Christian & Bible-Based Historical Fiction

 

When Mary Met Joseph,

The Love Story that Gave Us Christmas

Yes, we’ve all heard the story of the first Christmas a thousand times over, right out of the Infancy Narratives–the first two chapters–of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. But I’m going to guarantee you’ve never heard it told quite like this: that is, by Mary and Joseph themselves.

So grab a cup of hot cocoa, settle comfortably into your favorite recliner right in front of the fireplace–wait until it’s snowing at least a foot or so outside the window–and enjoy Mary’s heartwarming take on the trials and tribulations she endured, … ahem, being the most perfect woman ever created by a loving God, as every marriageable fella in Nazareth began pestering her father for her hand. And, if it hadn’t been for her God stepping in occasionally, nudging her here and there a little, she might never have stumbled onto her Joseph.

And whoa is poor Joseph as well, being quite a bit older than all of his fellow carpenter and stonecutter friends, most of whom had already been married by the time they reached 17. And he’s WAY over that! So they kid him from all sides about his crazy notion of praying for God to match him up with some woman. Well, they tell him, that’s his problem right there! But then one of them talks about this Mary woman he’d met who was, in the words of the town matchmaker, “everything any man could ever want, but one whom few men would be worthy of.”

But the divinely-ordained adventure rapidly accelerates once they finally meet, fall in love, get  betrothed, only to have both Joseph and Mary on the brink of depression when Mary turns up with child, but not Joseph’s.

But once again God offers a crucial assist, and so we continue the story, from their combined points of view now, as they tell us what really happened on that magical journey to Bethlehem for the census, with the snow bearing down, no room in an inn, and how it happened that they ended up in a back-alley stable, with only the hapless, completely inexperienced and clueless Joseph to assist with the birth. It clearly took a miracle. But then the shepherds and magi from the east show up that same night with some astounding revelations, and a few foreboding warnings.

The story closes with their personal account of the circumcision of their son, their presentation of him in the Temple, and even how they experienced the horrible slaughter of the innocents at the order of King Herod, forcing them to escape, but only by the grace of God again, as they embark on their flight to Egypt.

The final extensive chapter of this work attempts to explain the author’s reasons for handling these various episodes in the manner he does. It is simply a possible, slightly plausible historical fiction, to be sure, but one that does not contradict anything presented to us by Matthew or Luke. In fact, the story treats their Gospel stories as history, plain and simple, even though all Biblical scholars recognize that is simply not the case. It is, however, the story we have all been raised with.

The primary purpose in writing a story like this is to bring alive for readers the persons of Mary and Joseph as people very much like all of us, with many of the same challenges and emotions we all encounter, although with the understanding that this man and woman were likely cut from a slightly better cloth than any of us.

 

The Jerusalem Star

The very private news magazine of the Faithful Chosen of the Lord

on the Eastern Frontier of the Empire of Rome.

The 60-page historical fiction e-magazine from 1st century Jerusalem, published on the evening of the very first Easter Sunday, with our Jewish reporters covering all the events of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, but from their own close-up point of view.

Also included, in a tongue-in-cheek attempt to hang on to our more youthful readers, as well as help readers immerse themselves more easily into the first-century world, are additional tongue-in-cheek Sports pages, weather reports, spoof ads galore, a coupla wise, maybe funny additions, a crossword puzzle, and even a student quiz to see how well our readers, especially young students, have learned about these history-making events just from reading this mag.

Admittedly, a few of the stories get necessarily heavy at time; but we’re hoping that readers will find this to be an educational, sometimes inspirational, occasionally emotional, but nonetheless an enjoyable immersion into these most important events at the very foundation of our faith lives. We hope you’ll find the time you spend with this publication, particularly during the holy season of Lent, to be a quiet, yet moving meditation on these earth-shaking events.

The Voice of Jerusalem is an audiobook version of The Jerusalem Star newspaper, covering all the same stories, ads, jokes, and everything else, but as a fictional radio program, complemented by tons of background music and sound effects to further enhance the listener’s experience, helping them to more fully immerse themselves in these remarkable events of the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord as they may have been experienced by those who were right there.

Major Stories included in the Jerusalem Star and The Voice of Jerusalem are as follows:

  • Pulled … from the Editor’s Fire Pit
  • From Our Readers
  • An Interview with Pontius Pilate
  • Yeshua of Galilee Trial a Mockery of Justice
  • Today’s Weather
  • Crossword Puzzle of the Week
  • Suicide Note Attributed to Judas, One of “The Twelve”
  • Point-counterpoint – Was this Jesus the Messiah?
  • Sport Pages
  • Death Trek to Calvary Demonstrates Impact of Galilean
  • Earthquake Rocks Sabbath Prayer
  • Just IV Fun
  • A Crucifixion Like None Other This Reporter Has Witnessed
  • Special on Holy Land Excursions!
  • Resurrection: Elaborate Hoax? or Messianic Miracle?
  • How Well Have You Readd The Jerusalem Star? A Little Quiz
  • Obituary: Jesus the Galilean – The Legacy of a Man of Our God

The Bethlehem Star

The Bethlehem Star is a 50-page historical fiction e-magazine from Bethlehem for the week of the very first Christmas. The major stories are based on the Infancy narratives of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, often embellishing, but never contradicting, what is accepted as accurate by Scripture scholars and historians. The jokes and other stuff are, …um, …all made up, but are intended to help readers step back in time to these most wondrous days of the beginning of the life of our Savior.

The Voice of Bethlehem is an audiobook version of The Bethlehem Star newspaper, covering all the same stories, ads, jokes, and everything else, but as a fictional radio program, complemented by tons of background music and sound effects to further enhance the listener’s experience, helping them to more fully immerse themselves in these remarkable events of the very first Christmas, possibly as 1st-century Bethlehemites might have learned of them.

Major Stories included in The Bethlehem Star and The Voice of Bethlehem are as follows:

  • Bright Star Over Bethlehem Said to be Sign of Birth of Long-Awaited Messiah!
  • Carpenter of Nazareth Claims to be Witness to Miracle of Peace on Journey.
  • King Herod said to be “excited” by III Magi Visitors Looking for Newborn King
  • What is Going on Around Here? Putting the New Phenomena Together.
  • Spirit of Giving Brings Chaos to People of Bethlehem.
  • Shepherds Startled by Nighttime Apparition.
  • Unusual Births Cited by Local Midwife.
  • in Sports:
    • Gladiator Champions in Jerusalem showdown
    • Chariot Races to Honor Caesar Augustus
  • Keeping an Eye on the Royals
  • Fun Things to Do with all that Snow!
  • Travel Worries Eased by Pax Romana.
  • The Star Classifieds
  • The Prayer of the Shepherds

An Evening with Simon Peter

 

An Evening with Simon Peter

CHRISTIAN THESPIANS:

PLEASE CONSIDER PERFORMING THIS PROGRAM DURING LENT AND EASTERTIME!

 

This is the script for a theatrical presentation: 90-minutes, 2-act, 1-actor, with 30+ pieces of emotional royalty-free music, a variety of professional theatrical lighting, a map of 1st-century Palestine and of Jerusalem, a bonfire pit, as well as an authentic Roman flagrum (whip used for the scourging).

John has been performing this at parish and local theater communities, primarily during Lent and Eastertime, for over 30 years, and always to a standing ovation, it seems.

The person of Simon Peter, the lowly Galilean fisherman who became the apostle arguably closest to Jesus, speaks to Christian communities very much like he did 2,000 years ago, telling how he first met this itinerant rabbi from Nazareth, what his first impressions were, what it was like to listen to him speak, and then to watch him begin to heal so many who were afflicted. Peter tells of the private conversations he and Jesus had by the campfire on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and how he grew to admire and then love this man so deeply.

But then he begins to tell the story of his personal experience of his friend’s passion and journey to death, recounting his own disgrace at denying he ever even knew the man, and what transpired in the upper room while his friend was being nailed to a cross. In Act II, six men of the parish reenact a fairly authentic Roman crucifixion, using a 14′ foot cross, as Peter explains how this was done by the Romans. The program concludes with Peter’s uplifting recounting of his experience of the astounding resurrection.

Despite costing John’s Scripture on Stage production company about $400 to put on each program, when performed for a parish, it is always only offered at no charge, but simply for a free will offering from those in attendance. And, through the grace of God, John has always more than covered his costs.

 

 

The Christmas Story … Through the Eyes of Joseph

CHRISTIAN THESPIANS:

PLEASE CONSIDER PERFORMING THIS PROGRAM

DURING ADVENT AND CHRISTMASTIME!

 

This is the script for a theatrical presentation: 60 minutes, 1-act, 1-actor, with 20+ pieces of emotional, royalty-free music, and a variety of professional theatrical lighting.

John has been performing this theatrical program for more than ten years for various Christian parish communities and local theaters, also always to a standing ovation.

Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, the husband of Mary, tells the story of the first Christmas from his own close-up point of view. This is an historical fiction, but based on the Infancy Narratives (Chapters 1 & 2) of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. And yes, these chapters are heavy with metaphor and symbolism, but Joseph treats them as history, pure and simple, because this is the story we all have heard many times over, although not in quite this personal way.

Joseph tells us how he first heard from his laborer friends about this Mary, “a woman who was everything any man could want, but one whom few men would be worthy of.” Then how he accidentally met her finally, and could feel a sensation in his heart that he’d never known before. He tells us how they soon grew deeply in love, and yet how nervously frightened he was to ask her father for her hand. Once they are betrothed, and then by law must wait one year to be married, his excitement only grows as he begins to build their new home, … until she returns from a visit with her cousin, and is carrying a child who is most certainly not his own. By the grace of God, he is visited one night by an angel who assures him that both he and Mary have been specially chosen. So they journey to Bethlehem for the census, but end up arriving late into the night, in a beautiful, but challenging snowfall, and have to settle for lodging in a lowly stable, where, because Mary is about to give birth, Joseph is left alone as a hapless midwife.

The program ends with the visit of the shepherds, but then, since time has run out for the evening, Joseph suggests the audience can learn of their experience of the rest of the story–the magi, presentation in the temple, slaughter of the innocents, and the flight to Egypt–by maybe picking up the book (or audiobook) you are now holding in your hand, When Mary Met Joseph, The Love Story that Gave Us Christmas.

 

Like An Evening with Simon Peter, and again despite John’s Scripture on Stage production company requiring about $400 to put on this Christmastime program, when performed for a parish, it is always only offered at no charge, but simply for a free will offering from those in attendance. And, through the grace of God, John has always more than covered his costs.

 

Excerpt from Big Things have Small Beginnings-Introduction, by Wes Berry

INTRODUCTION
I chose the title Big Things Have Small Beginnings for this book because I know that I’m living proof of that very truth.

But I’ve found that I was never alone in that. In fact, just about every successful person I’ve met—and I’ve been privileged to have met quite a few—and every successful leader I’ve studied, has in some way or another borne out the same truth. That is, successful people seem to spend a lot more time and energy on small things that unsuccessful people so often seem to neglect.

Did you ever hear the story about the blacksmith who brought down a kingdom? Seems he was being a little careless one day, and so he missed one of the nails in a single horseshoe. Just a little thing, right?

Well, as the story goes, it seems that horseshoe soon worked itself loose on a single hard ride, and the poor horse stumbled and fell. He threw his rider, who was injured badly enough that he wasn’t able to complete his journey. Unfortunately, that meant that the message the rider was carrying never got through to the general for whom it was intended. Had the general received the message in time, he would have waited just that one more day to attack, that is, until the large band of reinforcements could arrive. He didn’t know. So he did attack, as well as he was able. He felt he had no choice And, sad to say, he was resoundingly defeated. But worse, he was the last and best defense of the king. And so the king, and of course the kingdom, was lost.

Man, if only that blacksmith had paid a little more attention
to that seemingly minor detail.

And that’s pretty much what this book is about.

I’m here to tell you that, when you take care of the little
stuff, the big stuff has a real nice way of taking care of itself. And
what I hope to accomplish in these few pages is to help you take
better care of all that little stuff.

I’ve enjoyed a wonderful measure of success, both in my
business and in my life, and I sincerely want the same for you. But
it certainly wasn’t always an easy road to travel. My hope is that, if
you too are starting out on that road, or maybe are already well
along the way and perhaps have hit a couple of ruts, then what I’m
about to tell you might be of assistance to you on your own
journey—in your business—and in your life.

Life is so doggone short. And it’s so doggone precious
when we’re able to live it at a high level, a life of success, a life
that’s full of the deep joy that comes with working toward and
accomplishing very worthwhile goals that make our lives, and the lives of those all around us, just a little bit better for our being here. It doesn’t get any better than that. As far as I can see, if you learn to play in the great game of business, you will also be learning how to play in the great game of life.

I can’t thank you enough for picking up this book. You’re
the kind of person who makes this country, and this world, a much
better place for the ambition you have already shown. I’m pullin’
for you. I really am. How I wish we had many more like you.

Soooo, how about we get started?

I know choosing a writer is a bit of a commitment, you have lots of options and want to know you’re making the right choice. I’d be happy to discuss your project and see if I’m a good fit.

Please fill out the questionnaire to give me a little background on your project and we can discuss further, either via phone, zoom, or email.

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