The Wayside Cross is in front of St. Martin's Church.

Prime Timers

The Prime Timers were a Bible study group at St. Martin's for eight years. One of the goals of our founder, Jackie Rose, was to have a weekly web page for the group and all the pages are still online here. The group disbanded but the readings below are being kept up to date.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, March 17 are from Lectionary Year C, Second Sunday in Lent: Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1 and Luke 13:31-35. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Genesis 15:1-12,17-18

¹ After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,your very great reward. ” ² But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” ⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” ⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” ⁹ So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. ¹¹ Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. ¹⁸ On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—

Psalm 27

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation—
     whom shall I fear?
     The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
     of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked advance against me to devour me,
     it is my enemies and my foes
     who will stumble and fall.

³ Though an army besiege me,
     my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,
     even then I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask from the LORD,
     this only do I seek:
     that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
     and to seek him in his temple.

⁵ For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe
     in his dwelling;
     he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
     and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
     above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice
     with shouts of joy;
     I will sing and make music to the LORD.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
     be merciful to me and answer me.

⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
     Your face, LORD, I will seek.

⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
     do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.
     Do not reject me or forsake me,
     God my Savior.

¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
     the LORD will receive me.

¹¹ Teach me your way, LORD;
     lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
     for false witnesses rise up against me,
     spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
     I will see the goodness of the LORD
     in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
     be strong and take heart and
     wait for the LORD.

Philippians 3:17-4:1

¹⁷ Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
¹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

Luke 13:31-35

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” ³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! ³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.