The Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship Welcomes You to Our Web Page.

The Prime Timers meet year-round, and look forward to seeing you all through the summer.  We are currently exploring the gospels - Mark in June; Matthew in July; Luke in August.  You are invited to join us for fellowship, coffee and donuts every Sunday in the Payne Education Center, Rooms 210-212, 10:00 to 10:45am.

Rita Junker is our speaker for the next two weeks.

The Prime Timers Good News for $1.00!

At the beginning of class, for $1, you can bring us news of your family, or whatever good news is on your mind. At the end of the season the funds collected during the year will be donated to a good cause.

This week Dr. Bill Moore gave thanks for Spirituality Saturday. This is a monthly program, the next meeting is Saturday, June 25, meeting in the Payne Education Center, Room 207-209. The topics for the coming session are joy, presence, contemplation, Iconoclasm, the Labyrinth, meditation and more history of Spirituality! 

Our speaker, Rita Junker gave thanks for the end of a long bout with the IRS.

If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?

The reading for today was from Mark, where the Chief Priests and the whole council attempt to find testimony to put Jesus to death. Our speaker, Rita Junker, is a lawyer and brought this discipline to describing this trial.

The Council of Sanhedron was the ruling authority in Jerusalem, outside of the Romans. They did not have the authority to put someone to death, but they could build a case to present to the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate. In order to build the case they needed witnesses, and while many brought false witness against Jesus, their stories could not be corroborated and the case could not be built.

Numbers 35:30 " 'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness." This is re-iterated in Deuteronomy 17:6, and 19:15. Further, bearing false witness is itself a crime Deuteronomy 19:18-19 "The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, 19 then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you."

The priests were getting frustrated, but then the Chief Priest turned things around by asking Jesus if he were the messiah. Jesus answered he was, using language from holy texts, such as "I AM", a reference to Exodus 3:14--God said to Moses, 'I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " Also he uses language from Daniel 7:13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence." At this point one of the priests tore his own clothes, a sign of repentance, and declared that Jesus had committed blasphemy and must therefore be sentenced to death. Leviticus 24:16 "anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death."

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

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

Co-Leaders

As we have said before, if you haven't seen the St. Martins Stained Glass windows up close, you are in for a treat on the Docent's Tours.

Dr. Bill Moore gave thanks for Spirituality Saturday.

 The Lesson for Sunday, June 26 is titled "Hope in the Midst of Despair"

Key Verse:  Mark 16:6

Focus of the Lesson:  When things continue to go from bad to worse to worst, people tend to accept the situation as inevitable and hopeless. Is our human situation bound to be one of hopelessness and helplessness? Jesus' empty grave bears witness to God's ultimate power to exceed all human expectations.

The reading is Mark 16:1-8, 12-15. This text is from the New International Version.

   1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

   4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.  7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

   8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Mark 16:12-15

   12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

   14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

   15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.