The Bethlehem Star
The Bethlehem Star is a 50-page e-magazine of historical fiction for the month of Jesus’ birth, a one-time-only publication of Scripture on Stage of Livonia, Michigan, with fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering all the various Nativity stories from the Infancy Narratives of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, with a bunch of extra stories, sports, weather, letters to our readers, etc. to enhance the experience of immersion in the events and people of this time. It is written by John Dzwonkowski, M.A. Theology, former 9-year (college & grad school) seminarian with The Maryknoll Fathers of New York, retired Director of Religious Education for his own St. Priscilla Catholic Parish, and current Master Catechist with the Archdiocese of Detroit. John is also a Catholic playwright, having written, produced, and directed 25+ plays, primarily exploring the great variety of emotions, challenges, struggles, conflicts, and joys surrounding the ministry of Jesus, but especially the events of his birth, and then of his passion, death, and resurrection. John is also the co-founder of St. Priscilla's Movie & Drama Ministry; as well as his own theatrical venture of 30 years so far, Scripture on Stage; through which he performs live 60 and 90-minute theatrical productions of An Evening with Simon Peter, An Evening with St. Joseph, and Peter & Magdalen ...on Jesus, all for solely a Free Will Offering to various parishes throughout the Detroit Archdiocese, complete with myriad emotion-charged music, stage lighting, multiple props, and even a 14' tall Roman crucifix that is used by Peter to demonstrate how this was done by the Romans. John has also published through his Scripture on Stage a comparable fictional e-mag of 58 pages, The Jerusalem Star, supposedly published in Jerusalem of the 1st century on the Sunday evening of Jesus' resurrection. Here we again have a variety of fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering the various events of Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection, but from their close-up point of view.
The Bethlehem Star is a 50-page e-magazine of historical fiction for the month of Jesus’ birth, a one-time-only publication of Scripture on Stage of Livonia, Michigan, with fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering all the various Nativity stories from the Infancy Narratives of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, with a bunch of extra stories, sports, weather, letters to our readers, etc. to enhance the experience of immersion in the events and people of this time.
It is written by John Dzwonkowski, M.A. Theology, former 9-year (college & grad school) seminarian with The Maryknoll Fathers of New York, retired Director of Religious Education for his own St. Priscilla Catholic Parish, and current Master Catechist with the Archdiocese of Detroit. John is also a Catholic playwright, having written, produced, and directed 25+ plays, primarily exploring the great variety of emotions, challenges, struggles, conflicts, and joys surrounding the ministry of Jesus, but especially the events of his birth, and then of his passion, death, and resurrection.
John is also the co-founder of St. Priscilla's Movie & Drama Ministry; as well as his own theatrical venture of 30 years so far, Scripture on Stage; through which he performs live 60 and 90-minute theatrical productions of An Evening with Simon Peter, An Evening with St. Joseph, and Peter & Magdalen ...on Jesus, all for solely a Free Will Offering to various parishes throughout the Detroit Archdiocese, complete with myriad emotion-charged music, stage lighting, multiple props, and even a 14' tall Roman crucifix that is used by Peter to demonstrate how this was done by the Romans.
John has also published through his Scripture on Stage a comparable fictional e-mag of 58 pages, The Jerusalem Star, supposedly published in Jerusalem of the 1st century on the Sunday evening of Jesus' resurrection. Here we again have a variety of fictional 1st century Jewish reporters covering the various events of Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection, but from their close-up point of view.
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The Bethlehem Star
Pg. XLVI
The Prayer of the Shepherds
by Tobias ben Prehin
Twas the night before Hanukkah, and we sat on the hill,
Watching our sheep on this cold night so still.
The hills and the trees ‘neath a blanket of snow,
And the new star above made them sparkle below.
The peace in the air was new to us all,
No wolves, no bears, ...no nothing at all.
My father, he sat with my uncles and spoke,
Of the rumors of old that the new star awoke.
How someday from our Bethlehem town,
Would arrive a Savior. But no one knew how...
Or when or where or who He might be.
We’d all been waiting a long time, you see.
We’d learned of three wise men who’d come from the
East,
Bearing fine gifts and preparing a feast,
For a new baby born in a stable, folks said,
But my father just laughed; he just shook his head.
Then all of a sudden I woke with alarm!
Papa had grabbed me firm by the arm.
“Listen,” he whispered, “My brothers, awake!”
The fire was strong; yet I couldn’t help but shake.
There must be a wolf or a bear prowling near!
But Papa just stared..., put his hand to his ear.
We listened, and soon we all heard it too;
But none of us spoke; we were too scared to move.
The sound was of voices; couldn’t yet hear the words;
But the harmony, tone—like none we had heard.
Then, one by one, they came into sight,
A hundred or more, and all dressed in white.
I’d not seen nor heard such beauty before,
Then scrunched next to Papa, “What is this all for?”
He held me close in his arms, “I don’t know.”
...This chorus, the star, ‘midst the new fallen snow.
“A warrior baby will never survive;
‘Least not as long as Herod’s alive.
And if it is true that He’s poor, just like us;
Then why does everyone make such a fuss?”
He reached for his flute, my uncle, his lyre;
As I warmed my hands by stoking the fire.
Then followed their tune, tapping lightly my drum,
And the night air carried my rum-pum-pum-pum.
As we played I thought, “What’s so different tonight?”
The sheep gathered near, began huddling so tight.
Their tiny bells jingled, the sound made me smile,
And soon I fell into sleep for awhile...
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