Locusts and Wild Honey

A Standard Christian

Tuesday, April 19th, 2005 | General

My friend Jeri Massi, under the pen name Grace Jovian, posted the first instalment of her new novel today. A Standard Christian, a sequel to Secret Radio, follows the life of Grace after leaving an Independent Baptist Bible College. Jeri’s prolific pen has produced riveting stories like Valkyries: Some Through the Fire and Valkyries: All Through the Blood, as well as several children’s books. Recently she has turned to self publishing to address a niche audience with this two part blog style offering.

The first, Secret Radio (now available in print) looked at the struggles of Grace while attending the fictitious “Greater Independent Baptist College” that possessed an uncanny resemblance to a particular Bible college I attended for a couple of years in the mid 80s. Her frank story telling worked as a faultfinder magnet within Independent Fundamental Baptist circles. Some people felt she crossed the line with her thick plot development. One critic went so far as to call it “linguistic porn” due to the mature audience subject matter of one of the sub-plots. Personally, I felt that she steered far clear of salaciousness and treated the scandal with grace.

In the opening scene of A Standard Christian we see the blossoming wild side of Grace. Jeri assures readers that missing the GIBC saga will not detract from following the ensuing narrative, but you may still want to order a print copy to get the full effect. Jeri will post daily episodes, Monday through Friday, for the next 13 weeks. I look forward to watching A Standard Christian unfold and seeing Grace mature in the coming days.

3 Comments to A Standard Christian

Jeri Massi
4/20/2005

Don, Thanks for the link to A STANDARD CHRISTIAN! The problem of a “culture of cover-up” prompted the open declaration in SECRET RADIO of a sin that has occurred all too often in more than one hyper-authoritarian IFB schools. It’s my continuing prayer that Fundamentalism will return to a Biblical form of discipline and internal purity and openly rebuke the gross sins that have been allowed to flourish under its wings.

Meanwhile, survivors and graduates of such places have found SECRET RADIO a blessing, and I am hoping that A STANDARD CHRISTIAN reassures, encourages (and yes, entertains) the people who have struggled over their personal histories in such places as GIBC.

Best wishes,
Jeri

Ingrid Schlueter
5/3/2005

Secret Radio was not only instructive but thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks for letting people know about part 2, A Standard Christian. I don’t miss one installment. Jeri has helped me put in perspective what I have seen for years in fundamentalism. I also appreciate that she puts some characters in her book within fundamentalism that aren’t like the rest. It shows that God works, even in dark places and that His grace can find us even in the midst of unbiblical teachings.

Jeri Massi
5/4/2005

Wow! Thanks Ingrid! How about if you go put this comment on the STANDARD CHRISTIAN blog? Every bit of recommendation helps!

Jeri/(Grace)

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