Zi71bFS9nQHnivtvUJquhejTHIQ The Story Factory Reading Zone: Reading from an Exhibition

Sunday 15 May 2011

Reading from an Exhibition

I visited the Christian Resources Exhibition last week and, faced with an enormous number of bookstalls, couldn't resist buying 9 books (I say buying but, actually, a few of them were free):

Behind the Sofa by Anthony Thacker
Hold on tight for a trip thrrough the scary, the thrilling and the just plain difficult issues raised by TVs most popular time-traveller. The return of Doctor Who to our screens has been one of the most dramatic resurrections in TV history. A huge fan base, a brilliant script editor, a great cast and aa budget for special effects that the old series could scarcely dream of.... all this and more has contributed to the dazzing sucess of the series that has had repeated generations diving behind their sofa. Anthony Thacker is a dedicated fan and a church minister. In his exploration of th spiritual and moral issues raised by the programme- the old series no less than the new- he gives us both happy memories and a wealth of new insight. For, alongside the Whovian trivia, we are invited to consider such weighty issues as: how we solve conflict, what it is to be truly human, regeneration and reincarnation, occult phenomena, religion and violence, sexuality, the consequences of our actions. Questions in each chapter make this an ideal volume for discussion groups or personal reflection.
 No flowers... just lots of joy by Fiona Castle with Jan Greenough
Roy had always been fit and healthy. So when he woke one night with a headache, Fiona's first thought was 'nothing serious'. She was wrong, Roy had cancer. The events that followed threw the whole family into a battle against despair, doubt and the fear of death. As life went up and down again, Fiona had to find stability from outside her own resources. Fiona found the strength she needed, both before and after Roy's death, in her Christian faith. She tells her story in the hope that it will help many others who are bereaved by sickness and death.
In Pursuit of the Miraculous by Roy Todd
Do miracles still happen today? In this highly readable book, Roy Todd shows that they not only can occur, but should be actively expected. In Pursuit of the Miraculous is a book that inspires greater expectancy of a God who can do 'immeasurably more than we can as, think or imagine'. Miracles were intrinsic to the ministry of Jesus. Matthew actually invests 44 per cent of his gospel referring to them. Around 27 per cent of the book of Acts refers to supernatural actiivity in the early church too. Using biblical examples as well as modern-day illustrations, Roy challenges the idea that God ceased working miracles thousand of years ago. Instead  he encourages the Church to develop greater faith and expectancy to see more of God's power today. Combining a strong sense of faith with the down-to-earth realities of life, his honest and genuine approach to the subject reflects many of the questions people might ask, whilst still ecouraging them to believe for the impossible. This book is written out of Roy Todd's own pursuit, during which he has seen many remarkable instances of what can only be described as the miraculous.
 Just: Imagine by Danielle Strickland and Campbell Roberts
Just imagine is a call to action. The authors, both Christians and activee proponents of social justice, remind us of the world-changers who shaped our Christian heritage and equipped us with the tools we need to follow in their footsteps. Just Imagine is a thorough explanation of the biblical and Christian foundationsof social justice, and a practical guide to applying them in our lives, in our local and ultimately in our global communities. Filled with inspiring examples, stimulating advice and helpful resources, Just Imagine encourages us to live out the dream of God's world in our waking lives, and help it to become a reality.
Crusade of Tears by C.D. Baker
It's the Year 1212- Jerusalem is occupied by Islam. Thousands of Christian knights in armor have failed to liberate the Holy City. Who else will the church send to fight for the faith? More knights? Peasant laborers? Or... their children? Crusade of Tears will tansport you back to the 13th Century- the dark era of the Children's Crusade, when 50,000 French and German children were falsely inspired to reclaim the Holy City. Author C.D. Baker masterfully paints an unforgettable portrait that blends thoroughly researched historical acounts with a compelling personal plot that focuses on a small band of pilgrims, led by stout-hearted Wil, his eager brother Karl, and their gentle sister Maria. This realitic story of faith in the midst of extraordinary hardships will speak to you from across the centuries and far into the future.
Winterflight by Joseph Bayly
Imagine an America not too many years distant. An America that seems perfect on the surface, but whose ethical under-pinnings have totaly collapsed. An America where abortion is the rule for imperfect fetuses and euthanasia is mandatory at age75. Jon and Grace Stanton's allegience to God is put to the ultimate test in this future society. As they struggle to protect two members of ther family from the law of the land, they must rely on each other and their faith as they never have before.
Q by Paul Nigro
The Scribe. In 70 A.D., a scribe who was a witness to the life and teachings of Jesus, leaves his notes in the safekeeping of the Qumran community. He once asked Jesus if he coould become one of he Twelve- but was told no. He is the author of ... Q. The Society. No one has heard of the Society of St. Matthew, an intensely secretive band of men whose sole purpose is to study, and more importantly, guard the existence of an ancient manuscript. But has one of their own members betrayed their cause? They are the guardians of ... Q. The Media Mongul. This billionaire illegally takes possession of a first-century manuscript that he plans to use as a tool to undermine confidence in Christian scripture and faith. He beliees this will behis singular contribution to the world. The name of hs scheme is ... Q. The Student. Gigi Vaughn is a seminary student and a volunteer at a homeless shelter in Ft. Worth, Texas. Her life is turned upside down when she fids an injured man in the alley behind the shelter- an Englishman who mumbles something about ... Q. The Thief. Jeremy Croft has the aristocratic bearing of an English Lor, but plies a trade that's not quite as lofty. The Society of St. Matthew has hired him to steal back from the media baron something they treasure. The teasure is ... Q. Q. A simple manuscript, purporting to tell about the life of Jesus, is about to create a web of violence and intrigue ... and touch the lives of all those who are people of faith!
 Once Blind by Kay Marshall Strom
From a troubled childhoodm to enforced service in the Royal Navy where he was such a blasphemous troublemaker that he was traded to a slave ship, God pursued John Newton with relentless love and amazing grace. John Newton, the worst of the worst who became a ringing voice for God, testified of his transformation in his stirring hymn "Amazing Grace". His cry for abolition, along with the work of his friend William Wilberforce, helped turn the heart of a nation against the African slave trade to bring it to an end.
 Foundations in the Dust by Adrian and Bridget Plass and Angela Murray
Foundations of Dust is a Latin American adventure in a book. Tracking the highs and lows of the journey which Adrian and Bridget Plass and Angela Murray made through Peru and Bolivia, this book takes you to some of the world's most forgotten locations. From prisons and parks to churches and projects, our travellers get right to the heart of some of the places where the charity Toybox currently works. Filled with photographs, poems and stories, and brought together by the typical Plass mix of humour and hard-hitting truth, this is the unforgettable story of hope for the real foundations in the dust- the street children of Latin America.
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