Following Love

Ruth 1:1-18 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Proper 24 Year B Following Love Opening Song Welcome – All Hallow’s Eve Call To Worship Make every other line bold You who are famished Come to be fed. Leave behind what is arid Let go what is dead. Step with confidence toward newness Step bravely toward Christ. God is here to embrace us Worship God, receive life! Invocation Meet us here, O God. None of us have made it this far unscathed by life’s heartaches and tribulations. Meet us here, O God. Put our hands in the hands of each other. Put our hearts in the care of this community of grace. Strengthen us through this hour of worship that being healed, we may become healers, that finding our home, we may welcome foreigners, friends and kin home with Christ, home with you. Amen. Stewardship Moment Invitation to Give: (After Ruth 1:1-8) May each of us possess the generosity of spirit that led Ruth to promise, “Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge.” Through our offerings may we go where our neighbors are in need, may we lodge with those who sorrow, may we share ourselves and what is ours, that all whom God loves will not feel abandoned nor alone. Prayer of dedication Gracious and generous God, please accept these gifts that we have brought. May these offerings serve to draw others to love, honor, and serve you. Multiply these tithes and offerings, Holy One, and use them for the edification of your people all around the world. All for love’s sake, amen. Scripture Ruth 1:1-18 Ruth 1:1-18 Common English Bible The family in Moab 1 During the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. A man with his wife and two sons went from Bethlehem of Judah to dwell in the territory of Moab. 2 The name of that man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the territory of Moab and settled there. 3 But Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died. Then only she was left, along with her two sons. 4 They took wives for themselves, Moabite women; the name of the first was Orpah and the name of the second was Ruth. And they lived there for about ten years. 5 But both of the sons, Mahlon and Chilion, also died. Only the woman was left, without her two children and without her husband. 6 Then she arose along with her daughters-in-law to return from the field of Moab, because while in the territory of Moab she had heard that the LORD had paid attention to his people by providing food for them. 7 She left the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law went with her. They went along the road to return to the land of Judah. 8 Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go, turn back, each of you to the household of your mother. May the LORD deal faithfully with you, just as you have done with the dead and with me. 9 May the LORD provide for you so that you may find security, each woman in the household of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 But they replied to her, “No, instead we will return with you, to your people.” 11 Naomi replied, “Turn back, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Will there again be sons in my womb, that they would be husbands for you? 12 Turn back, my daughters. Go. I am too old for a husband. If I were to say that I have hope, even if I had a husband tonight, and even more, if I were to bear sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you refrain from having a husband? No, my daughters. This is more bitter for me than for you, since the LORD’s will has come out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her. 15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her gods. Turn back after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do this to me and more so if even death separates me from you.” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it. Sermon – Following Love Speaking of fictional stories in the bible – it is said that the book of Ruth and the book of Job have a lot in common. The book of Ruth is called a Novella – a medium sized story in between a short story and a novel. Today we are going to look at the first chapter of this book, but you could easily read the whole story in less than 20 minutes. The story ends with the birth of Obed, the grandfather of King David. We hear a lot about David being the first king of Israel. But here is the thing – there is no historical proof that David ever existed. Was David a fictional character also? How can Jesus be a descendant of David if he never existed? I can assure you that Jesus and his mother Mary were historical people. But if David is not a historical person, why is he in the bible? Well because the old testament is a book of stories that were passed down for thousands of years. The point of the stories are not in the exact details, it is in the timeless truths that guide our actions and become a foundation of our faith. And just like a lot of novels – the story is true, the names and the places have been changed to protect the reality of the story. The book of Ruth has some disturbing truths that can hit home for us – 3000 years later. It is the story of a fairly well off family that lived in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means beth – house – lehem – house of bread. The family was doing pretty well off until the bread disappeared. The happy family fleed to Moab. Now moving to Moab was like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. No self respecting Hebrew would be willing to live with their distant cousins the Moabites. And there were strict rules about marrying them. Which the two sons in this family do. And then the story specifally says that this was in the time of the judges. These were not necessarily wise people – they were strong warlords who kept order the old fashioned way. So in other words, there were no rules, no laws, no covenants, no government control. It was every man for himself. So this family was responsible for their own survival. And the story gets worse – first the father dies, then the two sons die – leaving three women to survive on their own. With no food, no jobs, no family, no government assistance – this was a death sentence for the 3 of them. Women were second class citizens subject to abuse, resentment . foreign women, were less than less than. Let’s respect Naomi for her honesty. We are more comfortable with people who grieve privately, who put on a brave face and never talk about what’s tearing them up inside. But that’s not healthy. Author Lynn Caine wrote her best-selling book Widow after the death of her husband. In it, she writes, “being a widow is like living in a country where no one speaks your language.” (5) And yet Ruth is one of 4 women listed in Jesus lineage. All 4 were foreign, all four went above and beyond to remain loyal to the Hebrew people. There is a lot going on in this story, but the important point is that love always finds a way, love always wins, love is always strong enough to overcome hatred, love is no respector of race, gender, status or circumstances, love can bring those at the bottom to the top, love will cling to us no matter where we go in life. You know Oprah Winfrey says that she was supposed to have a biblical name, but it was misspelled on her birth certificate. Orpah was the daughter in law in this family. she was a Moabite and they lived in Moab. So when her mother in law Naomi told her to go home – she didn’t have far to go. Never to be heard from in biblical history again. It is the other daughter in law – ruth who insists on staying. Perhaps she had no place to go, perhaps she came from an abusive home. There is some speculation that these two women were kidnapped to become wives, and to return home at this point meant death. Whatever her reason, that bible says that she clung to her mother in law Naomi. She says these famous words – wherever you go I will go, wherever you stay I will stay, your people will be my people your god will be my god wherever you die, I will die.” These words are used in weddings, in commitment services, in friendships, in our faith. Who is it that clings to us no matter what? Who goes above and beyond for us. That person is Jesus. Jesus is a reminder of how far God will go for us. Jesus cared about us and saved us before we were even born. God always comes to us in the form in a relationship. God shows us hesed – steadfast love. Ruth name is an important lesson. Ruth means kindness. When we say that someone is ruthless – they are without kindness. Who is the Ruth in your life? So the rest of the story quickly – ruth and Naomi go back to Bethlehem. Naomi has ruth in the fields gleaning grain in order to survive. Naomi sets Ruth up with the owner of the field. They get married, have a baby names Obed. Obed is the father of Jessie, Jessie is the father of David and the legacy continues to Jesus Christ. This is a story about family, it is a story about hesed love, ultimately it is a story about redemption. The word redemption is used in this 23 times. God’s love always redeems us. Virginia Duran was born in a migrant worker camp in central California. Her father was in jail, and her mother could not afford her. There was a doctor in the area, also named Virginia, who made sure that there was enough food for the young girl and her mother. That's why her mother named her Virginia: after the doctor who helped feed, clothe and pay the rent for them. As Virginia grew and her family moved, she eventually lost contact with that caring doctor. Years later, when Virginia was grown, she was visiting Mexico when she saw a picture of a poor girl in the newspaper. At that moment Virginia realized that, if it hadn't been for that one doctor many years before, she could have ended up like the girl in that picture. When Virginia went home she told her sister about the picture. She had decided that she wanted to do something to help poor children. The two sisters traveled to Mexico and found a dusty village filled with migrant children. Many of the children's parents were unwed teenagers or alcoholics. Many of the children were also malnourished and sick. Virginia and her sister helped as many of these children as they could. Today they have 35 children in their care. As Virginia was taking care of the children one day she suddenly remembered something she had long forgotten. Doctor Virginia once told her that she, the doctor, had been rescued by a wealthy woman herself. That woman had also been saved from poverty by yet another woman, who had been rescued by another woman ” back six generations. All of these women lived in the west, and all were surrogate mothers for children who desperately needed love. Interestingly, all of the women were named Virginia. "You're the seventh in a long line," the doctor told her. "And someday, you'll do as much for someone else." (4) Virginia Duran was in a long line of love. Ruth was in a long line of love – and so are we. We know of a Ruth in life, but we are called to be Ruth to those around us. Let us pray…… Amen Halloween Prayers Prayers for the children and young people Holy God, giver of life, we know you are ruler over all things that make us fearful. You triumph over the evils in our world, and you raise your people to life again after death. As the One who created us, we know it makes you glad to hear us laugh, and to watch us play. So, we ask you to bless all here today who have dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Bless all who will go out “trick-or-treating” this week. Let their laughter and the wholesome fun they enjoy be a sign to all who do not know you, that your Love reigns over all things in heaven and on earth. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Prayers for all Lord, tonight, We will face all that most concerns us: our fears, the shadowed places of the mind; the coming of winter darkness; the cold thin place between waking and sleep. We call to mind the powerless, the lonely, those who most fear the knock at the door; all those deceived by the world’s empty promises; all those cowed by menaces or threats. 5 We stand with those weak in body, mind or spirit and those seduced by treats or hurt by tricks. Lord, your light shines into every darkness. You told us: pray ‘deliver us from evil’. Your Spirit gives us hope, gives us courage, a candle in the window unhurt by the wind. Amen Song – Pass It On UMH 572 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook In this company of friends, we have shared the feast of Christ’s love. May we go from this hour of worship empowered to accompany our neighbors on love’s journey, until in Christ, we walk each other home. Amen. Community Time Benediction Charge and benediction May we go from this place knowing that the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit go with us, guiding us, carrying us and reforming us, today, tomorrow and always. Amen Children’s Sermon Children sermon / interactive Sunday School lesson: Good morning children! Do you know what time of year it is? Yes, that’s right. It’s Halloween. (It’s also a time many churches celebrate the great saints of God down through the ages.) Sometimes Halloween can seem like scary time. Some people dress up as ghosts, monsters and all kinds of evil looking creatures. When I was very young, I went outside at Halloween with my mother and saw some frightening things! But I wasn’t really that afraid because I held my mother’s hand and I knew she was right their beside me. I will show you what it was like. Betty, will you come here and hold my hand. Now, let’s have the other kids make a scary face! (Holding the young child, walk past the children making faces.) Now Betty, was that really scary? (Most likely they will be laughing.) No? That’s good. There was no need to be afraid because I’m right here with you holding your hand. I want you all to know that there are many places in the bible where God says he is with us always, so we don’t need to be afraid. Jesus also said, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28). Although we can’t see God holding our hand, the Bible says he is right beside us. He is just like a parent holding us close. So, even at Halloween we don’t need to be afraid – God is with us! Children’s Prayer: Dear God, thank you that you are with us always. When we are afraid help us to remember you are right beside us. In Jesus’ name – Amen! Copyright Sundaychildrensfocus.com 2021 Feel free to use this at your own church. Please “Like” us on social media or link to this site. Blessings, Pastor Andrew Prayers for the children and young people Holy God, giver of life, we know you are ruler over all things that make us fearful. You triumph over the evils in our world, and you raise your people to life again after death. As the One who created us, we know it makes you glad to hear us laugh, and to watch us play. So, we ask you to bless all here today who have dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Bless all who will go out “trick-or-treating” this week. Let their laughter and the wholesome fun they enjoy be a sign to all who do not know you, that your Love reigns over all things in heaven and on earth. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Additional Illustrations The word “redemption" appears 23 times in this short story. It's not a word we use much anymore. My mother used to redeem S&H Green Stamps for prizes. I was at a convenient store up in Maine when I made the mistake of throwing a Coke bottle in the trash. The lady almost jumped over the counter to grab it out of the trash and said, “You don't understand, that's worth something up here; we have a bottle bill in this state." Bottles and cans are redeemable in Maine. Some of you redeem your frequent flyer miles for more trips. To redeem something is to buy it back, cash it in, set it free. Now I need to tell something about this story because what makes this story really neat is that there is something else going on underneath the surface. Isn't that what makes stories intriguing? S.D. Gordon was a dynamic preacher up in Boston in the early part of last century. One Sunday Dr. Gordon carried an old, beat-up, rusty bird cage into the pulpit with him. “I guess you are wondering where I got this bird cage," said Brother Gordon. “Well, I bought it from a boy on the street. He had birds in it. I asked him what he was going to do with those birds." The kid said, “I'm going to play with them, tease them, irritate them—then take them home and feed them to my cats." “How much do you want for those birds?" asked Brother Gordon. “You don't want these birds," replied the boy. “They are worthless—they don't sing or anything." Nevertheless I hung in there until I bought the birds. Then I took them to the park and set them free. Then S.D. Gordon leaned over the pulpit and said this: God saw Satan playing around with the people God had made in His own image. God said to Satan— What are you going to do with my people? Satan replied, “I'm going to tease them a while, make them marry and divorce, fight and kill each other, throw bombs and shoot missiles. Then I'm going to condemn them to hell for they are worthless anyway." “How much do you want for them?" asked God. “It'll take the life of your son," said Satan. That day, God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to set us free. New Life is costly—you are worth it. Have you heard of a game called “Would You Rather . . . ?” You and a partner take turns asking each other to choose one option between two equally unpleasant things. Would you rather do this . . . or would you rather do that—two equally unpleasant tasks? It’s an interesting way to get better acquainted with someone. Here are some examples: Would you rather be wealthy, but only able to walk everywhere . . . or broke, but able to travel anywhere in the world? Would you rather always have an annoying song stuck in your head or always have an itch that you can’t reach? That’s a tough one. Would you rather be trapped on a deserted island with someone who never speaks or with someone who never shuts up? (1) I probably couldn’t guess your answers to these questions. But there is one “Would You Rather” question that is pretty easy for everyone to answer: “Would you rather move across the country or get a root canal?” You could replace “root canal” with all sorts of unpleasant options, and most people would still choose anything else rather than moving. Just ask somebody about their last move and see how they respond. “Never again!” is a common response. “I don’t even want to talk about it!” is another. However, Ruth and Orpah, her daughters-in-law, wanted to stay with Naomi. They protested. But Naomi knew a sad truth: her daughters-in-law would not be accepted by her family in her home country because they were foreigners. The law was very clear about such things. No Moabite could enter the household of faith even after ten generations. (Deut. 23: 3) If her daughters-in-law remained with her, they would never be accepted among her people. So Naomi once again encouraged them to stay in their homeland. She told them that it was absurd for them to follow her, “Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?” she asked them. Finally, Orpah decided that her mother-in-law was right. It would be best for her to remain in her own country. Ruth, however, still wanted to stay with Naomi. Ruth loved Naomi deeply. It was in this context that Ruth spoke some of the most famous words in all of literature: “Where you go, I will go,” she told Naomi, “your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” Let’s respect Naomi for her honesty. We are more comfortable with people who grieve privately, who put on a brave face and never talk about what’s tearing them up inside. But that’s not healthy. Author Lynn Caine wrote her best-selling book Widow after the death of her husband. In it, she writes, “being a widow is like living in a country where no one speaks your language.” (5) That is the heart of our message today. That kind of love is what the cross is all about. It is about a love that never quits, never gives up, never fails. It is agape love—sacrificial love from the heart of God. It’s not, “I love you for what you can do for me,” or “I’ll love you as long as it is convenient.” It’s “I’ll love you no matter what. I’ll always be there for you.” Dr. David Wilhelm shares a story of sacrificial love he witnessed in the lives of two of his elderly patients, Fred and Ruby. Ruby had advanced Alzheimer’s, and she became more angry and difficult as the disease progressed. But Fred continued to nurse his wife lovingly. Fred devoted himself to her care, even though Ruby could no longer return his love. And then one day Fred ended up in the hospital. He had late-stage colon cancer. Fred admitted to Dr. Wilhelm that he had known about his diagnosis for over a year. He had refused treatment because he needed all his energy and money to take care of Ruby. Her needs came first. He was willing to suffer and even to die to ensure Ruby got the best care possible. (6) The cross of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of a love that will never give up on us, a love that would give up everything to save us. And you and I are the recipients of that love. Over the past two thousand years folks just like us have believed in that love, and they’ve passed that love on. Through plagues and wars and famines, oftentimes under barbaric oppression, they did not let go of it. And we are the recipients of that love. It would be tragic if we didn’t pass that love on. It would be tragic if we lost the joy of sharing Jesus’ love with others. He gave all of himself to show us God’s overwhelming love for us. And the only thing Jesus asked in return is that we share that same love with others. One of the world’s great love stories between a widow and her daughter-in-law. Let it remind us that the greatest love is a love that’s sacrificial and self-giving. It is love that flows from the heart of God. When Abraham and Sarah were told to pick up and move to a strange land, God made a promise that he would bless them and be with them. But Ruth has no such divine reassurance. She links her life with Naomi on the basis of nothing more substantial than the affection one young woman has for an older one. It's a story about the strange yokings, the unusual linkages which occur in love in an ordinary family. Yokings and linkages made all the more strange because you and I live in a culture which doesn't understand such clinging and claiming of one person by another. We have trouble understanding this story, not because it is nearly three thousand years old, but because we have constructed a society which acts as if it were possible to be a full human being with no attachments, no claims, no bonds between people. For us, the individual is everything, the free, autonomous, liberated, self-sufficient individual standing alone. We have devised an educational system to suit our ideology of the individual. Here we educate by detaching you from your family, moving you out of the home, putting you in the hands of strangers, abandoning you to the peer group in Pegram, and after we have completely detached you from home, family, tradition, community, we give you a degree. We thereby imply that the way to wisdom is by making everyone a stranger to everyone else. We are shocked whenever someone comes along who makes a claim on our lives--parents who have opinions about our behavior, children who hold parents to account. We are shocked because we have defined freedom as the fewest possible number of attachments. Such "freedom" makes marriage, family, the bearing of children incomprehensible. After all, why would anybody want to limit his or her options by becoming unnecessarily tied down to the messy complications of other human beings? See? Ruth, a foreign, Moabite woman, through the twistings and turnings of providence, becomes the means of salvation for Israel, for us. Bethlehem's baby reminds us that this is a family story, but it's not just an isolated story about an ordinary family like yours or mine. It's a story about the whole human family, about the way in which God can use your little, ordinary human family from New Jersey in spectacularly wonderful ways. God saves through ordinary people like Ruth, Naomi, Joseph, Mary and Jesus doing ordinary duties like having babies and putting up with daughters-in-law in ordinary families like yours and mine. If we'll just stick together, through thick and thin, and trust God to use our ordinary fidelity to one another to bless the world in his extraordinary love.