Dear Friends:

This years poem was inspired by the bulletin cover for Christmas Eve 
containing the painting "Adoration of the Shepherds." And I confess, the tune of "Baby what you gonna be" was running through my mind as I wrote it. For about fifteen years now, at Christmas and Easter I have not sent out big letters pleading for special offerings for the season. I just send out the poem on the seasonal letter head and throw in a seasonal giving envelope. The offering has never diminished. Which says something, I guess, about the effectiveness of pleading for funds in the first place. At any rate, some 
have enjoyed this in years past, it is one of my few offerings to the group. Christmas 2000 "Mary's Joy."

Jesus,
Joy of all my labor,
Joy within my womb,
Joy and my delight.

Jesus,
Baby of the stable,
Baby of the darkness,
Baby of the light.

Jesus, 
Child of Angel promise,
Child of ancient longing,
Child of wondrous sign.

Jesus,
Hope of all the prophets,
Hope of our ancestors,
Hope of David's line.

Jesus,
King of beasts and wise men,
King of sheep and shepherds,
King of my heart, too.

Jesus,
Born for me in my time,
Born for all the ages,
Born this night for you.


(c) Steve Petty, Dec. 2000
RevSteveP@AOL.COM
Steve Petty
St. Andrew's By-the-Sea
United Methodist Church
San Clemente, CA 
(949) 492-2537