"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:29-30)

He is risen! The Prime Timers are following a course of study based on the Revised Common Lectionary. You are invited to join us in the Parlor near the church offices, Sunday after the 9:00am service, 10:15am to 11:00. Prime Timers is an Adult Bible Fellowship at St. Martin's for Episcopalians aged fifty and above, but don't let that stop you! A warm welcome, with coffee and donuts, is available to all.

"The Miraculous Catch of Fish" by Gustave Doré (1832-1883) His biblical illustrations were first published in 1865 in France and reprinted in the late 1860's in various German, English, and other editions.

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. Today Marty gave thanks for the Texas Lottery. He is in a pool at work with fourteen people and they have a ticket with five out of six numbers! There were only thirty-six total tickets with this match. Now if they only got the one last number... Eleanor told us about her daughter, who goes to Trinity college and was inducted into the Business Honor Society!

Check your calendar!

The Prime Timers monthly get-together will be at Fadi's Grill, on Westheimer just east of Dunvale. Dinner organizer Lynn was looking for "Jesus food" to celebrate Jesus and Easter, and Fadi's specialty is Mediterranean food! Dinner is Tuesday, April 27 at 6:30pm. Let Lynn know if you are coming by calling her at (281) 495-3832.

An Abundant Catch of Fish

Carol Hartland led the Prime Timers today in the appearance by Jesus after the resurrection where we see the miracle of the apostles catching a large quantity of fish. Also we have the restoration of Peter, who denied Jesus three times leading up to the crucifixion. The most compact account of the three denials is in Luke 22:55-62. In todays reading of John 21:1-19 Jesus calls upon Peter three times. 1) Feed my lambs, 2) take care of my sheep, 3) feed my sheep.

Carol brought up the types of love in the bible. The love of Jesus is an unconditional one, refered to by the term Agape. Love between close friends, or brotherly love, is called Philia. Sexual, or erotic love is called Eros. The bible also refers to the love that develops between family members, and this is called Storge. Jesus calls upon Peter the first time to "Feed my lambs" with the Agape or Godly love, and Peter replies with Philia, or brotherly love. The second time Jesus once again uses the Agape love to ask Peter to "take care of my sheep" and Peter once again replies with the Philia or brotherly love. The third time Jesus uses the Philia or brotherly love word to ask Peter to "feed my sheep." Carol's point is that Jesus accepts Peter for who he is, just as Jesus accepts us for who we are.

Attention then turned to the supernatural nature of the net holding all the fish. It should have broken but it did not. We get a specific number of fish, one hundred fifty three. Rev. Fields' notes suggest that this could represent the number of nations at that time. Jesus and the apostles are gathering souls.

Jesus ascends to heaven after forty days. (Acts 1:1-11) Another class member told us that forty has a significance beyond being another number. Forty and forever and infinity! Forty is a way of signifying the infinite.

I don't know how discussion about the bountiful catch of fish turned back to the Shroud of Turin, but class member Lynn is taken by the documentary "The Real Face of Jesus" on the History Channel. A DVD is available on the History Channel website. Whatever you think of this artifact it certainly generates a lot of discussion!

From our study guide, Arthur A. Vogel wrote in Radical Christianity and the Flesh
of Jesus (Eerdmans, 1995):

“Because Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, his life tells us
about our lives; the life Jesus lives speaks to us about the possibilities
of our existence. The resurrection of Jesus as the Christ means
that the resurrection of Jesus is not a historic event that can be
known for what it is only in the Jesus of past history; the resurrection
of Jesus as the Christ means the victory of that resurrection is
offered to our lives now with the reality of Jesus’ life in the world.”

Carol concluded class with a short prayer.

The Readings for Sunday, April 25th are from Lectionary Year Three, Easter 4-C, "The Loving Shepherd"

The Readings for this week are Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 23 and John 10:22-30. The text is from the New International Version.

Acts 9:36-43

³⁶In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. ³⁷About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. ³⁸Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"

³⁹Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

⁴⁰Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. ⁴¹He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. ⁴²This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. ⁴³Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Revelation 7:9-17

⁹After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰And they cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."

¹¹All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying:

"Amen! Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"

¹³Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"

¹⁴I answered, "Sir, you know."

And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵Therefore, "they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
¹⁶Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Psalm 23

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

³ he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

John 10:22-30

²²Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. ²⁴The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

²⁵Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, ²⁶but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one."

NIV