He is Risen!  He is risen indeed.

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 consolidated all the A.B.F.'s into one big class meeting in the Bagby Parish Hall during Lent, with members of the 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. This week the Lenten series concluded with a talk from the Rev. Dr. Christopher Hancock on From King to Cross. Rev. Dr. Hancock contrasted the story of Jesus' last days as recounted in Matthew 20-end, to the self-indulgent Lord Byron, as recounted in Byron, The Last Journey, by Harold Nicholson.

This Lenten series was excellent, I hope you were able to attend some or all of the sessions.  

The Lesson for Sunday, March 30th is "Josiah Renews the Covenant"

Key Verse:  2 Chronicles 34:31

Focus of the Lesson: Broken covenants are difficult to restore. What does it take for relationships to be reestablished? Josiah was grieved by the people's broken covenant with God and in humility took steps to restore their relationship with God.

The reading is 2 Chronicles 34:15, 18-19, 25-27, 29, 31-33. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)

Background Scripture:  2 Chronicles 34

   ¹⁵Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan.

¹⁸Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

   ¹⁹When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.

²⁵Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.' ²⁶Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ²⁷Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.

   ²⁹Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

   ³¹The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD -to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.

   ³²Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

   ³³Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.

NIV