Welcome to the St. Martin's Prime Timers Adult Bible Fellowship Web Page!

Every Sunday from 10:10am to 10:50 we meet in rooms 207-207 of the Payne Education Center. You are invited and we invite current members to bring a friend! This is a good time to jump in as we are beginning a new lesson plan with the first quarter entitled "You Will Be My Witnesses."

Hurricane Katrina has affected many of us directly and it is heartening to see the City of Houston and St. Martin's Church playing a major part in assisting those in need.  Click here to learn more about our mission.

News

For $1 you can tell our Good News chicken, Henny Penny, what's going on in your life, and contribute to a good cause.

Three of our contributors this week were able to report that family members were ok in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Bobby Griffith-Winner, Max Kech and Maud Ella Hartley all gave thanks.

Max Kech had a hat trick in birthdays! It was her grandson's 20th, her granddaughter's 14th and her sister's breast cancer survivor birthday!

Our leader Jackie Rose' husband Robert has gone through a series of complications related to his knee replacement surgery. This week we heard he suffered a mild heart attack requiring a stent to be placed. With all that happening, he is scheduled to return home Monday the 5th. Jackie and Robert are both in our prayers, along with the many people suffering due to Hurricane Katrina.

Encountering the Spirit 

The readings for today deal with Pentecost, the establishment of the church and the story of many people being told the Good News in their own languages. This brings us right to today's vocabulary word--xenolalia. This is the inspired capacity to speak in a foreign language. Distinct from glossolalia, or speaking in spiritual tongues requiring religious interpretation, xenolalia is articulate speech immediately understood by those familiar with the language.

In order to help us hear different "tongues" we heard our reading in Korean from two of our guests.

The story begins with the spirit of God coming down and enabling the people gathered at the temple to speak in "tongues" they were not familiar with. People began to gather and each heard in their own language. The crowd grew and Peter then delivered his first sermon. Our reading skipped this and since it is an important part of the whole event, here it is in its entirety, from the New International Version Bible.

Acts 2:9-37

   9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

   13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

   14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
   17 " 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
   18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
   19 I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
   20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
   before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
   21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

   22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:
  " 'I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
   26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will live in hope,
   27because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
   28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

   29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
 " 'The Lord said to my Lord:
   "Sit at my right hand
   35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet." '

   36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

   37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Pretty strong stuff. Our reading concluded with Peter imploring the crowd to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38), and the news that around 3,000 were baptized that day.

Max Kech concluded our session with our healing prayer, and then Skip read the Benediction.

Prime Timers Contact names and numbers

Mentor

The Rev. Maurice L. "Rusty" Goldsmith. D.D.
713/985-3831
rgoldsmith@stmartinsepiscopal.org

Leader

Teacher Rita Junker-Pickar leads the class for the month of September.

Max Kech gave thanks for her daughter's safety from Hurricane Katrina.

Maud Ella Hartley gave thanks.

We got to hear our reading in Korean!

One of our guests helping us understand the Pentecost.

This is Robert Rose earlier this year. We all pray for his complete recovery.

 The Lesson for Sunday, September 11th is titled "Sharing Community"

Key Verse:  Acts 2:44

Focus of the Lesson:  People yearn for true community. What are the marks of a Christian community? Worship, sharing of resources, unity, and spreading the good news made the first Christian community stand out.

The reading is Acts 2:43-47; 4:32-35. This text is from the New International Version.

   43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 4:32-35

   32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.


NIV®