Study Hard, Sing Sweet, And Pray

Early Church Fathers, Volume 1: Survey of the Apostolic Fathers

If you want to be a Catholic apologist, you’ll need to learn three truths early on:
1) Most Protestants’ knowledge of early Church history ends with Acts chapter 28.
2) What they do know beyond Acts is usually mixed with misconceptions about the early Church.
3) The best way to relieve them of these misconceptions is to introduce them to the writings of the early Church Fathers so the early Church can speak for itself.
To do that, of course, you yourself have to study the Fathers. And a good place to start is with apologist Steve Wood’s Early Church Fathers tape series.
Volume 1, “Survey of the Apostolic Fathers,” presents an introduction to the topic; relevant insights from Venerable John Cardinal Newman, himself a convert; and a look at several ancient texts of crucial significance: the Didache; the epistles of Ss. Clement, Polycarp and Ignatius; and the Martyrdom of Polycarp. The series is designed to be used with the book Early Christian Writings, translated by Maxwell Staniforth (Penguin Classics, 1987).
To delve deeply into Church history, Cardinal Newman insisted, is to cease to be Protestant. Listen to Wood’s tapes and find out why.

Set of 6 audiocassettes, $29.95 from The Family Life Center, International; Staniforth volume (paper, 199 pp.) also available for $9.95; call 941-764-8565; website: www.familylifecenter.net.


Reign Dance

The chorus of contemporary Christian musicians continues to grow, and Catholics continue to provide many of the best new sounds. Lynn Cooper (Father of Us All; On His Wings; Comfort From a Manger) once again adds her voice to the chorus with her latest album, Reign Dance, a collection of fresh, sweet songs of worship.
The title comes from the biblical account of how King David praised God “with all his might” by dancing before the Ark of His presence (see 2 Samuel 6:14-15). “I Want to Dance” captures the joyful abandon of that moment, and the joy ripples out to the other songs as well.
Of special interest is “Creed” — based on the words of the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds — which was composed after Cooper took part in a Catholic youth convention. She hopes the melody will help those ancient affirmations of faith to work their way into her listeners’ hearts.
And so it does. Long after the song is over, its stirring chorus continues to echo through the mind: “He is God from God, He is Light from Light, He is true God from true God . . .”

CD $15.98, audiocassette $10.98 from HeavenSent Productions; call 515-628-2973; e-mail Michelle@Lynn Cooper.net; website: www.LynnCooper.net.

The Rosary for Little Children: The Joyful Mysteries

When I was a brand-new Christian, a veteran believer gave me advice I’ve never forgotten: “If you really want to see things happen, get a little child to pray.”
This spunky kid-vid (for ages three to eight) is designed to do just that. In it, youngsters in a church parking lot meet a mysterious woman named Therese who appears out of nowhere in quasi-biblical attire worn on top of what seem to be culottes. (Yes, it sounds unlikely, but to kids this age, everything is unlikely.) She leads them in singing, praying and sometimes rope-jumping five lively decades of the Rosary, meditating on the Joyful Mysteries.

Musical settings for most of the prayers are original pop compositions, but a couple of traditional tunes play as well, including a pretty Salve Regina on hammered dulcimer. Visuals range from classical art to children’s drawings to video clips of contemporary life. Kids pray for intentions such as unborn children, victims of war and hunger, clergy, and community “helpers.”
The Holy Father has urged parents to pray the Rosary with their children, especially the Joyful Mysteries. This video will get you going. Then wait and see what can happen when children pray.

30-minute video, $14.99 from CCC of America; call 800-935-2222.

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