2007
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2006
December 31
December 24
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December 2, 2007 "Called to
Believe" |
Your Search is Over, You've Found the St. Martin's Prime Timers A.B.F!
You are invited to visit the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, right after the 9am Sunday Service, from 10:10 to 10:50am. As the Christmas Season of Advent begins we are beginning a program titled Responding to God's Call and will be reading from the Book of Luke.
The St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowships (ABF's) are following a course of study based on the work of the Committee on the Uniform Series, also known as the International Lessons. Bible students around the world are using this same framework, and so can you!
Prime Timers Good News
At the beginning of our class hear our members Good News. It takes a $1 donation to our Good News chicken, Henny Penny. Currently we are donating this money to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia, a Christian partnership between North Americans and Bolivians for the benefit of children in need.
Today Donna gave thanks her husband Ben's birthday, and Linda told us of her family from Austin coming home for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Blessings and Legacies
Ben Welmaker began today's lesson by putting us in Joseph's position! How difficult it is when it comes to the equitable treatment of children. How many of us go to extreme lengths trying to be fair to our children? What do you do when one child is really more deserving? Ben recalled an event in his legal practice where a client had four children, two of whom had consumed more than their fair share of the client's resources in bad business ventures. Is it fair when writing your will to take these events into account, what are the consequences? There is no law regarding this, its really up to you.
This question comes from our reading today in Genesis 48. Jacob places his right hand on Ephraim, the younger son, to begin his blessing. Joseph tells his father that Manasseh is the eldest and should have the right hand, but Jacob says there is no mistake, and that the younger son will become the greater. This refers to these two children founding tribes that become Israel.
Jacob's blessing calls upon God three times, as the God of his fathers Abraham and Isaac, the God who is his shepherd and as the angel who has delivered him from all harm. This blessing raises Joseph's children to the same level as Jacob's own sons.
The theme of blessings and legacies continued with Ben recalling a speech by Dr. Benjamin Carson, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was raised in poverty, by a mother who married at age thirteen, got divorced when Benjamin was eight, worked menial jobs to get by, but provided a strict upbringing for her children which resulted in Benjamin's thirst for knowledge. Our Ben believes it is the children of privilege who may well be cursed, with everything given to them they can develop bad habits and attitudes.
This brought us to one of our classes favorite topics, how do we encourage children to attend church, especially St. Martin's, to keep the church strong going forward. Several members gave examples of how we can "lose" the children as they become teenagers and don't see themselves fitting into church any more.
One of our guests asked how you keep children in church and Ben Welmaker recalled from his own upbringing how "correcting parents" can sometimes make things worse as the child rebels against too much authority. Perhaps we need to allow God to work his way in these situations.
Ben concluded class with a short prayer. Peace be with you!
Prime Timers Contact names and numbers
Mentor
Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org
Leaders
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Max Kech
713/802-0690 H
maxkech2003@yahoo.com
Marty Smith
713/464-6737 H
martys47@comcast.net
Teachers
Richard Cruse
Pete Seale
Ben Welmaker
bhwjr@flash.net
Outreach (inviting and welcoming new members)
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Elizabeth Sleeper
jsleeperjr@comcast.net
Ben Welmaker is our teacher for the month of November.
Jacob Blessing the Children of Joseph, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1656, Oil on canvas, at the Staatliche Museen, Kassel
Joseph Receives His Father and Brothers in Egypt, by Salomon de Bray, 1655, Oil on canvas, in a Private collection.
The Lesson for Sunday, December 2nd is titled "Called to Believe!"
Key Verse: Luke 1:20
Focus of the Lesson: People find it hard to believe that the miraculous could happen to them. What evidence do we have that miracles can happen in our lives? God promised Elizabeth and Zechariah a miracle, and god fulfilled that promise.
The reading is Luke 1:8-23. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)
Background Scripture: Luke 1:5-25
8Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
18Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
19The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23When his time of service was completed, he returned home.
NIV
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