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|
July 22, 2007 "Your Actions, Your
Consequences" |
Welcome to the St. Martin's Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship web page.
Prime Timers meet in the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, Sunday from 10:10 to 10:50am. While the class is geared towards people aged fifty to sixty-four, don't let that stop you! We always welcome new members and whatever your age you are invited.
This summer until the end of August our class is studying the Prophets: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Lamentations (traditionally ascribed to Jeremiah), Ezekiel, Zechariah and Malachi. These prophets proclaimed God's word over several hundred years, but their message was consistent: A faithful relationship with God entails specific requirements, one of which is to do right. What do you think? We'd be honored to have you join our class!
Ben Welmaker is teaching the Prime Timers in July.
A Reason to Hope
Today our class, led by Ben Welmaker, is exploring the Old Testament Prophet Habakkuk. Ben wanted us to appreciate this text as a Bible text that is beautiful on its own. You can judge for yourself, Habakkuk is only three chapters. Here it is from the New Revised Standard Version St. Martin's uses as its reference Bible: Habakkuk One, Two and Three. Here it is in Old Faithful, the King James Version: Habakkuk. And finally in our class favorite the New International Version, Habakkuk One, Two and Three. Remember that the King James version was written in the 1600's, when King James I in 1604 authorized a new translation, and as our mentor the Rev. Massey Gentry reminded us, some of the changes we see in our more recent bibles come from newly discovered texts.
While our reading is from the second chapter, the book of Habakkuk is divided into three sections, Habakkuk's complaint to God, God's answer and Habakkuk's prayer to God. In the complaint, Habakkuk bemoans the wickedness of the Chaldeans/Babylonians, and protests that God is not punishing them for their evil deeds. The Lord answers that Babylonia will be punished, and Habakkuk's faith will be rewarded.
Ben spoke of the difference between hope and faith. We have faith that evil will be punished. Our faith gives us hope in the form of the resurrection. Read the Nicene Creed and the Apostle's Creed, there is no mention of hope, it is all about faith and belief. Why bad things happen to good people is one of the enduring questions of our faith, the book of Habakkuk teaches patience. Ben has an idea that some of the Bible scholars create elaborate answers to some questions that really do not have answers.
In the third chapter Habakkuk professed his devotion to God and enduring belief.
Ben closed class with a prayer, Habakkuk 3:2
"O Lord, I have heard of your renown,
and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work.
In our own time revive it;
in our own time make it known;
in wrath may you remember mercy." Amen
Prime Timers Contact names and numbers
Mentor
Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org
Leaders
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
atberry@proctor-law.com
Max Kech
713/802-0690 H
maxkech2003@yahoo.com
Marty Smith
713/464-6737 H
martys@houston.rr.com
Teachers
Richard Cruse
Chris Hershberger
Pete Seale
Ben Welmaker
bhwjr@flash.net
Outreach (inviting and welcoming new members)
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
atberry@proctor-law.com
Elizabeth Sleeper
jsleeperjr@houston.rr.com
Caring (prayers, follow-up w/class members who have been ill or have other needs)
Max Kech
713/802-0690 H
maxkech2003@yahoo.com
Small pieces from other churches, recently installed near the cornerstone of our new church (click on the photo for a better view). Recently Lee Hunnell took a memento from our church to give to our sister church in Germany.
The new St. Martin's Cloister Garden is adjacent to the New Church.
A view from the newly dedicated St. Martin's Columbarium.
Seven Christian Habits:
2. Daily personal prayer and weekly worship of God in His Church by which I receive the renewal of my emotional-spiritual energy which I need to live my life.
3. Regular study of the Bible to understand how God has related to His people and what His will has been.
4. Adjusting my will to the will of God for me as revealed in Scripture, prayer, worship and my relationship with Him.
5. Service (which is ministry, which is love, which is doing good to God, others and self):
a. At home to family and friends.
b. At work to co-workers.
c. At Church.
d. In the world, especially by leading others to God in Christ.
6. Fellowship (renewing relationship) with Christian people.
7. Stewardship of my resources:
a. Of my relationships.
b. Of my time and talent.
c. Of my money, giving to God and His work my tithe (as I
calculate it).
The Lesson for Sunday, July 22nd is titled "Your Actions, Your Consequences"
Key Verse: Jeremiah 7:13, 15
Focus of the Lesson: Some people act with impunity, believing they will always be protected from the consequences of their actions. Are Christians to have such a view? Jeremiah states that God holds us accountable, so we will not escape the consequences of what we do.
The reading is Jeremiah 7:11-15; 2 Kings 23:36-37. This text is from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
11Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the Lord. 12Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13And now, because you have done all these things, says the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently, you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your ancestors, just what I did to Shiloh. 15And I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out all your kinsfolk, all the offspring of Ephraim.
2 Kings 23:36-37
36Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as all his ancestors had done.
NRSV
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