The distinguished United Methodist bishop, Dr. Gerald Kennedy, once told the story of seeing a very poorly dressed woman and her young daughter looking into one of the department store windows in the downtown area of a large city during the Christmas holidays. Inside the window was the manger scene, including Mary dressed as the Queen Of Heaven, with rich diamonds and other jewels in her dazzling crown. The little girl gazed at the Blessed Mother for a while and then turned to her own mother and said, "She''s so beautiful! I bet she never had any troubles like we do, did she?"

Many of you have heard the radio commentator Paul Harvey say, "Now let me tell you the rest of the story." I want to do exactly that today concerning Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, as we set the stage for the "K…