"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Prime Timers is 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, the three year cycle of Bible readings used throughout the Anglican Communion and by many Protestant denominations worldwide. Keep up with these readings and you will get a guided tour of the Bible! Next week's readings are right here, at the bottom of the page. You are invited to join us in the Parlor near the church offices, Sunday after the 9:00am service, 10:15am to 11:00.

The Sermon on the Mount, by Cosimo Rosselli, 1481-82, Fresco at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

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. Lynn gave thanks for her former husband "dodging the bullet" by finally having himself checked out at a hospital. Lynn was worried that a sore on his foot was a sign of serious trouble, but six, yes six, specialists examined him and were able to treat him relatively simply. Marty thanked Jesus for his new car!

Prime Timers Monthly Dinner

Every month we get together for fellowship and a good meal. This month we are going to Pronto Cucinino at 3191 West Holcombe. This is on the southeast corner of Holcombe at Buffalo Speedway. Dinner is Tuesday at 6:30pm February 22nd. Contact dinner organizer Lynn Swaffar at (281) 495-3832 to let her know if you are coming. Bon appétit!

Choose Life

Martin Smith filled in for Carol Hartland today as we explored what Rev. Levenson calls "Jesus difficult words." We begin with Moses in Deuteronomy. He is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites as they are about to cross the Jordan River to the promised land. He reminds them of the consequences of breaking the covenant with God. All of the lectionary readings today remind us that faith is a serious commitment building up to the piece of the Sermon on the Mount we read in Matthew's gospel.

Jesus goes beyond Moses and the Old Testament here, using sometimes disturbing metaphors to make the point that being a disciple involves some serious self-discipline. In Matthew 5:30 Jesus says "...and if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell." George is concerned that this message is against Jesus message of peace and brotherhood. It is a very violent image. Annette believes that this is a strong metaphor to get the crowd's attention.

The message about divorce is equally disturbing. Lynn is reminded of President Carter's famous Playboy interview in November 1976 where he says "...Because I'm just human and I'm tempted and Christ set some almost impossible standards for us. The Bible says, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Christ said, I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery. I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times...." The interview goes on but the "adultery in my heart" line would come back many times to haunt the former President.

In ancient times a man could divorce his wife for any reason, just giving her a "bill of divorce." As we discussed in the past, this put the woman in a very tenuous position; she is damaged goods and will live a life of poverty and shame. But Jesus only allows for divorce if the woman is unchaste. He turns the tables on us, as President Carter notes, to set the standard very high. Human relationships are to be based on mutual respect.

All Jesus' examples in today's reading call on his followers to go beyond what is required by the rabbinic tradition and the Law to become what the Apostle Paul describes as "spiritual people."

Our class notes include a short passage from Dennis Merritt Jones book The Art of Being. He founded the International Center for Spiritual Living in Simi Valley, California. He wrote: "If you find that others want to offer their opinion of you today, positive or negative, smile and say, 'Thanks for sharing.' If it is negative, let it become water off a duck's back. If it is positive, silently give credit where credit is due by saying to yourself, 'It is not me, but God within that does the work.'"

Annette takes issue with Mr. Jones call to let negative opinions roll over you. What about people who really need to be told that they are out of line or are actually hurting their own positions? Maybe it is the California "live and let live" lifestyle that results in such hesitation to involve yourself in someone else's life.

Marty concludes class with a short prayer from the Book of Common Prayer:

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting
life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, February 20th are from Lectionary Year One, Epiphany-7A, "Putting Others First"

The Readings for this week are Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; Psalm 119:33-40; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 and Matthew 5:38-48. The text this week is from the New Revised Standard Version.

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
² Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
⁹ When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
¹¹ You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. ¹²And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.
¹³ You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. ¹⁴You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
¹⁵ You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. ¹⁶You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
¹⁷ You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. ¹⁸You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Psalm 119:33-40

³³ Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
³⁶ Turn my heart to your decrees,
and not to selfish gain.
³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
give me life in your ways.
³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,
which is for those who fear you.
³⁹ Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
for your ordinances are good.
⁴⁰ See, I have longed for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.
¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,
'He catches the wise in their craftiness',
²⁰and again,
'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are futile.'
²¹So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, ²³and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Matthew 5:38-48

³⁸ 'You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; ⁴⁰and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; ⁴¹and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ⁴²Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
⁴³ 'You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

NRSV