Exodus 3:4 "...And Moses said, 'Here I am.'"

Prime Timers, a St. Martin's Adult Christian Education (A.C.E.) group, also known as an ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship), is for people in the Prime of Life, age 50 and beyond. Class meets in the Parlor near the Church Offices each Sunday from 10:15am to 11:00. We are following a course of study from the United Council of Churches titled The New Testament Community. You are invited to join our group as we begin a new unit titled "Call Sealed with a Promise" and spend some time with us studying the Book of Exodus.

Prime Timers at Sylvia's!

The Prime Timers got the summer off to a good start June 2nd at Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen on Woodway!

Prime Timer Connie Colley and dinner organizer extraordinaire Lynn Swaffar did not cook our dinner at Sylvia's Enchiladas but this gives you an idea of the atmosphere there.

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.  Anne began by showing appreciation for the people who make the Prime Timers meetings happen. Anne was confronted with the problem this week where both her primary teachers were out of town, and how George Laigle stepped up to fill in. Linda just got back from a two week stay in England and had a great time. Also her grandson was accepted at Texas State in San Marcos, his first choice.

God Calls Moses

George Laigle led the Prime Timers in our first foray into the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy that will occupy our summer study by telling us that the lesson guide for this was written by the Reverend Dr. Rebecca Abts Wright, a United Methodist minister.

Our reading for today is the familiar story of Moses at the burning bush, Exodus 3:1-12, where God tells Moses of his sympathy with the plight of the Israelites in Egypt, and God's plans for Moses. Today's theme is God's call, and George asked us to think of the times we received God's call. What did we do, or not do. Did you only realize afterward that you were being called?

George read this from 1 Samuel 3:1-10: 

   ¹The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.

   ²One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

   ⁴Then the LORD called Samuel.

   Samuel answered, "Here I am." ⁵And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.

   ⁶Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."

   ⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

   ⁸The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

   ¹⁰The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

George is a movie buff and used "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr as an example of someone "getting the call." Mitchum plays a marooned corporal and Kerr a nun. They are on an island occupied by the Japanese in World War II. At the end of the movie...well, rent this classic movie with strong performances by Mitchum and Kerr and see for yourself!

Another example is Lech Walesa, the electrical technician who founded the Solidarity union that helped bring about the end of communism in Poland. Walesa is a Roman Catholic and mentions how his faith got him through trying moments in his quest.

George gave us some background for our study of Moses, whose life was divided into three forty year segments. Moses is rescued from the river Nile and for the first forty years he is a prince of the royal family in Egypt. For the next forty years he is exiled after killing an Egyptian overseer and finally for the segment beginning in our reading today, Moses is called to lead the Israelites to the promised land.

For examples of being called by God, George briefly related is work with a third cousin who is in prison. George reports progress as the cousin works his way back into society. Annette described working on Christmas Pageants in a small church, how the day of the performance all the problems, and there were many, faded away and the everything came together. George recalled working on a phone bank one year when St. Martin's still used parishioners to prod other parishioners to make their pledges. He said it was an eye opening mission, and one he never wanted to do again!

Elizabeth feels her mission is tending to the needs of her extended family. She used the example of a grand-daughter who loved being a camp counselor. Then this year there is a new set of people running the camp, and they had too many counselors! The grand-daughter is crushed and calls Elizabeth, who told her to be patient and stay at the camp. The next week she calls again and another girl had left the camp and now the grand-daughter is a counselor with just the age group of children she wanted.

Lynn told us how she was perpetually tired and not participating in life when one week she came to church, and visited the Prime Timers! She met someone in class who was able to help with a problem she was having, decided to give the class a shot, and now she is an indispensable part of the Prime Timers leadership!

As George returned to the reading he mentioned how God tells Moses to remove his sandals because he is on holy ground (Exodus 3:5). Remember servants often did not have sandals. What God is asking Moses is for him to become God's servant.

George concluded class with a heartfelt prayer.

The Lesson for Sunday, June 14th,  is "Moses and Aaron Respond"

Key Verse:  Exodus 4:30

Focus of the Lesson: Because some people believe they are not adequate to a task, they are fearful of and resistant to accepting it. How can people who are afraid be encouraged to do the work assigned them? Moses resisted God's call, but then he accepted aid from his brother Aaron, according to God's command.

The reading is Exodus 4:10-16, 27-31. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)

   ¹⁰Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

   ¹¹The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ¹²Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

   ¹³But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

   ¹⁴Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. ¹⁵You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. ¹⁶He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.

   ²⁷The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. ²⁸Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform.

   ²⁹Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, ³⁰and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, ³¹and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

NIV