Why Don't You Join Us in the Parlor?

Prime Timers is a St. Martin's Adult Christian Education (A.C.E.) group, or an A.B.F. (Adult Bible Fellowship). We are people in the Prime of Life, age 50 and beyond, and we welcome all who come. Class meets in the Parlor near the Church Offices each Sunday from 10:15 am to 11:00. We are following a program based on the Revised Common Lectionary and you are invited to join us as we explore the same Bible readings as a large group of Christian Churches worldwide!

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.

Prime Timers Monthly Dinner This Week!

Our monthly get-together for dinner will be this Tuesday, November 17 at 6:30pm at La Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe, 6500 Woodway at Voss, 713-722-8449. Please call Lynn Swaffar at 281-495-3832 if you are coming.

No Class This Week!

Carol Hartland and Donn Fullenweider are our co-teachers for November, and they got a day off as this was St. Martin's Day and the annual St. Martin's picture was taken during the time when class would have met. In addition we heard an additional talk by our guest priest, The Very Rev. William S. Stafford, Ph.D., D.D., Dean of The School of Theology, Sewanee: The University of the South.

The Readings for Sunday, November 22nd are from Lectionary Year Two, Proper 29-B. "True Kingship"

The Old Testament Readings are 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-19. The New Testament readings are from Revelation 1:4b-8 and John 18:33-37. The text is from the New International Version (NIV).

2 Samuel 23:1-7

¹ These are the last words of David:
"The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
Israel's singer of songs:

² "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.

³ The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock of Israel said to me:
'When one rules over men in righteousness,
when he rules in the fear of God,

⁴ he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings the grass from the earth.'

⁵ "Is not my house right with God?
Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant,
arranged and secured in every part?
Will he not bring to fruition my salvation
and grant me my every desire?

⁶ But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,
which are not gathered with the hand.

⁷ Whoever touches thorns
uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;
they are burned up where they lie."

Psalm 132:1-18

¹ O LORD, remember David
and all the hardships he endured.

² He swore an oath to the LORD
and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

³ "I will not enter my house
or go to my bed-

⁴ I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids,

⁵ till I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

⁶ We heard it in Ephrathah,
we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:

⁷ "Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool-

⁸ arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.

⁹ May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
may your saints sing for joy."

¹⁰ For the sake of David your servant,
do not reject your anointed one.

¹¹ The LORD swore an oath to David,
a sure oath that he will not revoke:
"One of your own descendants
I will place on your throne-

¹² if your sons keep my covenant
and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on your throne for ever and ever."

¹³ For the LORD has chosen Zion,
he has desired it for his dwelling:

¹⁴ "This is my resting place for ever and ever;
here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it-

¹⁵ I will bless her with abundant provisions;
her poor will I satisfy with food.

¹⁶ I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and her saints will ever sing for joy.

¹⁷ "Here I will make a horn grow for David
and set up a lamp for my anointed one.

¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but the crown on his head will be resplendent."

Revelation 1:4b-8

⁴John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

⁷Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

⁸"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

John 18:33-37

³³Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

³⁴"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

³⁵"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

³⁶Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

³⁷"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

NIV