The Lenten Season is underway!

Prime Timers is a St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowship (A.B.F.) geared towards people in the Prime of Life, ages 50-64. We meet in the Payne Education Center in rooms 207-209 from 10:15am to 10:50. This year Easter falls about as early as it can, March 23. The last time Easter was this early was in 1913, the next time it falls on the 23rd will be in the year 2160! St. Martin's is consolidating all the A.B.F.'s into one big class meeting in the Bagby Parish Hall during Lent, with members of our clergy conducting class. The next official meeting of Prime Timers is March 30. In the meantime this page will update the readings from the National Council of Churches.

Summoned to One Big Class!

All the St. Martin's A.B.F.'s are participating in a Lenten series of lectures by our clergy and others. For the first Lenten Forum it was our privilege to hear from The Rev. J. Pittman McGehee, speaking about Loneliness and Love. Last week we heard from our own Rev. John Bentley, who spoke on the subject of Suffering and Joy. The third week the subject was Death and Life from the Rev. Jerald Hyche. Note the title puts death before life. This week we heard from our Rev. F. Stuart Shelby, who spoke powerfully on Hope and the Resurrection, using images from great artists, photographs from a beach where Jesus might have summoned his fishermen, and even the spaceships from War of the Worlds! Next week the Lenten series concludes with a talk from the Rev. Dr. Christopher Hancock conducting a Forum From King to Cross.

Even if you do not participate in the St. Martin's A.B.F. programs you are invited to join us for this Lenten series. 

The Lesson for Sunday, March 16th is "God Calls Solomon to Build the Temple"

Key Verse:  1 Chronicles 28:10

Focus of the Lesson: People long to know that the tasks they do have meaning. How can we know our tasks are meaningful? David affirmed that God had chosen Solomon for a specific task, that of building a sanctuary for the worship of God.

The reading is 1 Chronicles 28:5-10, 20-21. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)

Background Scripture:  1 Chronicles 28:1-21

   ⁵Of all my sons—and the LORD has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. ⁶He said to me: 'Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. ⁷I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.'

   ⁸"So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

   ⁹"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. ¹⁰Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."

   ²⁰David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. ²¹The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."

NIV