"...You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22)

Prime Timers is a St. Martin's Adult Christian Education group, also known as an Adult Bible Fellowship. We are people in the Prime of Life, age 50 and beyond, inviting one and all to come to the Parlor near the Church Offices each Sunday from 10:15 am to 11:00. This season's program is based on the Revised Common Lectionary. 2010 is a great time to jump in: our chairs are comfortable, the coffee is hot and the donuts are fresh! See you soon.

Prime Timers Celebrate Good News

We celebrate our members Good News at Prime Timers with a $1 contribution to Henny Penny, our Good News chicken. Periodically Henny donates the money she collects to a charity, currently the Amistad Mission in Bolivia. Jane gave thanks for having her family together for the Christmas season. Anne was thankful for her grandson's 3.75 grade point average at Texas State.

The Great Commission and Ascension Stained Glass window at St. Martin's Church.

Speaking of Stained Glass Windows...

This Friday, January 15 at 11:00am St. Martin's docent Lee Hunnell is leading a new tour of the St. Martin's Clerestory stained glass windows. The Clerestory is the "clear story" or window level without a floor, it's up high! Lee says to B.Y.O.B. (bring your own binoculars). There is no one more knowledgeable about these windows than Lee so this tour is a treat. For more information or to schedule a tour, please call 713-830-4117.

"You Are My Beloved Son" Luke 3:22

Donn Fullenweider conducted class today in this week, the beginning of the season of Epiphany. There are three main events during this period: 1) the visitation of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), where Jesus is seen as the source of salvation and a blessing to the world, 2) this weeks lesson, the Baptism of Jesus, revealing that he is God's beloved Son and 3) Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11), showing Jesus' power.

John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and water figures into Hebrew traditions of purification. Jesus being baptized signals his recognition as the Messiah.

We read the account in Luke 3 of Jesus baptism. Each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) has an account of this important event, the Gospel of John mentions the response of John the Baptist to the event.

Matthew 3:13-17

¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

¹⁵Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

¹⁶As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. ¹⁷And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Mark 1:9-11

⁹At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

John 1:32-34

³²Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

In the spirit of the season Donn mentioned being touched by a song whose music he had heard a lot without listening to the lyrics until now! This is a song by Amy Grant, called Breath of Heaven, or Mary's Song:

I have traveled many moonless nights,
Cold and weary with a babe inside,
And I wonder what I've done.
Holy father you have come,
And chosen me now to carry your son.

I am waiting in a silent prayer.
I am frightened by the load I bear.
In a world as cold as stone,
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now.
Be with me now.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.
Breath of heaven.

Do you wonder as you watch my face,
If a wiser one should have had my place,
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan.
Help me be strong.
Help me be.
Help me.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven.

Donn concluded class with a short prayer.

The Readings for Sunday, January 17th are from Lectionary Year Three, Epiphany 2-C "Water into Wine"

The Readings this week are Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 36:5-10, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and John 2:1-11. The text is from the New International Version.

Isaiah 62:1-5

¹ For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.

² The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.

³ You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

⁴ No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.

⁵ As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

Psalm 36:5-10

⁵ Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

⁶ Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

⁷ How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

⁸ They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.

⁹ For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

¹⁰ Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

¹Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. ²You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

John 2:1-11

¹On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, ²and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

⁴"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

⁵His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

⁶Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

⁷Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, ⁹and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

¹¹This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

NIV