The Shepherd's Prayer

THE SHEPHERD'S PRAYER tells the story of Jesus' birth from the viewpoint of nearby shepherds who were first-hand observers of the wondrous heavenly visitation surrounding the events of the day. How would simple herdsmen have reacted to an angelic visit, heaven opening up and bursting forth upon the countryside and the Lord, Himself, lying as a vulnerable baby in a rude cattle stall? Herod's atrocities, the bitterness of the bereaved parents, the shunning of the Jews which would eventually cost Jesus his life, are all tenderly but faithfully depicted in this simple story. There are a few contemporary Christian authors who have a gift for retelling familiar Bible stories from a different perspective and engaging the reader in a compelling, interesting, simple way: Gene Edwards, Philip Yancy, and now, Richard Barry are certainly among those. SHEPHERD's PRAYER is also a reminder that all believers have a place in the royal lineage in the kingdom of God. Through Jesus to Abraham, today's faithful are partakers of this wonderful story and heirs to the stable as well as to the heavenly realm. This is a sweet story for all ages.

Wow! This thought-provoking novel took me on a spiritual journey down a path that I'd never considered before. As many encounters as I've had with the Christmas story, it never occurred to me how the event affected the people of Bethlehem. Told from the perspective of the community who lost their young sons in the Slaughter of the Innocents gave a heartwrenching humanity to the story and a deeper understanding into why Jesus faced so much resistance throughout His mission. The book is written with extraordinary attention to detail, masterfully drawing the reader into the setting alongside the shepherds who witnessed the event, inspiring the powerful emotions of actually being in that time and place. Long after the final pages were read, I remained in a reflective state of peaceful spirituality. Don't let the small size of this book fool you, as it packs a tremendous punch! It will surely touch your heart.

The Shepherd's Prayer reminds me of the classic "The Other Wise Man" by Henry Van Dyke...a simple tale showing another perspective of Jesus' birth and life. Richard Barry tells the story of the Shepherds' experience of the nativity, focusing on the angels' appearing, their proclamation and the visit to the manger. The story immediately captures the reader's interest and attention as a mother frantically rides into the Judean wilderness to escape Herod's henchmen butchering the babes in Bethlehem. He then tells a magnificently simple, profound story of a young man searching for his identity and for the significance of a man named Jesus born 30 years earlier. Richard Barry captures the aurora surrounding the angels visit to the shepherds and their visit to the manger. What really speaks to the reader is a visit by Jesus 30 years later to the same shepherds and to the main character who finally finds his identity and heritage. The Shepherd's Prayer is sure to become a favorite of mine to give to others at Christmas or Easter. It is a short but powerful book proclaiming the miracle of Jesus' birth and life, as well as telling of the tragedy surrounding his birth in Bethlehem. The Spirit of Christmas speaks through this book and I think touches every reader's heart. Any member of family can read it and appreciate the story. Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

The Shepherd's Prayer is a superb novel about the Christmas story from two rarely considered perspectives. The protagonist, Anam, is a survivor of Herod's infamous slaughter of the innocents, where he sought to kill all male babies in the area where Jesus was born who might have been the much prophesied Messiah. Additionally, this story focuses on the viewpoint of the shepherds who proclaimed Christ's birth. It is a well written book with very good character development. The author brings us a look at a very well known story through the eyes of those not usually given much consideration. This story is exciting and hard to put down. Mr. Barry obviously has some solid talent both in terms of idea creation and writing. I hope that this is just the first of many novels from him. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages and those who are Christians and those who are just seeking.

So many stories have been written about the birth of Christ that it seems unlikely that an author could write a book with a different slant about the Christmas story. However, Richard M. Barry does just that in this creative view of Christ's birth. His main characters are Anam, a young man whose mother died trying to save him from Herod's wrath during the Slaughter of the Innocents, and the shepherds who heard about Jesus from an angel sent by God. Barry's book not only tells the Christmas story in a creative way, but he makes it very human and believable by relating it through the eyes of his main characters. This book presents the Gospel in a new and different way and is recommended reading for believers and non-believers alike.