News of the Hour (Marks Gospel)

News of the Hour (Mark's Gospel)
Peter Bolt & Tony Payne,
St. Matthias Press. 90 pages
ISBN 1 873166 27-3

Mark's Gospel is the latest in St. Matthias Press's growing range of interactive Bible studies. Intended for individual use or small groups, News of the Hour is less a commentary, more a guided tour through Mark. It can be supplemented by a taped set of sermons by Phil Jensen.
Many of us have been brought up with the Gospel stories and yet are surprisingly unfamiliar with the Gospel story. This study guide, dividing Mark into 10 sessions, helps us see how the big picture unfolds. Each section begins with a contemporary ice-breaker (you can tell which preachers use St. Matthias Press material these days by the introductions to our sermons!), followed by comments and questions that get us digging into the text and 'Think it Through' sections to get us working at the implications of what we've just been studying.
News of the Hour is strong on Mark's OT roots: but what about help with the long ending of the Gospel. You'll have to look elsewhere for that. In the meantime, well done St. Matthias Press. Keep it up!

Richard Underwood