"Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:1-2)

Welcome to Prime Timers, a Christian Education Group at St. Martin's for Episcopalians aged fifty and above. We are following a course of study based on the Revised Common Lectionary, a three year cycle of Bible readings used throughout the Anglican Communion and by many Protestant denominations worldwide. You are invited to join us in the Parlor near the church offices, Sunday after the 9:00am service, 10:15am to 11:00. Keep up to date with our Lectionary based readings at the bottom of this page!

St. Martin's Church during Christmas season. Hey, it's never to soon to start your Christmas shopping!

Prime Timers Good News

The Prime Timers hear members Good News each week at the start of class. We charge a dollar and currently donate the money collected to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia. The Goodwin's gave thanks for the so far successful treatment of their daughter's epilepsy.

Prime Timers Go to Dinner!

This month's get together dinner will be on the last Tuesday of the month, August 31, 2010 at Palazzo's restaurant, 2620 Briar Ridge in between Voss and Fountainview. Dinner organizer extraordinaire Lynn Swaffar tells us if you are going east on Westheimer (from Voss to Fountainview) the restaurant is on the left, set back slightly from Westheimer. Please let Lynn know if you can make it, she is at (281) 495-3832.

"Woman, You Are Set Free"

Carol Hartland led the Prime Timers in today's lectionary based readings, with the anchor a story from Luke 13:10-17. Jesus heals a woman crippled for eighteen years and then challenges the Pharisees who believe healing should not be done on the Sabbath. Class discussion turns on the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law. Bishop Goodwin recalled the story of the monk who retires to the basement of the monastery to pray, tying up a cat while he does so the cat will take care of the rats in the basement. Years later the monks are still tying up cats, the rats are long gone, and no one can remember why they tie up the cats! Marty couldn't help but bring up government bureaucrats and a case where a SWAT team is sent after an elderly couple who filled out a form incorrectly. Where are the grown ups?

How do you keep the Sabbath holy? Texas used to have Blue laws, restrictions on selling housewares on Sunday, effectively closing department stores and most shops except for grocery stores and gas stations. These were abandoned, except for selling alcohol before noon, in September 1985. Paige mentions how cleaning the house can be calming or even a form of meditation, so is this really disrespect for the Sabbath? Marty prepares this web page on Sunday evening, and yet might also clean the bathroom earlier in the day. The fact that class is thinking about keeping the Sabbath holy is a big step in the right direction!

Our message in Hebrews 12:18-29 is Paul passionately telling us that however wonderful and powerful the message of the Old Testament, the presence of Jesus is awesome indeed, a consuming fire of unquenchable love! Carol asked us if we have felt the presence of Jesus in our lives. Lynn tells her story of the hand of God reaching out when she had legal trouble and our former teacher Donn being the perfect lawyer for her situation. Carol mentions visiting the transplant wing of a hospital on her outreach ministry. There are so many patients that it is impossible to see all of them, but she describes how she is usually drawn to the right one. Can coincidences all be random or is it the hand of God helping us with the path He prepares for us to walk in?

In Jeremiah 1:4-10 the prophet recounts his call from God. We hear the familiar "why me?" as Jeremiah says (Jer 1:6) "...for I am only a boy." God tells Jeremiah not to be afraid, God will be with Jeremiah and tell him what to say. In today's world we all have lots of opportunities to speak, and thanks to the internet communication can be instantaneous and words can carry far and wide. A class member suggests that with all this freedom we should think what we say. Lynn is a big fan of religious writer Sarah Young. She writes the "Jesus Calling" series of books and Lynn believes this is a close as you can come to hearing what Jesus would say if he were with us today.

Randolph T. Riggs is Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pa. He wrote: "Jesus healed a woman, in church, to remind us that when the Law keeps people from experiencing the Grace of God, Jesus will stand on the side of Grace every time. When the Law gets in the way of us seeing the needs of people, Jesus will meet the needs of people every single time."

Bishop John Goodwin concluded class with a short prayer.

The Readings for Sunday, August 29th are from Lectionary Year Three, Proper 17-C, "Humility in Action"

The Readings for this week are Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 and Luke 14:1, 7-14. The text this week is from the New Revised Standard Version.

Jeremiah 2:4-13

⁴ Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. ⁵Thus says the Lord:
What wrong did your ancestors find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
⁶ They did not say, 'Where is the Lord
who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that no one passes through,
where no one lives?'
⁷ I brought you into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
⁸ The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?'
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after things that do not profit.

⁹ Therefore once more I accuse you,
says the Lord,
and I accuse your children's children.
¹⁰ Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has ever been such a thing.
¹¹ Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for something that does not profit.
¹² Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
says the Lord,
¹³ for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns
that can hold no water.

Psalm 81:1, 10-16

To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.

¹ Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰ I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

¹¹ 'But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
¹³ O that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
¹⁴ Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,
and turn my hand against their foes.
¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
and their doom would last for ever.
¹⁶ I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.'

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

¹Let mutual love continue. ²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. ³Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. ⁴Let marriage be held in honour by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. ⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' ⁶So we can say with confidence,
'The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?'
⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

¹⁵Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. ¹⁶Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Luke 14:1, 7-14

¹On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

⁷ When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. ⁸'When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, "Give this person your place", and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, "Friend, move up higher"; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.'
¹² He said also to the one who had invited him, 'When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.'

NRSV