Welcome to the St. Martin's Prime Timers ABF Webpage.

Our class meets each Sunday in the Payne Education Center from 10:10am to 10:50 in rooms 207-209.  Coffee and breakfast snacks await you. Currently we are exploring the Wisdom literature of the Bible, with readings from the Book of Proverbs.

Prime Timers Good News

For just $1 you can take over the podium at the Prime Timers and tell us your good news.

Caroline Maryan told us this week she was installed as President of the St. Martin's Chapter of the Daughters of the King. Click on the underlined name to learn more about this organization, click the link below to learn about the active Diocese of Texas Daughters of the King. I'm sure if anyone can further the work of this group it is Caroline!  From their national website:  "The object of this Order shall be the extension of Christ's Kingdom through Prayer, Service, and Evangelism."

George Laigle gave thanks to God, again, for the three inches of rain on his property in Smithville.
"Only God" George told us, "can deliver three inches of rain to hundreds of acres of farmland."

A Treasure Worth Seeking

Today the class was led by George Laigle, a Prime Timer of long standing. King Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs around 900 BC. At this time the nation of Israel reached its pinnacle spiritually, politically, culturally, and economically. The historians argue that the timeline could be anywhere from 300 BC to 900 BC, and that it is likely that the book is kind of an anthology with many contributors all assembled under the name of Solomon.

There is no storyline, no principle characters; wisdom takes center stage. In today's reading at Proverbs 3:13 the gender changes to feminine and George notes that this is a sign of both wisdom and foolishness in Proverbs! Well, its almost three thousand years old!

The first part of our readings use the phrase "if you" several times. This gives you advice and steps to wisdom. George reminds us that you won't achieve wisdom with a lukewarm pursuit of God, that you pursue God with all your heart. Then again there is the Hound of Heaven, where God pursues you.

The "if you's" are followed by "do not's" of course and the conditions of wisdom and happiness tie together. George suggests that the greatest gift we have is our time on earth, and this is echoed by Proverbs 3:16 when it refers to long life.

Fear is used as a training device in the Old Testament. In fact, one of the main differences between the Old and New Testament's is the God that punishes, where He doesn't in the New Testament. This brings up the interesting question of how can you develop a relationship with someone you fear? George suggests that this is the analogy of the Father. You need to train your children to obey for survival. If a child runs into the street and you see a car coming you need to issue a command to stop or come back that will be obeyed instantly. There is not time for "do you have authority to order me." Jumping ahead to next week, the phrase "spare the rod and spoil the child" comes out of Proverbs 13:24. Of course, today this opens a huge debate, and we did not pursue it today.

During the discussion "we all worship at some altar" reminds us that there are many false gods in today's world crying for our attention. Proverbs 2:12-15 addresses this directly.

Max Kech led the class in our healing prayer, and then George thanked us for our attention and dismissed the class.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org

Leader

What better photo to replace the one of us than the St. Thomas' Episcopal School Pipe Band, under the direction of Michael Cusack, Headmaster. They were present at services this morning heralding the coming of the Rev. Christopher A. Bowhay to their school. Click on each side for a different view of the group!

Class was led today by Prime Timer regular George Laigle.

Caroline Maryan's good news was NOT that her husband, and the Prime Timers leader, Skip, is out of town!

The Lesson for Sunday, May 14th is titled "Wisdom's Invitation"

Key Verse:  Proverbs 8:1

Focus of the Lesson:  People need wisdom in order to make wise choices. How can we acquire wisdom? Proverbs affirms that God's wisdom, which has existed since before creation, is available to whoever seeks it.

The reading is Proverbs 8:1-5, 22-31. This text is from the New International Version^®.

1 Does not wisdom call out?
   Does not understanding raise her voice?

2 On the heights along the way,
   where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

3 beside the gates leading into the city,
   at the entrances, she cries aloud:

4 "To you, O men, I call out;
   I raise my voice to all mankind.

5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
   you who are foolish, gain understanding.

22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his
   works, before his deeds of old;

23 I was appointed from eternity,
   from the beginning, before the world began.

24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth,
   when there were no springs abounding with water;

25 before the mountains were settled in place,
   before the hills, I was given birth,

26 before he made the earth or its fields
   or any of the dust of the world.

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
   when he marked out the horizon on the face of the
   deep,

28 when he established the clouds above
   and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

29 when he gave the sea its boundary
   so the waters would not overstep his command,
   and when he marked out the foundations of the
    earth.

30 Then I was the craftsman at his side.
   I was filled with delight day after day,
   rejoicing always in his presence,

31 rejoicing in his whole world
   and delighting in mankind.

NIV®