Welcome to the St. Martin's Prime Timers Web Page!

Join us each Sunday in the Payne Education Center from 10:10am to 10:50 in rooms 207-209. We are following a series entitled "God's Gifts of Leadership" this fall. And the coffee and donuts are free!

Rita Junker-Pickar is our teacher for January. Our journey for this month is through the books of Timothy.

Announcements

Next week is the annual Houston Marathon and as usual our church is surrounded! There is a map in the Star  dated January 8 showing how to get here from outside the runner's route. From the east, come in by South Post Oak, cut over one block on Four Oaks Place, turn right and proceed up to Riverway and there you are. From the Tanglewood area north of the church you can work your way to Sage by way of Briar Drive off of Chimney Rock, go south (right) and then park in the Decorative Center across Woodway. From there you can walk to church.

Caroline Maryan and husband Skip sang in the Amahl and the Night Visitors show last week and reminded us that another opportunity to see this wonderful "Epiphany Opera" will occur Saturday, January 14th at Noon in the New Church.

The Fellowship of the Chicken!

Max Kech returned from her stay in Colorado and gave several dollars to the chicken in thanks!

Your correspondent Marty Smith brought a specially prepared photo from the Hartley's Christmas Party to give to Lee Ohrt and wouldn't you know she was not in class today. He shared it with the class instead. Let's just say that with digital photos reality is what you want it to be.

Everyone Needs Prayer

Today's vocabulary word is eusebia, meaning Godliness, piety, devotion or reverence. Todays reading is short, but concerns prayer as it was being defined in the early church. There was a lot of persecution going on at this time and the call to pray for "kings and all those in authority" (1 Timothy 2:2) was prayer for the persecutors. It is a strength of the church that this could be so, and back then also a prudent measure.

The types of prayer addressed by 1 Timothy 2:1 are:
   (1) Requests and prayers - these are supplications which "supply" our own needs; to pray for one's own needs is not selfish. See the prayer of Jabez found in 1 Chron 4:10 and following. Jabez, "who was more honorable than his brothers" prayed for God's blessing and God granted his request. Supplications recognize our need for God's providence and grace;
   (2) Intercession - balances supplication by including the needs and situations of others; reminds us to speak and act on behalf of the one for whom we are interceding;
   (3) Thanksgiving - Here, we name and celebrate the gifts God has given us through his grace.

The Importance of "everyone" : 1 Timothy 2:4 says it is God's will for everyone to receive salvation; the word "desire" in the scripture is a weak translation of the Greek word "thelo", "to will". Thus when we pray in the Lord's prayer for "thy will be done", we are interceding "everyone" to receive God's will of salvation.

"Mediator" in 1 Timothy 2:5:

   (1) In Biblical times, one definition of mediator was one who intervened between two parties in striking a contract or settling a dispute.

   (2) Jesus is a different kind of mediator. Christ mediates or intercedes on our behalf to God. In this definition, mediator is one who places Himself between us and some need or crisis which we are facing.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

To be announced in February!

Leader

Yes, its that time of year already. The Houston Marathon will run next Sunday, January 15. Remember, the Rev. Gipson gives out Gold Stars for attendance this week!

This week marks the return of our own Max Kech from her exile in Colorado! Welcome back.

   (3) Intercessory prayer places us in the same position as Christ in His ministry, as a mediator. Jesus interceded or acted as mediator for the woman caught in adultery; He interceded for children whom his disciples wanted to abruptly dismiss. (Mark 10:13-16); Interceding changes the situation by placing yourself within it.

   (4) Intercessory prayers unmatched by action are empty: James 2:14-17- "Faith without works is dead"; Intercessory prayer beckons to actions which we can take to intercede on behalf of others on Christ's behalf; We are called to prayers and deeds of intercession by Christ's example.

The word "Ransom" in 1 Timothy 2:6

There is a close juxtaposition in the scripture of "mediator" to "ransom". To intercede for another may involve risk and sacrifice. Ransom is defined as the price paid for release from bondage. Jesus gave his life as a "ransom" to release us from the bondage to sin and death.

Here are some important prayer instructions:

(1) Pray the Psalms out loud;
(2) Jesus' instruction on prayer:
   (a) Matthew 6:6-15: Secret prayer, Lord's
       prayer and forgiveness of others
   (b) Mark 14:34-37: Jesus' prayer in a crisis
       (Gethsemane) for God's will;
   (c) Luke 9:28 - Transfiguration occurs as a
       result of prayer;
   (d) Luke 11:9 Ask, seek and knock and it will
       be given to you.

In 1 Timothy 2:8 "Lift up holy hands in prayer:"

This refers to Moses in Exodus 17:11
Moses' holding up Holy Hands in prayer gave victory to the Israelite Army under Joshua over the Amalekites--Aaron and Hur held up Moses hands because when his hands went down the Israelites started losing the battle!

There is controversy about the authorship of the books of Timothy. While the accepted view is that they were written by Paul, many scholars believe they were written after Paul's death. At any rate Timothy does become the first Bishop of Ephesus.

Skip Maryan added that prayer is at the base of all religions. In the discussion that followed it seems everyone has an opinion on prayer. Joyce Crowl reminded us that if you don't believe in prayer you might as well not bother, and that every prayer is answered, although maybe not as you would like.

Max Kech read our healing prayer and then Skip Maryan concluded class with a benediction.

 The Lesson for Sunday, January 15th is titled "Leading God's People"

Key Verse:  1 Timothy 3:9

Focus of the Lesson:  People seek leaders who have a good reputation. What behavior and qualifications should we look for in church leaders? Paul indicates that good church leaders have strong Christian faith and character and that they are well respected by all in the community.

The reading is 1 Timothy 3:2-15. This text is from the New International Version^®.

   2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

   8 Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

   11 In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

   12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

   14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

NIV®