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|
May 27, 2007 "The Ultimate Happy
Ending" |
Yes! Its the St. Martin's Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship.
We meet in the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, Sunday from 10:10 to 10:50am. While Prime Timers is geared towards people aged fifty to sixty-four, we always welcome new members and you are invited, whatever your age.
Ben Welmaker wraps up our exploration of the Book of Revelation next Sunday, May 27. Why don't you join us?
Food for the Chicken
The Prime Timers set aside time at the start of class to hear members Good News. It only costs a dollar! Currently when the "nest" gets big enough we are donating money to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia. Today it was Caroline Maryan's happy job to report that their son Andrew was accepted into George Mason University, where he will be on the Golf team playing NCAA Division One Golf! Sandy told us her nephew got his Law Degree from Texas Tech after a stint in the Marines. Chris happy news is a first grandchild, and they just learned that its a girl! Max reads for children at the Rusk Elementary School, and all these children passed their grade. And finally Marty (that's me!) donated a dollar to note his mother being inducted into The Daughters of the King.
Living in Our New Home
Ben Welmaker is leading us on a journey through the Book of Revelation this month, following Pete Seale's classes in April. As Ben said, many teachers prefer avoiding this book, and people interpreting the Bible literally sometimes end up with predictions that don't come true. Better to see this as the culmination of the Bible. We went on a very long journey from the Garden of Eden, just to end up back at the Tree of Life, except now we are invited to eat the fruit!
Ben described the structure of a novel in terms of a clock. At twelve o'clock we have God and our Covenant. Come to three o'clock and we fall from grace. At six o'clock we are suffering and beset by all types of trouble. By nine o'clock we realize our mistakes and when the clock strikes twelve again we are back with God and redemption. A happy ending! Ben bemoans today's tendency to leave us at six o'clock with unresolved trouble, much preferring a more complete, happier ending.
Revelation Twenty One describes the New Jerusalem. With powerful imagery we get a picture of what God has in store for us. We walk in the light of God (Revelation 21:23) and the Lamb is its lamp. God is in our presence all the time, surrounding us with divine light. This reminded Ben of the First Christian Habit (see the next column), asking us to develop a personal, intimate relation with God. Also note that in this New Jerusalem no deceitful or shameful people are allowed.
As part of his lesson, Ben is reminding us of the Rev. Larry Gipson's Seven Christian Habits, reprinted in the next column. Today we looked at habits four and five. These call for adjusting our will to God and Service to God. Ben told us that the order of the details of Service is no accident: 1) Home comes first, we can't serve others effectively if our home life is not in order. 2) at work in our relationships with our co-workers, 3) at Church, and finally 4) we can be effective serving the world at large, especially by leading others to God in Christ.
Finally Ben is discussing a "Sin of the Week" and this week its Anger: inappropriate feelings of hatred. Wishing to do evil or harm to others. While a "righteous anger" is an appropriate reaction, hatred of someone or some group due to their race or religion is not. Holding on to anger can totally ruin one's life. Love of justice perverted to revenge and spite would be bad. On the flip side of anger we have Meekness, or composure. Do we make better decisions in the heat of the moment, or after careful consideration and thought? Ben suggests throwing anger into the burning sulfur pit (Revelation 21:8) being careful not to throw yourself in with it!
One comment from the group described her home life where no one was allowed to make a statement in anger. The problem is that growing up they did not learn to deal with anger, except to repress it.
Ben then gave a closing prayer: Our Father, may we all go forth, aware of your presence in our midst and anticipating the new home that is yet to come. 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
Today's "Sin of the Week" is Anger! This photo is a movie poster for a comedy from 2003.
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, May 27th is titled "The Ultimate Happy Ending"
Key Verse: Revelation 22:20
Focus of the Lesson: Most people would like to live in a world in which happy endings always come to pass, and one can trust that everything will be all right in the end. Given the reality of this world, however, what happy ending can we ever trust to come to pass? Revelation 22 tells us to trust that Jesus Christ will come again and that his coming will transform everything into the ultimate happy ending for us.
The reading is Revelation 22:6-10, 12-13, 16-21. This text is from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
Background Scripture: Revelation 22:6-21
6And he said to me, ‘These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.’
7‘See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.’
8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; 9but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow-servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!’
10And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
Revelation 22:12-13
12‘See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’
Revelation 22:16-21
16‘It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’
17The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life
as a gift.
18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; 19if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
NRSV
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