The preacher said:

"I'd like to welcome you all, to our service today

I know that many of you, have come a long way,

This church preaches the gospel of Christ each week

And it offers hope to all those that seek

To know of the God that created it all

From the small butterfly and the insects that crawl,

To the stars in the heavens in sky at night

And the birds of the air as they wing in flight.

Who is this Jesus? is our sermon today

We will learn why he came and then went away,

A personal testimony, is how I will start

Perhaps you'll understand, once you know all of my heart."

    [The preacher was slow and he took his time

    As if searching for something that he couldn't find.

    A sadness he bore; in his face a regret,

    But a twinkle in his eye, said his needs had been met,

    That he was convinced, I heard in his voice

    But I didn't believe I still had a choice]

The Preacher said:

"My name is James, in Nazareth raised

By God-loving parents, Jesus be praised,

Some reasons they gave, for the way that things were

Some hurtful to me as a sinner for sure,

Like when it finally dawned on me what sacrifice meant

And to the Temple with dove in hand I went,

But perfect big Brother didn't sacrifice with me

He didn't have to because He was sinless you see,

And my parents weren't perfect, and mistakes were made

And it seemed to me, that I never made the grade,

I just couldn't compete with my big Brother God

With the shoes that He wore, I'd never be shod."

    [Now I related to all that the preacher said

    Seemed he'd reached inside me and opened up my head.]

The Preacher said:

"Now I was very strong and foolish, and very young,

Thinking I knew all, I had no wisdom,

So big Brother came to me one summer day

And said, "James why do you always push me away?

I saw you, loved you, and came here for you

So that you could begin your whole life anew."

But I was impulsive, strong-willed, thick-headed and dumb

I have so much regret, my mind sometimes goes numb,

Why couldn't I see what was in front of my eyes?

Why did I continue God's gift to despise?

I could have reached out and took the hand of my Lord

Instead inside me resentment and hatred I stored,

I looked at Him and I yelled in His face

"I didn't ask you to come to this place!"

"So don't think of me as a brother," I said,

"From this point on, to me you are dead!"

    [The preacher had to stop, there were tears in his eyes,

    For a  very long time, it seemed, he stood there and cried.]

Then the Preacher said:

"I saw big Brother grow till He was thirty years old

He took over the ministry of John the Bold,

His fame had grown far and wide

But I tried to escape it, I was so full of pride,

Each time that I saw Him, He would proclaim His love

And make sure I knew it was from God above,

But I ignored Him, turned my back, walked away

I payed no attention till that very day

That they nailed His feet and His hand to the tree

And I cried like a baby, "It should have been me!"

"O Jesus, I'm sorry!" I yelled at the sky

And for the life of me I'll never know why,

Because I still didn't believe, anything He said

All I knew for sure was my brother was dead.

But in three day's time, Jesus came to me

At first my mind said, "This can not be!"

But He stood there in front of me, how sweet

I threw myself down and wept at His feet,"

    [ I was struck in the heart, and I started to fear

    If just one more word came in my ear

    That I would die!  (But I hadn't died yet)

    I too was sorrowful, full of regret,

    I'd treated our brother so shameful, so mean

    From a very small child and all through my teens.]

The Preacher said:

"My half-brother Jesus died for you all

And paid for the sin left from Adam's great fall,

He will forgive every sin that you've ever done

He paid for them all, and over evil has won."

 

Then I slowly moved ahead in the crowd

My brother James called my name right out loud,

"Joseph, my brother, why have you come?"

"I came," I said, "to accept God's own Son."