The Raising of Tabitha, 1426-27, da Panicale Masolino, fresco at the Cappella Brancacci, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence

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, May 8 are from Lectionary Year C, Fourth Sunday of Easter: Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17 and John 10:22-30. The text is from theBible Study Tools - New Revised Standard Version.

Acts 9:36-43

³⁶ Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. ³⁷ At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. ³⁸ Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." ³⁹ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. ⁴⁰ Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹ He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. ⁴² This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd,
     I shall not want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures;
     he leads me beside still waters;

³ he restores my soul.
     He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
     for you are with me;
     your rod and your staff— they comfort me

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
     you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
     and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Revelation 7:9-17

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

    "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ¹¹ And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² singing,

    "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
     and thanksgiving and honor
     and power and might
     be to our God forever and ever!
         Amen."

¹³ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" ¹⁴ I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

    ¹⁵ For this reason they are before the throne of God,
         and worship him day and night within his temple,
         and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
     ¹⁶ They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
         the sun will not strike them,
         nor any scorching heat;
    ¹⁷ for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
         and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
         and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

John 10:22-30

²² At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." ²⁵ Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; ²⁶ but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one."

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.