New!
Author resources • Lorehaven Guild
Podcast sponsors • Subscribe for free
Crew manifest Faith statement FAQs
All author resources Lorehaven Guild Subscribe for free

Into the Darkness
Reviews, Feb 3, 2023

The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail
Jenneth Dyck in Articles, Feb 2, 2023

Rose Petals and Snowflakes
Book Quests, Feb 1, 2023

Library

Find fantastical Christian novels

fantasy · sci-fi · and beyond
middle grade · young adult · grown-ups
All novels Search Add a novel
Canaan Sleeps, Daniel Camomile
Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
The Genesis 6 Project, Michael Ferguson
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
Aberration, Cathy McCrumb
The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
Dream of Kings, Sharon Hinck
The Change, Bradley Caffee
Quest of Fire: Desperation, Brett Armstrong
Wishtress, Nadine Brandes
Podcast

Get the Fantastical Truth podcast

Podcast sponsors | Subscribe links
Archives Feedback

147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
Fantastical Truth, Jan 31, 2023

146. How Did Animators Adapt The Wingfeather Saga For Streaming TV? | with Keith Lango
Fantastical Truth, Jan 24, 2023

145. How Did Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ Shape Christian Fantasy? | with Rebecca K. Reynolds
Fantastical Truth, Jan 17, 2023

144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 10, 2023

143. Which Top Ten Lorehaven Stories Proved Most Popular in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 6, 2023

142. What Christmas Gift ‘Tools, Not Toys’ Helped You Grow As a Person?
Fantastical Truth, Dec 20, 2022

Quests

Join our monthly digital book quests.

Lorehaven Guild Faith statement FAQs

Rose Petals and Snowflakes
Book Quests, February 2023

Prince Caspian
Book Quests, January 2023

Dream of Kings
Book Quests, December 2022

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Book Quests, November 2022

Reviews

Find fantastical Christian reviews

All reviews Request review

Into the Darkness
“Charles Hack’s Into the Darkness summons a close-range science fiction story, focusing on the personal challenges of space warfare among alien cultures with a steady pace and serious tone.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 3, 2023

A Crown of Chains
“A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2023

Lander’s Legacy
“Lander’s Legacy stacks modern thrills and complex characters on a foundation of biblical what-ifs.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 20, 2023

Prince Caspian
“Pacing starts slow but creature lore grows in C. S. Lewis’s sequel, introducing practical tyrants and talking-beast politics into a Narnian resistance.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 13, 2023

Gifts

Find new gifts for Christian fans

Archives

The original SpecFaith: est. 2006

Speculative Faith | archives

Lorehaven issues (2018–2020)

Order back issues online!
New
Library
Podcast
Quests
Reviews
Gifts
Archives
Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
Subscribe free to Lorehaven
/ SpecFaith /

Birth Of A Christian Speculative Novel

Speculative: based on conjecture rather than knowledge. Faith: trust in a person or thing. Those two words sum up my writing journey—where I’ve been and, by God’s mercy, where I’m headed. My goal with this post is to glorify the […]
Matt Koceich on Sep 24, 2010
No comments

Speculative: based on conjecture rather than knowledge.

Faith: trust in a person or thing.

Those two words sum up my writing journey—where I’ve been and, by God’s mercy, where I’m headed. My goal with this post is to glorify the One who makes everything possible. For He is the Person I trust. In Him, I speculate…about the unseen things of this world and the one to come.

As I sit down to write this, my wife shared with me a section of Scripture that deals with idols and how everything without God is really nothing at all. That said, my early days of writing were pure idolatry. I found my worth in the false hope of becoming published.

I speculated about worldly things. I idolized the “published” life.

I remember researching the Garden of Eden back in 1998. I wrote a rough draft of The Sending under a different title and the result was a secular novel with many speculative features but zero faith.

Then in 2004, I was on my own road to Damascus when I experienced Jesus in a life changing way. Long story short, I surrendered to Him. Not in a 90/10 sort of way like I had been doing. Maybe you can relate. My dialogue with the Creator of the universe went something like this: “Lord, here’s my life, but I’d like to try and control this writing gift. You know, I’ll write a novel and pray it gets published with all that I have instead of pursuing you.” In the deepest part of my soul, I felt the nudge to flesh out my manuscript and rewrite major sections to reflect my new love relationship with Christ.

At the time, I entered my manuscript in the Christian Writers Guild’s Operation First Novel. I didn’t win that year, but I still have the letter that said I placed as a semifinalist. For me, it was God’s gentle whisper to keep on writing.

Now I speculate about God things and my writing is for his glory not mine. I worship the “God” life. As writers, we are called to proclaim the good news. We need not worry about the outcome. Speculate on how much we are loved by our heavenly Father and have faith that the worlds and words you create are good in His sight.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the Tree of Life. The cherubim placed at Eden’s entrance were to prevent Adam, Eve and others from returning to the garden and eating the fruit from the Tree of Life. Lest they live forever.

I wanted to explore the Garden of Eden; God’s first home for his children. The Tree of Life is the Bible’s bookends appearing in both Genesis and Revelation. Together it was the setting I needed to write about.

The Sending is a journey to find real faith that has the supernatural power to carry a person through the painful ruins of a broken world. My lead, Mark Grant, has a unique ability called remote viewing which allows him to see distant places. He gets hired to locate the Garden of Eden. Antagonist Konrad Lynch uses Mark’s gift to locate the Tree of Life, the key to eternal life.

There is a greater plan at work as the armies of darkness have found a way to reclaim their place in heaven. To do so, they must escape their ultimate death in the lake of fire by using Mark as their human host. The fruit of the Tree of Life will solidify their insidious plan. So Mark is sent to find the way back into Eden—and his family is kidnapped to insure his compliance.

Racing time to find them and the Tree of Life, Mark must decide if he’s willing to lose his faith to save his soul.

That’s The Sending in a nutshell. I thank the Lord for Jeff Gerke and Marcher Lord Press for giving me the opportunity to share my story. One day we’ll all be in heaven and see the Tree of Life right there in the middle of Paradise. Just the way God intended it to be.

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!

The Sending, Matt Koceich, Marcher Lord Press (October 2010)

Matt Koceich
Author of The Sending (Marcher Lord Press - Oct.2010). Day job-school teacher in Arlington, Texas. My wife and I have four children. By God's grace we were able to adopt a baby boy from Ethiopia this past February. What a journey.
Website ·
  1. Tweets that mention Speculative Faith: Birth of a Christian Speculative Novel -- Topsy.com says:
    September 25, 2010 at 2:02 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Speculative Faith, E. Stephen Burnett. E. Stephen Burnett said: "The Sending" author Matt Koceich on Spec-Faith explores secular vs. God-glorifying speculative stories: http://bit.ly/d8l8L4 […]

    Reply

What do you think? Cancel reply

Lorehaven magazine, spring 2020

Wear the wonder:
Get exclusive shirts and beyond

Listen to Lorehaven’s podcast

Authors and publishers:
Reach new fans with Lorehaven

Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
Website · Facebook · Instagram · Twitter