Join Us in the Parlor Next Sunday!

Prime Timers is a St. Martin's Adult Christian Education (A.C.E.) group for people in the Prime of Life, ages 50-64. We meet in the Parlor near the Church Offices from 10:15am to 11:00. We are following a course of study from the United Council of Churches titled The New Testament Community. While September was interrupted by Hurricane Ike, October is a journey through the book of Acts, and you are invited! Don't worry, there are no pop-quizzes!

Prime Timers Celebrates 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 worthy charity, currently the Amistad Mission in Bolivia.

Today George's prayers for rain at his farm near Eagle Lake were answered and Sue reported on attending a Eucharist at the Hampton Inn, part of a series of services given at retirement homes around Houston.

Transformed to Witness the Community

Carol Hartland led the Prime Timers through one of the most famous events in the Bible, Paul's conversion to Christ on the Road to Damascus. As Carol pointed out, is there anyone responsible for more of the Bible than Paul? Thirteen books of the Bible and half of the Book of Acts come from Paul's letters. Carol asked us to think if we have had a "Road to Damascus" experience as we read about Paul.

She reminded us (1 Peter 2:9) "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." At the beginning of our reading followers of Jesus are referred to as belonging to the Way. This term is somewhat ironical as Judaism was thought of as guidance or a path.

The character of Ananias is important in the story as he is God's instrument to heal Saul/Paul and at the same time Ananias raises the obvious questions:  why Paul, who had done some pretty awful things, would be chosen to do God's work. Ananias does go heal and baptize Paul and Paul's conversion is real. Paul is an Apostle, called by God, but unlike the original twelve Apostles, he did not actually meet Jesus.

How do we deal with people who do bad things and seem to have lost their way? Would that we all could have Ananias's around to heal them. George is counseling a young relative who is now in prison. George is afraid the young man might not make it, being too smart for his own good. George did get the young man to agree to read C. S. Lewis's book Mere Christianity. As Christians we do not give up on people, although we recognize that all outcomes will not be Roads to Damascus.

Carol concluded class with a short benediction.

The Lesson for Sunday, October 26th is "Commissioned by the  Community"

Key Verse:  Acts 13:3

Focus of the Lesson: Purposeful involvement in a community gives us a sense of satisfaction. Where can we find a community to which we want to dedicate our lives? The commissioning of Barnabas and Saul/Paul by the church at Antioch shows how the Holy Spirit motivates persons to represent the cause of Christ in the world.

The reading is Acts 13:1-12 This text is from the New International Version. (NIV)

Background Scripture:  Acts 13

   ¹In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." ³So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

   ⁴The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. ⁵When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

   ⁶They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ⁷who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. ⁹Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ¹⁰"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹²When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

NIV