Merry Christmas and welcome to the St. Martin's Prime Timers Web Page!

We meet each Sunday in the Payne Education Center from 10:10am to 10:50 in rooms 207-209. Advent is the season of Hope and we invite you to join us during this wonderful time of year at St. Martins.

Announcements

A lot will be happening at St. Martin's this month and we hope you will be part of it. Our lesson plan has readings for each week during this season, although we will only be meeting formally on the 18th of the month. Never fear, the bible readings will be posted here each Monday afternoon, even if there won't be a class on Sunday.

Set aside Saturday, December 17th. Rick and Maud Ella Hartley are hosting the Prime Timers Christmas Party! Please RSVP to Maud Ella or Rick by December 10th. Their number is 713-621-0455. There is a charge of $10, which includes dinner. Bring a bottle of your favorite wine!

To reach the Hartley's home:  from 610 go east on Post Oak Blvd to Briar Hollow and turn right. Take the 1st Left (S. Briar Hollow Lane) and go one-half block to Raintree Place (on the left). The Security Guard will direct you to the Hartley's home.

One Nation Under God

All the St. Martin's A.B.F. classes met in the Bagby Parish Hall for a special meeting with James P. Moore, Jr. to hear about his new book and mission, entitled One Nation Under God, the History of Prayer in America.

Mr. Moore is founder and CEO of ATI, formerly known as AmeriTrade International, the global trade and investment banking firm. He was appointed to several positions in the Reagan administration, including Assistant Secretary of Commerce. He also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in international business and corporate ethics at Georgetown University and sits on a number of corporate and non-profit boards.

He became interested in how prayer and spirituality affected American history and found that very little was written on the topic. He spent the next six years doing extensive research, spanning archives in the Library of Congress to the rare book rooms of seminary and university libraries, resulting in the release in November of the book.

This book will be followed up by a PBS documentary and the John Templeton Foundation is providing funding to make this and his other materials available in schools across the country.

The book, CD and audio version of the book, with famous and other people reading the prayers is available in bookstores, and at the St. Martin's Gift Shop.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

The Rev. Maurice L. "Rusty" Goldsmith. D.D.
713/985-3831
rgoldsmith@stmartinsepiscopal.org

Leader

All of the A.B.F. classes were combined this week to hear former Assistant Secretary of Commerce James P. Moore, Jr. tell about his new book/mission One Nation Under God.

If you haven't seen the St. Martin's stained glass windows up close, you owe it to yourself to take the Docent's Tour of our New Church, on Sundays 12:30-1:30pm, and Wednesdays and Fridays 10:45am-12:30pm. Group Tours are available by appointment (713-830-4117)

 The Lesson for Sunday, December 18th is titled "Hope for Those Who Suffer"

Key Verse:  Luke 1:50

Focus of the Lesson:  Suffering is an inescapable aspect of human life, and some suffer far more than others. What hope can we have in the midst of our suffering, whatever it may be? Isaiah's words affirm that Jesus suffered as we do and, indeed, freed us by his willingness to suffer even more on our behalf. Mary's song in Luke celebrates the release from suffering that will be brought about by her yet-unborn child.

The reading is Isaiah 53:1-3; Luke 1:47-55. This text is from the New International Version^®.

   1 Who has believed our message
        and to whom has the arm of the LORD been
        revealed?

   2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
       and like a root out of dry ground.
   He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
   nothing in his appearance that we should desire
       him.

   3 He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
   Like one from whom men hide their faces
      he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Luke 1:47-55

   47 And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
  48 for he has been mindful
   of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
   49 for the Mighty One has done great things for 
    me—
   holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
   he has scattered those who are proud in their
     inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
   but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
   but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
   remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
   even as he said to our fathers."


NIV®