The St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowships welcome you.

Prime Timers is a St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowship (A.B.F.) geared towards people in the Prime of Life, ages 50-64. We meet in the Payne Education Center in rooms 207-209 from 10:15am to 10:50. Whatever your age, you are invited to explore the Bible with us in a course authored by the United Council of Churches.

The Prime Timers are exploring the book of Daniel.

Our course material this month is from a new unit titled "The Covenant in Exile." Its a great time to join a St. Martin's ABF! Our readings come from the Old Testament Book of Daniel, "...a man capable of receiving divine communication through the intermediation of angels regarding the future destiny of the world." (from the Harper Collins Bible Commentary, p 623.) If you can't wait, the reading for next week is at the bottom of this page!

Daniel's Life-and-Death Test 

The Prime timers class always begins by asking about our members Good News. George struggled with his rural properties, trying to get some plants to grow. He prayed for rain, and God responded last week with one inch of rain, perfect for getting new plants to take root.

Donn Fullenweider conducted Prime Timers class this week, taking us into the Lion's Den with Daniel. The lesson begins with some history. By now we are quite aware that the Book of Daniel describes events happening about four hundred years before, during a period of great suffering for the Jews. Did you know that there are three tombs for Daniel, one in Iraq, one in Iran and one in Uzbekistan? Iran and Iraq both have two places with "tombs of Daniel" and the story in Susa, Iran is so complicated you can get two tomb locations right there!

What does God ask of us? Donn suggested it is allegiance as displayed by Daniel's continued prayers to God in the face of an official decree to only pray to the King, Darius. King Darius, by the way, does not fit into any historical chronology. Donn  suggested a book "How to Read the Bible", by James L. Kugel as a good resource. Kugel, an Orthodox Jew who taught an introductory course on the Bible at Harvard University for twenty years, brings the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, to life in a very readable way.

So how do we stay true to our principles and serve God? There are many techniques helping us focus, and Donn suggested:  regular prayer, Bible study, meditation, fasting, simplicity (simplifying your life), solitude (taking a step back), worship, journaling, walking a labyrinth, and others. Daniel prayed three times a day, but there is no requirement for this in Judaism. Daniel had a routine that worked for him, and stuck to it.

Donn concluded asking the class for examples of contemporary people who did not compromise their principles, and the class responded with Patrick Henry ("give me liberty or give me death"), Rosa Parks, the girl at Columbine High who was asked if she believed in Jesus just before getting shot, and Martin Luther. Donn then said a short prayer to end the class.

The Lesson for Sunday, April 27th is "Daniel's Prayer for the People"

Key Verse:  Daniel 9:17

Focus of the Lesson: Some people willingly offer prayers of confession and intercession. What drives them to approach God? Daniel was so overcome by grief over the devastation of Jerusalem and exile of his people that he made intercession and confession on their behalf for their sin against God.

The reading is Daniel 9:1-7, 17-19. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)

Background Scripture:  Daniel 9

   ¹In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom- ²in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. ³So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

   ⁴I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, ⁵we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. ⁶We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

   ⁷"Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.

   ¹⁷"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."

NIV