Last week while this page was being prepared I got the sad news that Rev. Bob Browne passed away. This photo is from one of Rev. Browne's visits to Prime Timers in 2005. Prime Timers and I will miss Rev. Browne's presence at St. Martin's. This Monday, September 28, 2009 at 2:00pm there will be a service celebrating Rev. Browne's life.

It's a New Season at Prime Timers!

Prime Timers, a St. Martin's Adult Christian Education (A.C.E.) group, also known as an A.B.F. (Adult Bible Fellowship), is for people in the Prime of Life, age 50 and beyond. Class meets in the Parlor near the Church Offices each Sunday from 10:15 am to 11:00. We are beginning a new class year based on the Revised Common Lectionary and you are invited to join us! Readings in church and our class will span a large group of Christian Churches worldwide! Why don't you join us on this journey?

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. Today Sue gave thanks for her heart! She just underwent a series of tests and everything checked out ok. Lynn reported that her 94 year old Mother survived another week. The family is hoping to celebrate her birthday on October 10.

A Salty Discipleship

Carol Hartland led the Prime Timers today in our exploration of how we relate to others in our faith and how we relate our faith to our lives. The story in Mark 9:38-50 begins like many in the New Testament with Jesus' disciples doing something that they thought would honor "the boss" but Jesus corrects and teaches them the right way. They had tried to stop someone casting out demons in Jesus' name, but not following them. Jesus in Mark 9:40 says "Whoever is not against us is for us." This point came up in Rev. Hyche's sermon when he told us there are twenty-five hundred (!) Christian denominations.

Salt is important in the ancient world as the first preservative and as a substance that can make food more flavorful. So when Jesus talks about salt losing its saltiness (Mark 9:50) he is referring to losing your faith. "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

Last week we explored the story of Esther and her revenge on "vile Haman" (Esther 7:6) and Carol told us of the A. D. Players, a Christian theater group, who are currently presenting the story of Esther in their play "Myrtle, A Melodrama." This is being performed through the first part of October and Carol says it was delightful. Tickets are still available, just click the link above.

Our other reading was James 5:13-20, where James calls on us to pray pretty much under any and all circumstances. Class members recounted stories where prayer had worked, and others pointed out that many people do not believe prayer works. Someone said if you tell someone you are going to pray for them to actually do it! How many times has this been an empty sympathy line? James mentions the prophet Elijah praying for it not to rain for three years and the class was curious why he did this.

This event is chronicled in 1 Kings 17. Elijah is a powerful prophet. He does not die, in 2 Kings 2:11 "As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." Elijah contends with King Ahab, a Baal worshiper and the three year drought is just one of the miracles Elijah does in the name of the Lord to convince the people of the Lord's pre-eminence. Earlier Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a BBQ cook off! Just have Baal, the storm God, light the fire to cook the bull! The Lord comes through on this one with fire and the people fall down and say "The Lord is God; the Lord is God." 1 Kings 18:25-39.

Anne described the choir's prayer ministry, they pray at rehearsal and before services. Anne is a believer in the power of prayer. Others suggested prayer as a way to resolve conflict, and a way to ask for help. The passage from Mark describes "stumbling blocks" to faith, and some class members suggested that these are really gifts to help you with your faith journey.

Carol concluded class with this short prayer: "We give thanks to God for using us
and those around us—unique and varied servants that we are—to proclaim Christ’s name and do the will of the Lord.”

"The Nature of the Kingdom"

The Readings for Sunday, October 4th are from Lectionary Year Two, Proper 22 B.

The Old Testament Readings are Job 1:1; 2:1-10; and Psalm 26. The New Testament readings are Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 and Mark 10:2-16. The text is from the New International Version.

Job 1:1; 2:1-10

¹In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

¹On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. ²And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

³Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."

⁴"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. ⁵But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

⁶The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."

⁷So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. ⁸Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

⁹His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

¹⁰He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Psalm 26

¹ Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have led a blameless life;
I have trusted in the LORD
without wavering.

² Test me, O LORD, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;

³ for your love is ever before me,
and I walk continually in your truth.

⁴ I do not sit with deceitful men,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;

⁵ I abhor the assembly of evildoers
and refuse to sit with the wicked.

⁶ I wash my hands in innocence,
and go about your altar, O LORD,

⁷ proclaiming aloud your praise
and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

⁸ I love the house where you live, O LORD,
the place where your glory dwells.

⁹ Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with bloodthirsty men,

¹⁰ in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hands are full of bribes.

¹¹ But I lead a blameless life;
redeem me and be merciful to me.

¹² My feet stand on level ground;
in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

¹In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. ³The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

⁵It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. ⁶But there is a place where someone has testified:
"What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
⁷You made him a little[a] lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor
⁸and put everything under his feet."

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. ⁹But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

¹⁰In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. ¹¹Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. ¹²He says,

"I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."

Mark 10:2-16

²Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

³"What did Moses command you?" he replied.

⁴They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."

⁵"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. ⁶"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' ⁷'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

¹⁰When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. ¹²And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

The Little Children and Jesus

¹³People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." ¹⁶And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

NIV