Ruth, Faithfulness and Stewardship
As I mentioned regarding the sermon on Job posted earlier, I look forward to this particular section of year B of the lectionary. The last couple of weeks, we have had selections from the book of Ruth - the only time it shows up in the lectionary cycle. As with Job, we read several selections from Ruth during worship today in order to walk through the story as a whole. It was also our annual stewardship Sunday, in which we invited congregation members to come forward and make commitments of the time, talent and treasure for the coming year in our ministry.
“Faithful or Successful?”
Selections from the Book of Ruth
November 8, 2009
As we work our way through the three year lectionary cycle, which offers us a game plan for reading scripture in worship which results in hearing at least selected portions from the entire Bible over the course of the cycle, we come across moments that can’t be passed up. Last month we had readings from Job, and since Job shows up but one time in the three year cycle, I made sure to spend some time with that book. It is the same today – we get a couple of selected portions from the book of Ruth just once every three years, so I can’t let it go by without dealing with it. It’s not only a wonderful, inspiring story, but it may well offer a word or two that will be helpful as we prepare to make our commitments to the congregation for 2010.
Ruth begins in utter disaster. Naomi, Ruth and Orpah have all three lost their husbands. Well, they didn’t lose them … they were widowed. Because the place of women in our society in America in 2009 is quite different than in ancient Palestine, it may be difficult to understand what a disaster this is, beyond the obvious grief and loss present in the situation. According to the law, the only way that women had any standing in society was through their husbands; the only way they had any material possessions was through their husbands; the only way they had food and shelter was through their husbands; the only way they had any legal protection or legal recourse was through their husbands. It’s hard for us to imagine what it must have felt like for these three women to have lost, literally, everything. They suddenly found themselves without means of support, without food and shelter, without legal protection.
Naomi had moved to Moab with her husband and sons when a famine had struck Israel. While there, the sons had each married women from Moab – Ruth and Orpah. So when they found themselves bereft of all means of support, Naomi made the best decision she could – it’s time to go home to Israel. Surely there would be distant family members to connect with and rebuild life. There’s one problem. Her daughters-in-law are foreigners. Now, it might have been a bit easier if they were foreigners, but not from Moab.
Moabites – Oh! Those people! Here’s what was woven into the fabric of the people of God -- from the book of Deuteronomy:
“No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of their descendants shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.” (Dt. 23:3-4).
There was already an ethos that heavily prejudiced the people against intimate relations with foreigners, but here Ruth and Orpah are from a clan specifically named in the Torah as off limits and unacceptable. A prejudice that had been ingrained in the people for ages.
They prepare to leave, and as they do Naomi tells her daughters-in-law what the score will be in her homeland. She suggests strongly to them that they should stay behind in their own home. She urges them, telling them they have nothing waiting for them in her homeland. They would be better off staying behind. Ruth and Orpah both refuse at first … they had been sharing a household for a decade; they shared a love for Naomi’s sons with her; they had built a life together.
But Naomi insists again. Finally, in tears, Orpah agrees. She bids her mother in law farewell and goes her own way. But Ruth refuses to leave, uttering the words that are perhaps the most well-known from this book:
"Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my God; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!" (Ruth 1:16-17).
It is an example of undying, unfailing, steadfast love. In the Hebrew, the word is chesed, translated as “loving kindness” or “steadfast love” when chesed is used to describe God. Here, we see it in Ruth. No matter what happens, Naomi; no matter where you go; no matter what the consequences; no matter what other people think; no matter where we are – I … will … be … with … you. The promise of the ages from God to God’s people here made from Ruth to Naomi. The same promise made between friends and family members as they move through the trials of life. The same promise made between those who are committed to living their lives together in partnership. The same words that Ruth Woodward and Bernie McDonald – both in their eighties – said to each other on their wedding day 8 days ago.
Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people; your God will be my God; where you die I will die; nothing can separate us.
Ruth returns with Naomi to her homeland – Israel. They arrive at the beginning of harvest season and find their way to the fringes of the field of Boaz. The Torah makes specific provision for this … that which grows around the edges of the fields is to be left for the poor. Those who were in need were free to glean what they could around the edges. As it turns out Boaz is related, distantly, to Naomi’s late husband. Ruth offers to go to the field and glean so they would have food.
When she does so, she quickly is noticed by the workers and by Boaz – she worked steadily, conversed easily, made sure not to be in the way. Soon she and Boaz strike up a friendship. One gathers in reading chapter two that there may be some flirtation going on here. Boaz makes arrangements for his workers to leave some of the best of the harvest behind for Ruth; invites her to hang out with the young women from his household, thereby offering her some protection. And he’s making that offer to someone from a clan that was systematically excluded in the Torah.
Where you go, I will go, she promised her mother in law; where you live, I will live; your people will be my people. It was extraordinary faithfulness which was now paying off. Naomi begins to get the feeling that perhaps there was an opportunity here for her to find a way to provide and protect her daughter in law. She coaches Ruth … at the end of the day, when everyone is exhausted, when Boaz has had a little too much to drink and passes out on the threshing floor, go to him. Lie down beside him; spread his cloak over you; make yourself ‘available’ to him. (Wink, wink; nudge, nudge) Boaz awakes and quickly makes arrangements to take Ruth, the Moabite, the excluded one, into his household. He goes through the provisions of tradition, checks with the next closest relative to Naomi and then agrees to marry Ruth, thus providing security, protection and standing in society to both women.
It’s a nicely written story. The faithfulness shown to Naomi by Ruth is inspiring. Even further, many scholars suggest that the story of Ruth became scripture at a time when God’s people were struggling with the whole idea of who can and should be included and who should be excluded; who was worthy of having access to the holiest parts of the tradition and who was not. And here is a clever and powerful story which suggests that if God’s people could not manage to find a way to include those who had been excluded, then perhaps it would be that the outsider would find non-traditional ways to find their way in … even if it meant taking an upstanding citizen for a roll in the hay.
But it doesn’t stop there! The end of the book of Ruth gives us a genealogy … the writers in the Bible love to throw those in … and wouldn’t you know Ruth, the outsider, the excluded, now accepted into God’s family gives birth to a son, Obed; Obed grows up and has a son named Jesse; Jesse grows up and has a son named David … yes, THAT David. The one who became King David. The one who is the ancestor of Jesus. And so it turns out that the royal line for the Israelites, which continues into the line which brings us Jesus, includes someone who is expressly excluded. If you take the mainstream of the tradition of the time seriously, then Ruth is not qualified. She shouldn’t count.
That radical faithfulness which results in the excluded outsider becoming part of the family of God … well, it’s still an issue today. As I did some advance study for this sermon, one of the longest articles offering commentary on the Book of Ruth spent the whole time explaining how it couldn’t possibly be that someone who was expressly disqualified from entrance into the family of God could end up being the great-grandmother of David, the ancestor of Jesus. In fact, this scholar spent 10 pages winding his way toward drawing the conclusion that in fact, Ruth was not from Moab, but was an Israelite after all. It seemed to be a stretch to me. I have a general rule for biblical interpretation that says that if our attempt to understand the meaning of a passage leads us to a conclusion that happens to coincide with an idea that’s a lot easier for us to live with than the alternative, then there’s a chance we may be remaking the Bible to suit our own needs. So, if it seems easier and more acceptable to find a way to understand Ruth which suggests that such an outsider couldn’t possibly be a part of God’s intent, then it may be we are avoiding an issue.
God makes a habit of including the excluded … at least in the Bible that I read. Rahab the prostitute helps the Israelites crossing into the Promised Land and is thereafter included (she shows up in the genealogy that leads to Jesus too, by the way!). Naaman the Syrian general … a man completely outside the faith tradition … finds a way to connect to God through a servant in his household (2 Kings). Then there’s Ruth. Then there’s Jesus having dinner with people he’s not supposed to break bread with; talking to people he’s not supposed to talk to; touching people he’s not supposed to touch.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a continuing education event hosted by Ginghamsburg UMC – a congregation just north of Dayton that began as a group of 75 people in 1990 and is now the largest congregation in the West Ohio Conference – by far – worshipping more than 4,000 each weekend. Those of you who’ve gotten to know me know that I usually avoid events like that. I think continually holding up mega-churches as models for everyone isn’t really helpful in the long run. Not every congregation is called to go in that direction, and not every congregation should. Plus it reinforces the notion that congregations like Good Shepherd – which is averaging between 125 and 130 in worship this year – are small, when in fact with that worship attendance we are actually larger that 85% of UM congregations. And that results in many very healthy and vital congregations feeling down about themselves because they don’t have 4,000 in worship.
BUT – I went this year because the speakers, preachers and teachers were to be focusing on urban ministry and poverty – topics relevant to our ministry here at Good Shepherd. And I got some good stuff by going. I’m glad I went. But I also heard a whole lot of talk among my colleagues – “well, I don’t know how we can do any of this, we’re not big enough” (from a pastor whose congregation worships 450 or so); “we’re trying to grow and grow and we can’t seem to get started” (from a pastor whose congregation worships 300 or so). And so on. We can easily get sucked into a mentality that forces us to focus on numbers and “success” rather than on being “faithful” to who God is and what God is calling us to do.
To be fair, Mike Slaughter, the lead pastor at Ginghamsburg, said exactly that during his teaching time – let’s stop focusing on numbers and instead focus on faithfulness to the mission God gives us. Of course many dismissed him with the words, “well sure, when you have 4,000 in worship you can afford to not worry about success.”
Why bring that up? In a few minutes, we’ll all have a chance to lay our estimate of giving cards and our gifts and talents surveys on the altar. There is significant pressure within mainline churches for pastors like me to push the people they serve to challenge themselves to grow significantly in what they commit to giving the church of their time or their treasure. I’m not going to do that. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that I don’t care what you put on the card or on the survey.
But I will say this – before you fill it out and come forward, I want you to consider taking the same risk that Ruth took with Naomi. She had no guarantee of success. In fact, the deck was probably stacked against her. She had no connection to the people in the place Naomi was taking her. In fact, she might have ended up an outcast. Instead, she said: Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people; your God is my God.
When you fill out the card and the survey and when you come forward to lay them on the altar, all I want you to think about is the faithfulness God has shown to all of us here at Good Shepherd for the last 40 years. All I want you to think about is what our new mission and vision statement says – that we will live out the presence of Jesus in this diverse urban neighborhood. Don’t think about what living out that mission would look like if we were “successful.” Instead, consider what it will look like around here if we are simply “faithful” to what God has called us to do. Faithful – the way Ruth was faithful to Naomi; faithful – the way God has been faithful to us.
Think about that … THEN fill out the card and bring it up. Put on it whatever you will, but put something on it, throw your lot in with this group of travelers, commit to going together wherever it is that God will take us, promise to be faithful to our vision for ministry. Then bring up your envelope. And join me at the prayer rail to ask for the courage, strength, and faithfulness to live this mission we have been given.
Join me at the prayer rail because as we go forward into an uncertain and challenging future … I will go with you … where you live, I live … your people are my people … your God is my God.
No matter what God has in store for us – we will do it together. I will be with you. Just as surely as God is with us. And we will listen for God’s call to all of us and seek to answer it faithfully. And - together.
Amen.
“Faithful or Successful?”
Selections from the Book of Ruth
November 8, 2009
As we work our way through the three year lectionary cycle, which offers us a game plan for reading scripture in worship which results in hearing at least selected portions from the entire Bible over the course of the cycle, we come across moments that can’t be passed up. Last month we had readings from Job, and since Job shows up but one time in the three year cycle, I made sure to spend some time with that book. It is the same today – we get a couple of selected portions from the book of Ruth just once every three years, so I can’t let it go by without dealing with it. It’s not only a wonderful, inspiring story, but it may well offer a word or two that will be helpful as we prepare to make our commitments to the congregation for 2010.
Ruth begins in utter disaster. Naomi, Ruth and Orpah have all three lost their husbands. Well, they didn’t lose them … they were widowed. Because the place of women in our society in America in 2009 is quite different than in ancient Palestine, it may be difficult to understand what a disaster this is, beyond the obvious grief and loss present in the situation. According to the law, the only way that women had any standing in society was through their husbands; the only way they had any material possessions was through their husbands; the only way they had food and shelter was through their husbands; the only way they had any legal protection or legal recourse was through their husbands. It’s hard for us to imagine what it must have felt like for these three women to have lost, literally, everything. They suddenly found themselves without means of support, without food and shelter, without legal protection.
Naomi had moved to Moab with her husband and sons when a famine had struck Israel. While there, the sons had each married women from Moab – Ruth and Orpah. So when they found themselves bereft of all means of support, Naomi made the best decision she could – it’s time to go home to Israel. Surely there would be distant family members to connect with and rebuild life. There’s one problem. Her daughters-in-law are foreigners. Now, it might have been a bit easier if they were foreigners, but not from Moab.
Moabites – Oh! Those people! Here’s what was woven into the fabric of the people of God -- from the book of Deuteronomy:
“No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of their descendants shall be admitted to the assembly of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.” (Dt. 23:3-4).
There was already an ethos that heavily prejudiced the people against intimate relations with foreigners, but here Ruth and Orpah are from a clan specifically named in the Torah as off limits and unacceptable. A prejudice that had been ingrained in the people for ages.
They prepare to leave, and as they do Naomi tells her daughters-in-law what the score will be in her homeland. She suggests strongly to them that they should stay behind in their own home. She urges them, telling them they have nothing waiting for them in her homeland. They would be better off staying behind. Ruth and Orpah both refuse at first … they had been sharing a household for a decade; they shared a love for Naomi’s sons with her; they had built a life together.
But Naomi insists again. Finally, in tears, Orpah agrees. She bids her mother in law farewell and goes her own way. But Ruth refuses to leave, uttering the words that are perhaps the most well-known from this book:
"Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my God; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!" (Ruth 1:16-17).
It is an example of undying, unfailing, steadfast love. In the Hebrew, the word is chesed, translated as “loving kindness” or “steadfast love” when chesed is used to describe God. Here, we see it in Ruth. No matter what happens, Naomi; no matter where you go; no matter what the consequences; no matter what other people think; no matter where we are – I … will … be … with … you. The promise of the ages from God to God’s people here made from Ruth to Naomi. The same promise made between friends and family members as they move through the trials of life. The same promise made between those who are committed to living their lives together in partnership. The same words that Ruth Woodward and Bernie McDonald – both in their eighties – said to each other on their wedding day 8 days ago.
Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people; your God will be my God; where you die I will die; nothing can separate us.
Ruth returns with Naomi to her homeland – Israel. They arrive at the beginning of harvest season and find their way to the fringes of the field of Boaz. The Torah makes specific provision for this … that which grows around the edges of the fields is to be left for the poor. Those who were in need were free to glean what they could around the edges. As it turns out Boaz is related, distantly, to Naomi’s late husband. Ruth offers to go to the field and glean so they would have food.
When she does so, she quickly is noticed by the workers and by Boaz – she worked steadily, conversed easily, made sure not to be in the way. Soon she and Boaz strike up a friendship. One gathers in reading chapter two that there may be some flirtation going on here. Boaz makes arrangements for his workers to leave some of the best of the harvest behind for Ruth; invites her to hang out with the young women from his household, thereby offering her some protection. And he’s making that offer to someone from a clan that was systematically excluded in the Torah.
Where you go, I will go, she promised her mother in law; where you live, I will live; your people will be my people. It was extraordinary faithfulness which was now paying off. Naomi begins to get the feeling that perhaps there was an opportunity here for her to find a way to provide and protect her daughter in law. She coaches Ruth … at the end of the day, when everyone is exhausted, when Boaz has had a little too much to drink and passes out on the threshing floor, go to him. Lie down beside him; spread his cloak over you; make yourself ‘available’ to him. (Wink, wink; nudge, nudge) Boaz awakes and quickly makes arrangements to take Ruth, the Moabite, the excluded one, into his household. He goes through the provisions of tradition, checks with the next closest relative to Naomi and then agrees to marry Ruth, thus providing security, protection and standing in society to both women.
It’s a nicely written story. The faithfulness shown to Naomi by Ruth is inspiring. Even further, many scholars suggest that the story of Ruth became scripture at a time when God’s people were struggling with the whole idea of who can and should be included and who should be excluded; who was worthy of having access to the holiest parts of the tradition and who was not. And here is a clever and powerful story which suggests that if God’s people could not manage to find a way to include those who had been excluded, then perhaps it would be that the outsider would find non-traditional ways to find their way in … even if it meant taking an upstanding citizen for a roll in the hay.
But it doesn’t stop there! The end of the book of Ruth gives us a genealogy … the writers in the Bible love to throw those in … and wouldn’t you know Ruth, the outsider, the excluded, now accepted into God’s family gives birth to a son, Obed; Obed grows up and has a son named Jesse; Jesse grows up and has a son named David … yes, THAT David. The one who became King David. The one who is the ancestor of Jesus. And so it turns out that the royal line for the Israelites, which continues into the line which brings us Jesus, includes someone who is expressly excluded. If you take the mainstream of the tradition of the time seriously, then Ruth is not qualified. She shouldn’t count.
That radical faithfulness which results in the excluded outsider becoming part of the family of God … well, it’s still an issue today. As I did some advance study for this sermon, one of the longest articles offering commentary on the Book of Ruth spent the whole time explaining how it couldn’t possibly be that someone who was expressly disqualified from entrance into the family of God could end up being the great-grandmother of David, the ancestor of Jesus. In fact, this scholar spent 10 pages winding his way toward drawing the conclusion that in fact, Ruth was not from Moab, but was an Israelite after all. It seemed to be a stretch to me. I have a general rule for biblical interpretation that says that if our attempt to understand the meaning of a passage leads us to a conclusion that happens to coincide with an idea that’s a lot easier for us to live with than the alternative, then there’s a chance we may be remaking the Bible to suit our own needs. So, if it seems easier and more acceptable to find a way to understand Ruth which suggests that such an outsider couldn’t possibly be a part of God’s intent, then it may be we are avoiding an issue.
God makes a habit of including the excluded … at least in the Bible that I read. Rahab the prostitute helps the Israelites crossing into the Promised Land and is thereafter included (she shows up in the genealogy that leads to Jesus too, by the way!). Naaman the Syrian general … a man completely outside the faith tradition … finds a way to connect to God through a servant in his household (2 Kings). Then there’s Ruth. Then there’s Jesus having dinner with people he’s not supposed to break bread with; talking to people he’s not supposed to talk to; touching people he’s not supposed to touch.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a continuing education event hosted by Ginghamsburg UMC – a congregation just north of Dayton that began as a group of 75 people in 1990 and is now the largest congregation in the West Ohio Conference – by far – worshipping more than 4,000 each weekend. Those of you who’ve gotten to know me know that I usually avoid events like that. I think continually holding up mega-churches as models for everyone isn’t really helpful in the long run. Not every congregation is called to go in that direction, and not every congregation should. Plus it reinforces the notion that congregations like Good Shepherd – which is averaging between 125 and 130 in worship this year – are small, when in fact with that worship attendance we are actually larger that 85% of UM congregations. And that results in many very healthy and vital congregations feeling down about themselves because they don’t have 4,000 in worship.
BUT – I went this year because the speakers, preachers and teachers were to be focusing on urban ministry and poverty – topics relevant to our ministry here at Good Shepherd. And I got some good stuff by going. I’m glad I went. But I also heard a whole lot of talk among my colleagues – “well, I don’t know how we can do any of this, we’re not big enough” (from a pastor whose congregation worships 450 or so); “we’re trying to grow and grow and we can’t seem to get started” (from a pastor whose congregation worships 300 or so). And so on. We can easily get sucked into a mentality that forces us to focus on numbers and “success” rather than on being “faithful” to who God is and what God is calling us to do.
To be fair, Mike Slaughter, the lead pastor at Ginghamsburg, said exactly that during his teaching time – let’s stop focusing on numbers and instead focus on faithfulness to the mission God gives us. Of course many dismissed him with the words, “well sure, when you have 4,000 in worship you can afford to not worry about success.”
Why bring that up? In a few minutes, we’ll all have a chance to lay our estimate of giving cards and our gifts and talents surveys on the altar. There is significant pressure within mainline churches for pastors like me to push the people they serve to challenge themselves to grow significantly in what they commit to giving the church of their time or their treasure. I’m not going to do that. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that I don’t care what you put on the card or on the survey.
But I will say this – before you fill it out and come forward, I want you to consider taking the same risk that Ruth took with Naomi. She had no guarantee of success. In fact, the deck was probably stacked against her. She had no connection to the people in the place Naomi was taking her. In fact, she might have ended up an outcast. Instead, she said: Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people; your God is my God.
When you fill out the card and the survey and when you come forward to lay them on the altar, all I want you to think about is the faithfulness God has shown to all of us here at Good Shepherd for the last 40 years. All I want you to think about is what our new mission and vision statement says – that we will live out the presence of Jesus in this diverse urban neighborhood. Don’t think about what living out that mission would look like if we were “successful.” Instead, consider what it will look like around here if we are simply “faithful” to what God has called us to do. Faithful – the way Ruth was faithful to Naomi; faithful – the way God has been faithful to us.
Think about that … THEN fill out the card and bring it up. Put on it whatever you will, but put something on it, throw your lot in with this group of travelers, commit to going together wherever it is that God will take us, promise to be faithful to our vision for ministry. Then bring up your envelope. And join me at the prayer rail to ask for the courage, strength, and faithfulness to live this mission we have been given.
Join me at the prayer rail because as we go forward into an uncertain and challenging future … I will go with you … where you live, I live … your people are my people … your God is my God.
No matter what God has in store for us – we will do it together. I will be with you. Just as surely as God is with us. And we will listen for God’s call to all of us and seek to answer it faithfully. And - together.
Amen.
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