Matthew 28:6 "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."

Prime Timers, a St. Martin's Adult Christian Education (A.C.E.) group, also known as an ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship), is for people in the Prime of Life, age 50 and beyond. Class meets in the Parlor near the Church Offices each Sunday from 10:15am to 11:00. We are following a course of study from the United Council of Churches titled The New Testament Community. You are invited to join our group as we begin a new unit titled "The Way of New Life" based on the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians.

Prime Timers go to Afghanistan!

 

Well, not exactly. Thursday, May 7, the Prime Timers had our monthly dinner get-together at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Beck building. We were given a private tour of the Afghanistan Exhibit by Museum docent and Prime Timer Connie Colley! This exhibit is leaving on May 17 so we were very lucky to have this opportunity. The wonderful crown above was on display, it comes from the National Museum in Kabul. It was discovered in an undisturbed tomb in the Bactrian area in 1978, but was not shown until 2003 due to the wars and religious intolerance plaguing Afghanistan.

Prime Timers Celebrate Good News!

We celebrate our members Good News at Prime Timers with a $1 contribution to Henny Penny, our Good News chicken. Periodically Henny donates the money she collects to a charity, currently the Amistad Mission in Bolivia.  Sally gave thanks for the people God sent to help her get her garden in order. Lynn mentioned the Fiesta Party for our Christian educators. Sue told us of her friend Dorothy's funeral, a beautiful and moving affair.

New Family in Christ

Carol Hartland led the Prime Timers through a lesson from Paul, from his letter to the Ephesians. She began by asking us to meditate on this passage from Exodus 19:1-8:

   ¹In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on the very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. ²After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

   ³Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ⁴'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. ⁵Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, ⁶you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."

   ⁷So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. ⁸The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

In our reading for today, Paul begins his lesson with an emotional outburst on the glory of Christ and the grace He has bestowed on us. This is unlike many of Paul's letters, and has led many scholars to question whether the author was actually Paul! Nonetheless, today's questions are about family and of course this is a rich topic for the class. We heard a little about how several class members came to Christ and the church. Larry's father was a minister "and he was always preaching!"  Every day involved some kind of devotional act by the family. Lynn mentioned Elvis, not that he was part of her family, but how Elvis recorded several albums of Christian music, apparently against the wishes of his manager Colonel Parker, and how successful they became, and how important they were for Lynn.

Marty told of his father being an Episcopalian, his mother a Baptist and how they "compromised" to join the Congregational Church, now the United Church of Christ. The Congregational Church is the descendant of the Puritans, who came to New England with a strict version of Christianity, exemplified by Jonathan Edwards, the minister most known for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

George recounted an affectionate father and a strict mother who were always arguing, and then meeting his future wife Elizabeth, from a loving Christian family. George was baptized at 48 years of age. Since their marriage has lasted over fifty years I think they made a good decision!

Carol then read some famous quotes about families, and they are too good not to repeat!

"A family is a unit composed not only of children, but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold." Odgen Nash, 1902-1971.

"A happy family is but an earlier heaven." Sir John Bowring, 1792-1872

"Govern a small family as you would cook a small fish, very gently." Chinese proverb.

"If your father and mother, your sister and brother, if the very cat and dog in the house, are not happier for your being Christian, it is a question whether you really are." James Hudson Taylor, 1832-1905

"It is impossible to overstate the need for prayer in the fabric of family life." James C. Dobson, 1936-

"Nobody's family can hang out the sign Nothing the Matter Here." Chinese proverb.

"Nothing stops a family quarrel more quickly than the arrival of an unexpected guest." Anonymous.

Carol asked three questions from our lesson book, 1) In what ways is new life a blessing to you?, 2) In what ways is salvation a blessing to you? and 3) In what ways is worship a blessing to you?

This brought a response from George describing the inner turmoil of life being a war between a white dog and a black dog, and if the black dog is fed it can eventually kill the white dog, and vice versa! Sue described the comfort of knowing that God is there for you, and another member allowed how God can be peace in the midst of adversity. In fact sometimes it takes a low point or an adversity before we realize this to be true.

Lynn brought up two devotionals, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, and "Streams in the Desert" compiled by Mrs. Charles Cowman. Another recalled a quote -- death is not so bad, it's the misery of getting there! Carol told us there is actually a ministry at St. Martin's to bless the pews, each pew, blessing the people who will sit there.

Carol concluded class with this benediction:  Give us new hearts filled with your Spirit, O Lord, that we may live as new creations in Christ. Amen.

The Lesson for Sunday, May 17th,  is "New Revelation in Christ"

Key Verses:  Ephesians 3:8-9

Focus of the Lesson: Mysteries pique interest because most people want to uncover "the rest of the story." What mysteries would we like to have uncovered? New Testament apostles believed that the revelation of Jesus unlocks mysteries concerning God's eternal and all-inclusive plan for salvation.

The reading is Ephesians 3:1-13. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)

   ¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

   ²Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

   ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

NIV