St. Martin's Episcopal Church

The St. Martin's Prime Timers A.B.F wishes you a Happy New Year!

Normally we meet in the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, right after the 9am Sunday Service, from 10:10 to 10:50am. For the next three weeks, December 23 and 30, and January 6, 2008 the ABF's are suspended for other wonderful events at St. Martin's. During that time this page will update the Bible reading and continue its quest for great art celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the events surrounding his birth. This Sunday, January 6, 2008 is a very special one for St. Martin's as we install our fourth rector, Dr. Russell Levenson.

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

It just takes a $1 donation to our Good News chicken, Henny Penny to bring us your good news. Currently we are donating the money we collect to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia, a Christian partnership between North Americans and Bolivians for the benefit of children in need.

Ben brings the great news that his youngest son is getting married in June. Our teacher Donn relates a wonderful story of a fourteen year old grandson who wouldn't talk to the "old folks" finally opening up and having a heart to heart with Granddad. Lynn's Mom successfully endured surgery to implant a pacemaker.

Called to Proclaim!

Donn Fullenweider is teaching the Prime Timers during December. Today's reading is Zechariah's Song from Luke 1:67-80, the story of John the Baptist and the preparation for coming of the Messiah. Donn had us reading from Malachi 4:1-2: "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. ²But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall."

Also this passage from Isaiah 9:1-2 "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-
   ²The people walking in darkness
         have seen a great light;
     on those living in the land of the shadow of death
        a light has dawned."

And then from Psalm 107:10-16:

   ¹⁰Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
      prisoners suffering in iron chains,

   ¹¹for they had rebelled against the words of God
      and despised the counsel of the Most High.

   ¹²So he subjected them to bitter labor;
      they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

   ¹³Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
      and he saved them from their distress.

   ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the
        deepest gloom
      and broke away their chains.

   ¹⁵Let them give thanks to the LORD for his
        unfailing love
      and his wonderful deeds for men,

   ¹⁶for he breaks down gates of bronze
     and cuts through bars of iron.

Donn included these passages to show precursors in the Old Testament of the love to come in the New Testament. Remember we had Zechariah speechless after doubting the angel Gabriel's news that his barren wife would bear a child, and that the child would be very important indeed. It was customary in those times to name a child on the eighth day at a circumcision. How was Zechariah to do this without speech? His brothers were about to have the child named after his father when Elizabeth said the child was to be named John, and Zechariah asked for a writing tablet to agree that this was the name. At this moment Zechariah is once again able to speak.

John the Baptist's story and Jesus' are entwined in the chronicle of Luke. John's miraculous birth is quickly followed by the story of Jesus' equally amazing one. This prompted Donn to ask the class if we had experienced an event so profound that we always remember it. Donn told us the birth of his son was one he always remembers; if he needs a reminder of how wonderful life can be he just recalls this. Zechariah is an example of a man who had done everything right, pious and very religious, and yet his wife was barren and he was old and depressed. God uses Zechariah to quite wonderful ends. The class then discussed how the Christmas season can be depressing, after all its supposed to be a wonderful time of year and yet there are murders in the mall and maybe we are worried about things at work. Probably the best way to get the Christmas Spirit going is the give of yourself rather than wonder what you are going to get.

Donn gave us all an assignment for Christmas, maybe you would like to participate with us. Donn asked us to talk to a child about our relationship to God, and to do it using a personal story from our own lives. Sounds like a reasonable task to me.

Donn then concluded class with a short prayer. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

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

Donn Fullenweider

Pete Seale

Ben Welmaker
bhwjr@flash.net

Outreach (inviting and welcoming new members)