Welcome to the Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship

The Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship meets every Sunday in the Payne Education building, second floor, room 210-212, from 10:15 to 10:50am. Coffee and donuts are provided free! You are invited to join us for fellowship, fun and food!

When Jackie Rose asked our Mentor, the Rev. Rusty Goldsmith, if he would like to open our class with a prayer, he asked 'What if I wouldn't like to?' Who says Episcopalians don't have a sense of humor?

Lots of news from Prime Timers this week!

From the St. Martin's Choir we had a visit from Marty Ambrose and Gladys. Mary Jean Pawley returned to class after recovering from health problems.

At the beginning of class anyone can "buy the microphone" for $1 and bring us news of their family, or whatever they want.

This week Carolyn Maryan brought news that our mentor, the Rev. Rusty Goldsmith, was featured, or more accurately his home was featured, on an episode of Homes Across America on HGTV! A celebrity in our midst!

Speaking of mentors, our former mentor, the Rev. Richard Elwood, was mentioned in an article about Habitat for Humanity in Fredericksburg, Texas, where he is performing duties as interim rector at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.

Prime Timers Spring Social!

The Prime Timers May Day social is scheduled for May 1. Click the underlined name of the conference center to see their web site.  Here is what's happening: 

Theme: May Day Spring Social
Activities: Fellowship and Fun!
Food: Southern Chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, corn-on-the-cob, salad and dessert
Location: Northwest Forest Conference Center
12715 Telge Road, Cypress, Texas
(Telge is two exits north of FM1960 on Hwy. 290. The center is about two miles north on Telge.)
Cost: $20 per person

Please call Melissa or John Grant (281-373-0879) for details or where to send your money, but it would be easier to bring the money to class.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

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

Co-Leaders

Dr. Bill Moore will be leading the class for three weeks in May.

Our former Mentor, the Rev. Richard Elwood, is doing good work in Fredericksburg.

Living in Harmony

Last week the class split into two groups to discuss the impediments to living the sacrificial life, as mentioned in the readings from Paul's letters to the Romans. The discussion was about impediments in our communities, and out. Dr. Bill Moore attended a Buddhist ceremony last week and noted that there were many similarities to our services.

Jackie began this weeks talk quoting a passage in the study bible she is using to help understand Paul's writings:  Unity does not presuppose unanimity. The readings for the lesson make a distinction between people weak and strong in faith. This alludes to people at various stages of development in their faith, more than people with just weak or strong faith.

The passages have several references to food, and the food restrictions of the time. Paul concluded that food is inherently clean, and regards Christians who restrict their diets due to ill-conceived religious convictions as weak in faith.

Paul concludes that since the Lord will ultimately judge our actions we should be careful when making judgments on one another.

The Lesson for Sunday, May 1 is titled "Hanging on to God's Good News"

Key Verses:  Galatians 1:11

Focus of the Lesson:  When faced with several different claims about what is true, people often become confused and uncertain over what to believe. As Christians, what are we to believe is true? Paul says that there is only one gospel, and that is the one received from Christ.

The reading is Romans Galatians 1:1-12. This text is from the New Revised Standard Version.

   1 Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the members of God’s family who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
   3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
   6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
   10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12 for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.