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October 21, 2007 "Jacob and Rachel" |
The St. Martin's Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship Welcomes You!
Come on in to the Payne Education Center, rooms 207-209, after the 9am Sunday Service, from 10:10 to 10:50am. We are studying the Book of Genesis for the next couple months, and you are invited to explore with us!
The St. Martin's Adult Bible Fellowships (ABF's) are following a course of study based on the work of the Committee on the Uniform Series, also known as the International Lessons. Bible students around the world are using this same framework, why not you?
Monthly Prime Timers Dinner
Every month the Prime Timers get together for dinner at a Houston restaurant. This Tuesday, October 16, at 6:30pm we will meet at the Post Oak Grill. Make sure you let our leader, Anne Berry know if you are coming. You can call Anne at 832-251-8868, or email her at anne.berry@comcast.net. The Post Oak Grill is near the church, down Post Oak Lane before San Felipe.
Prime Timers Good News
At the beginning of our class we spend time hearing our members Good News. Presenting this news requires a $1 donation to our Good News chicken, Henny Penny. Currently we are donating this money to the Amistad Mission in Bolivia, a Christian partnership between North Americans and Bolivians for the benefit of their children in need.
Today Anne gave thanks for her grandson's 8th birthday this past Saturday and Marty donated a dollar to tell of a successful surgery implanting a pacemaker in his Mother's older sister Joan.
Jacob's Dream at Bethel
Our teacher for October is Richard Cruse. He began recalling the story up to now in the Book of Genesis. We are in what is known as the Jacob Cycle, and deception is its hallmark. Abraham is the father of Issac, and Isaac has two sons by Rebekah, the hairy red outdoorsman Esau and the tent dwelling Jacob. Rebekah's favored son is Jacob, while Isaac favors Esau. Jacob is the progenitor of the Jews.
The theme of deception begins with Jacob stealing Esau's birthright for a bowl of stew! This is an indication that maybe Esau is not worthy of the birthright, with its responsibility as head of the family, and the double inheritance. Later Rebekah hears that the now blind Isaac intends to bless Esau and works to deceive Isaac into giving the blessing to Jacob. She dresses Jacob in Esau's clothes, and prepares a meal as Esau would have done for the feast. A blessing here refers to dominion and fertility. Dominion over the land and the blessing of rain producing an abundance of grain and wine. It is Rebekah here who is helping further the prophesy that Jacob would be the superior brother.
Isaac gives the blessing to Jacob, and Esau vows to kill Jacob as revenge. Jacob goes to Rebekah's family, not to escape Esau's wrath, but to find a wife. This brings us to today's reading, the story of Jacob's dream at Bethel. He is headed to Haran but stops at certain place, the city of Luz, and has a dream. He sees a stairway to heaven with the angels of God descending and ascending. He hears the Lord who says among other things in Genesis 27:13 "I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying." Jacob renames the land Bethel, which in Hebrew means "house of God."
Jacob is awed by this experience. He also calls this place the "gate of heaven." (Genesis 28:17) This reiterates the divine promise of the possession of the land of Canaan and the blessing to come on the nations of the earth through contact with Jacob and his descendants.
The idea of a divine meeting intrigues Richard. He recalled the experience of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. He has an experience at a Moravian meeting on Aldersgate street, May 24, 1738, where he describes the famous lines "I felt my heart strangely warmed," after which his entire ministry was revitalized.
Also we have similar visits described in sermons by our former Rector, the Rev. Larry Gipson, and our current Senior Associate Rector, the Rev. John K. Graham. They are visited at their homes, and describe a feeling of happiness.
Certainly one of, if not the major, recent experience of this kind is Mother Teresa, who heard the call of Jesus on a train trip from Calcutta to Darjeeling, September 10, 1946. She then spent the rest of her life serving the poorest of the poor and diseased. Click here for the article Richard referred to. The Catholic Church recently released Mother Teresa's diaries, and the most extraordinary revelation is that she never again heard the voice from the train, and in fact felt abandoned and lonely for much of her life. Her achievement feels much greater when you realize that she didn't live the life of a happy mystic, but rather was like most of us, filled with reservations and doubt. As the article said, it did not seem trite coming from her when she would tell her community and guests to "keep smiling."
Peace be with you!
Prime Timers Contact names and numbers
Mentor
Rev. B. Massey Gentry
mgentry@stmartinsepiscopal.org
Leaders
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Max Kech
713/802-0690 H
maxkech2003@yahoo.com
Marty Smith
713/464-6737 H
martys47@comcast.net
Teachers
Richard Cruse
Pete Seale
Ben Welmaker
bhwjr@flash.net
Outreach (inviting and welcoming new members)
Anne Berry
832/251-8868 H
anne.berry@comcast.net
Elizabeth Sleeper
jsleeperjr@comcast.net
Richard Cruse is our teacher for the month of October.
Isaac Blessing Esau, by Govert Flinck, 1638, oil on canvas, at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Anne Berry is the leader of the Prime Timers. She wanted to remind us that our monthly dinner will be this tuesday at the Post Oak Grill.
The Lesson for Sunday, October 21st is titled "Jacob and Rachel"
Key Verse: Genesis 29:20
Focus of the Lesson: Hopes are sometimes dashed or temporarily put on hold. How do we respond when our fondest wishes remain unfulfilled? Jacob dearly loved Rachel but unexpectedly found after seven years of work that he must first marry her older sister Leah and then work seven more years for the woman of his heart.
The reading is Genesis 29:20-35. This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)
Background Scripture: Genesis 29
20So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."
22So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. 24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.
25When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"
26Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."
28And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
31When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."
33She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.
34Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.
35She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
NIV
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