleading: it is an essential guide, but by no means is it simply an introduction to worship as depicted in the Old Testament. Walter Brueggemann accepts that Israel's worship is similar to the practices of those nations around her but not without important differences. Israel's worship was directed solely at YHWH and within a relationship where both her voice and that of YHWH were heard equally (chapter one). Israel's festivals and sacrifices are therefore material expressions of her relationship with God (chapter two) as she seeks to hear and obey God's commandments even whilst Israel could call upon God at any time (chapter three). Indeed, Israel was not the passive partner in this relationship: the number of psalmists who, refusing to rest content with pious-sounding solutions to life's problems, confronted YHWH is too large to ignore and thus proves challenging to today's often anaemic worship (chapter four). Finally, Brueggemann demonstrates how this interaction between God and Israel unfolds by showing the `play' between the two, that is, the range of possibilities that emerges as Israel lives in committed relationship with God and of God's own faithfulness towards Israel. Themes here include, for example, the 'play' of Israel's freedom and obedience and the 'play' of God's holiness and justice (chapter five).

Throughout this short, inexpensive book, Brueggemann succeeds in demonstrating Israel's worship as dynamic and invigorating and far from the legalisms commonly presumed of the Old Testament. This is indeed an essential guide for all those who lead worship today, and those studying Faith & Worship Section B in particular may find this book useful, supplementary reading.

Subtitled "A daily companion for your journey through grief", this is a small book of mediations and prayers, each day having a short scripture reading, a thought and a prayer, which falls into three parts.

The first is the longest part; a forty-day journey through the early days of grief. The scripture readings are well chosen and familiar, drawn from both Old and New Testaments. The thoughts show a sensitivity to people in the difficult early stages of grief, the days of confusion, numbness, anger and searching. The prayers are personal and direct.

The second part is entitled Days of Remembrance and covers those special anniversaries and significant days such as the birthday of the deceased or the anniversary of their death. The third part, entitled Out of the Depths contains prayers for those more difficult circumstances of death such as suicide, stillbirth and dementia. In between these sections are the traditional prayers "In Paradisum" and the Kaddish.

Written sensitively by someone who understands grief, this would be a thoughtful gift for someone coping with the death of a loved one. It is also a good resource for pastoral visitors and others seeking to understand and help others in such a situation.

Open with God is a new collection of prayers for a wide range of occasions throughout the year. This anthology is written in a straightforward, modern style, which goes straight to the heart of the human experience. She challenges her readers to open up to God in some of the most sensitive and difficult aspects of our human lives and many will find the choice of suggested readings most helpful in this context.

The prayers offer an invaluable resource for all who prepare devotions for small or large Church or house groups or who lead Sunday worship. They can also be valuable in private devotions. Each item in the first section of the book is dated to match a time in the Christian Year and has the relevant scripture readings at the head. Some, but not all of the prayers have responses.

The second section is organised under the heading 'Prayers for Various Occasions'. The subjects are unusual but very relevant to today's world. Some of them include suggestions for activities or visual elements and, again, some have responses. The prayers are written in accessible language and are both challenging and inspiring. The Index to the book is recorded as to subject but an index to the Scripture contexts would also be useful. This book would make a worthwhile addition to any Christian's bookshelf but it should not be left there! Rather it should be read and reread for all its wealth of worth.

Here is a story of one man's life, from childhood in pre-war London, through wartime service in the RAF to a long and fruitful life in the ordained ministry of the Methodist Church, first as an army chaplain in the far east, then into circuit work and through to retirement. Interleaved through the story of the work is the inextricably entwined history of marriage and family life.

The book is an intensely personal memoir, told simply and with warmth. It is at times poignant and at others full of gentle humour. A self-confessed diarist, the author's meticulous attention to detail and conversational style lift incidents from the everyday to the extraordinary, and give a clear picture that draws the reader into the story.

The book is illustrated with black and white photographs and drawings. The epilogue ends with the words "It is my prayer that the ideas, thoughts and experiences on my journey of faith will be of interest and encouragement to other souls." Indeed it will.

Think of a slim A5 book of guided devotions for a house group that you might choose for Lent and you will have a fair picture of what this book is. This is a resource which could be used at any time of the year.

It offers five or six sessions, each of which invites reflection on different aspects of spiritual growth.
The format for each session is the same. There is a short introduction, a Bible passage (NIV), a set of comments and a summary that set out the writer's view of the Bible passage. There then follow ideas and questions for personal reflection. Group questions are offered as discussion starters. In session 3, as Colin Smith turns our attention to a `learning church', he gives us his credentials and also his approach to guided devotions:

'I have spent all my life in education, most recently lecturing at Manchester Metropolitan University. I am therefore very aware that University study is very much an intellectual exercise, an occupation of the mind only, for most of the time. Bible reading and study is not. Although we are expected to use our minds, no one need ever feel excluded or inferior, for primarily the Bible works on our feelings, our emotions, our imagination, and our spirits.'

The inclusive approach is commendable (especially for house groups focussing on spiritual growth), but the commentaries were straightforward rather than offering fresh insights that could encourage more mature Christians to grow.

Even so, this is a useful resource which explores both individual spiritual growth and church growth.

I had opportunity to read this Companion during a Quiet Day.

This book invites you to open the covers by its attractive appearance and is well set out and easy to read.

It would make an excellent gift especially for non-Christian friends who too are searching for peace and answers to life's problems.

It could be used for daily reading or for a deepening of prayer life.

It contains helpful words on particular subjects and has little phrases and prayers for deeper reflection.

The anthology enables the reader to reach stillness and peace, with thoughtful comments, leading them on in their faith and prayer life. Not only is it a book for the inner stillness of peace but also it looks deeper at the problems of injustice and peace.

Alison is a local preacher and was overall winner of BRF's first Shellagh Brown Memorial Prize (1998). Since 1994 she has had ME the chronic fatigue condition.

This book is so different from many on our religious bookshelf in that it is written by and in the language of a person in her thirties. It is very readable and if used for pointers or illustrations for sermons it will also help preachers who are fifty plus to become familiar with the language and thought processes of a younger generation. Alison takes us on the wanderings of Moses and the Israelites through the desert and cleverly takes her readers through today's wilderness experiences to the promised land that God has ready for them.

In chapter 6, based on Numbers 14 and headed 'Going round in circles' she writes 'This is what the Israelites were doing for forty years. They got to Canaan in reasonably quick time, messed things up totally and spent the rest of their lives going nowhere in particular. I guess that is how many people today feel. And what about Moses? He must have got a terrible sense of deja vu everytime the Israelites started complaining. Been there, done that, worked the miracle'.

I am sure you will find this book thought provoking and a joy...