Parable of the Lost Drachma, 1618-22, oil on wood by Domenico Fetti at the Gemäldegalerie, Dresden

Prime Timers

The Prime Timers were a Bible study group at St. Martin's for eight years. One of the goals of our founder, Jackie Rose, was to have a weekly web page for the group and all the pages are still online here. The group disbanded but the readings below are being kept up to date.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, September 15 are from Lectionary Year C, Proper 19: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14 or Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 51:1-11; 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and Luke 15:1-10. The text is from the Bible Study Tools - New International Version.

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28

¹¹ At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, “A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; ¹² a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.”

²² “My people are fools;
     they do not know me.

They are senseless children;
     they have no understanding.

They are skilled in doing evil;
     they know not how to do good.”

²³ I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty;
     and at the heavens, and their light was gone.

²⁴ I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking;
     all the hills were swaying.

²⁵ I looked, and there were no people;
     every bird in the sky had flown away.

²⁶ I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;
     all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD,
     before his fierce anger.

²⁷ This is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely.

²⁸ Therefore the earth will mourn
     and the heavens above grow dark,

because I have spoken and will not relent,
     I have decided and will not turn back.”

Psalm 14

¹ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
     They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
     there is no one who does good.

² The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind
     to see if there are any who understand,
     any who seek God.

³ All have turned away,
     all have become corrupt;
     there is no one who does good, not even one.

⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?
     They devour my people as though eating bread;
     they never call on the LORD.

⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
     for God is present in the company of the righteous.

⁶ You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
     but the LORD is their refuge.

⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
     When the LORD restores his people,
     let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

or Exodus 32:7-14

⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸ They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ ⁹ “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Psalm 51:1-11

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
     according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

² Wash away all my iniquity
     and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
     and my sin is always before me.

⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
     and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict
     and justified when you judge.

⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
     sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
     you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
     wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
     let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹ Hide your face from my sins
     and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
     and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
     or take your Holy Spirit from me.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. ¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Luke 15:1-10

¹ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.