Joe’s View of it all
Rainbow Mennonite Church
Advent IV, 2003
Joe:Joy to the World, oh just
Joy to the World! I am so excited
Pastor: I can see that, sir. Who are you?
Joe:Why, I’m Joseph of Nazareth, a carpenter, I guess
I use Joe mostly.
Pastor: Oh, that Joseph.
Joe.
But right now I’m a dad and that matters
More to me than anything else.
Pastor: Uh, sir, Joe, the scriptures say you didn’t have much part here.
Joe: Well, sir, if you’ve ever been present for a birth
You know it doesn’t matter what has been written
I’m so excited right now.
Our baby has been born!! This baby boy to Mary and to me.
(move down to lower steps)
Oh, I suppose you learned types have your theories but
To me it was for real. Have you ever been at a birth?
Pastor: Why yes, of course, but isn’t this different? Isn’t this…
Joe: (ignoring the pastor) I actually helped him be born.
We were together the whole night
We were alone you know. …not much of a place to be born, I guess
and Mary was working so hard and she just wouldn’t give up.
She was so beautiful.
And then, suddenly, he was coming out and then
He was crying and I was checking to see if he was OK.
It was like nothing I ever experienced and yet it was like everything all rolled into one.
It was like the world stopped
And then the world suddenly warmed up. Like everything was clearer, better.
Having a baby is amazing!!
At that moment, I felt like my heart was going to burst!
I took him in my arms and held him
And I knew it
I was a dad and there was no going back. I was so happy!
Mary was so beautiful and she knew just what to do. Me, I was just happy!
So happy, I hugged him, I hugged her, why I even hugged the donkey!
Pastor: Well, OK, but what will you do? You know the scriptures say…
Joe: Well, he’s my son now, too. Call it adoption or whatever it doesn’t matter.
I will be the dad.
I am going to work hard and make a home
I will just do the best I can.
God has these plans, I guess
But I still need to be the dad to this baby boy.
Right now, it doesn’t matter that we are poor,
That we really don’t even have a place to stay.
I’m just an unemployed carpenter….don’t even have a job right now!
But, it will be alright, I know it will.
Pastor: Well, Joe, God’s blessings to you, I guess
Joe: Yes, that’s it…it’s a blessing. It’s God’s blessing.
Birth is God’s blessing. That’s how I feel.
Oh, and I know what I’m going to call him.
Pastor: Why, yes, the scriptures foretold that. The Great Redeemer, mighty counselor…..
Joe: Oh, I know they say it’s Jesus Christ, the Son of God . But I’m going to give him a name from me. Something that is real to me.
I’m going to call him J.C.
Joy to the World, sir
Pastor: Yes, Joy to the World.
Congregation sings “Joy to the World.”
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