The Courage to Welcome the Foreigner
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For November 3, 2024:
The Courage to Welcome the Foreigner
by Tom Willadsen
Ruth 1:1-18, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34, Psalm 146
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Right, Jesus. But suppose my “neighbor” is a foreigner, an outsider, just coming here to sponge off people like us? What then? Are we supposed to let them work? Take our jobs?
Like Ruth did?
In the Scriptures
Ruth 1:1-18
The book of Ruth is a concisely, beautifully told story. One could easily make the case for naming the book after Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi/Mara. The happy ending has Naomi nursing her step-grandson in triumph, as the women in the neighborhood — the same ones she instructed to call her Mara/Bitter, rather than Naomi/Pleasant, back in chapter 1, say, “A son has been born to Naomi.” The actual mother, unnamed in Ruth 4, Ruth, is one of three women named in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1. Ruth is a foreigner; the first convert to Judaism. She is the great-grandmother of David.
Ruth may be best known for her determined speech in 1:16-17, where she informs Naomi that she is committed to staying with her. In the NRSV her speech appears in verse. The Hebrew is even more terse and direct than the English translation. One could render the text something like:
Don’t pressure me to leave,
Or turn from following you.
Where you go, I go.
Where you sleep, I sleep.
Your people, my people.
Your God, my God….
Imagine her saying this through gritted teeth. She is one tough, determined lady!
Re-reading this text raised a question in my mind: What became of Orpah? Maybe she had a home to return to, a family ready to take a young widow in again. It’s possible Ruth was determined to stay with Naomi because she did not need the security of a family-of-origin safety net to return to. I thank fellow TIW writer Dean Feldmeyer for this observation.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Hear, O Israel…
Most of the book of Deuteronomy is a series of speeches Moses gives the people, preparing them to enter the Promised Land. They are repeatedly reminded to keep the Lord’s laws, statues, ordinances, decrees, and commandments, so that it may go well for them and their children’s children. Deuteronomy 6:4, however, stands out. It is commonly known as “the Shema” by modern Jews. It’s the central credal statement of Judaism. It starts with the command to hear, but more than just hear, believers are commanded to believe and do. They were going to encounter other gods in the Promised Land, the Shema reminds them of what is essential and life-giving. The shema takes its name from the Hebrew word for “hear,” the first word in statement.
The Hebrew text of the Shema is set apart because the final letter in the first word, שמע and the final letter in the last word, אחד are slightly larger. While the Shema can be rendered a variety of ways, one might want to go with the Jewish Publication Society’s version, “HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.” (All caps in original)
The rest of this text will sound familiar to our congregants. Jesus quotes it nearly verbatim in today’s gospel lesson.
Mark 12:28-34
The scribe who approaches Jesus in today’s reading stands alone. Jesus has 19 interactions with scribes in Mark’s gospel and this is the only one that is positive. This is also the rare occasion where Jesus is asked a question which he answers. He does not turn the question around or reply with a question of his own. Jesus’ answer is grounded in the Torah. Jesus is not introducing anything new, he says nothing uniquely “Christian.” His answer reflects the depth and core of Judaism. He quotes today’s lesson from Deuteronomy and also references Leviticus 19:18b. Note that the scribe asks Jesus for the first commandment, and Jesus goes for extra credit and gives the second most important commandment as well.
Jesus’ final words to the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” can be interpreted two different ways. The Glass Half Full reading is “You’re almost there, good job!” The Glass Half Empty reading might be something like, “Ooh, you’re sooo close, but not quite there yet, sorry.”
When I had to inspect work my sons did when they were younger, I found a much better reception when I said, “You’ve made a great start!” with a smile in my voice, as opposed to, “Here’s what you need to do to finish!” using the Dad Voice. Is Jesus encouraging the scribe, or cajoling him? Preacher, you have 15 minutes to explore that question.
Psalm 146
The last five psalms all begin with “Praise the Lord!” or, in Hebrew, “Hallelujah!” Today’s psalm is a nice connection with the story of Ruth. Starting at v. 7, the psalmist lists various ways the Lord alleviates human distress:
Exercising justice for the oppressed;
Feeding the hungry;
Setting prisoners free;
Opening the eyes of the blind;
Lifting up those who are bowed down (perhaps by debt, or worry, or burdensome physical labor);
Loving the righteous (the innocent in the legal system who are at the mercy of those charged to uphold justice);
Watching over the stranger; and
Upholding the widow and orphan.
Those last two categories can be applied to Ruth. Ruth, the conspicuously hard-working foreigner. Was she accused of taking the job of a Bethlehemite? Just asking.
Hebrews 9:11-14
The blood of Christ is better than the blood of goats and sheep we used to sacrifice. Jesus is a better priest than the Levitical priests.
In the News
All Saints’ Day was two days ago. Not all churches observe that holy day. My comments will not directly address that topic.
The election, “the most pivotal election in the nation’s history,” or maybe, to lower the temperature, “the most pivotal election in the last four years,” takes place in a deeply divided nation. By November 3, a huge number of people will have voted. I currently live in the swing county of a swing state (Washoe County, Nevada). When early voting began, Saturday, October 19, the line for early voting at my polling place had more than 70 people in it!
Chances are a majority of our members have already voted, and even more of them will have made their decision before casting their ballots. Addressing a political contest is always a fraught effort, anyway, so perhaps, preacher, turn your attention to the Day After. Or perhaps the week after, as election results from states like Pennsylvania and Arizona may not be finalized for several days. Whichever candidate wins the presidency, and whichever political party controls the House of Representatives and Senate, we’re going to have to live together. The Sun will rise in the east as it always has.
At this writing, Thursday, October 24, Israel is contemplating an attack on Iran. Plans for such an attack were leaked to the press, Friday, October 18. Such an attack prior to the US presidential election could have a significant impact. Israel would be retaliating for the ballistic missile attack Iran carried out against Israel, Tuesday, October 1.
Then there’s the World Series. If it goes to seven games, the winner will be determined by the game scheduled to start at 8:08 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, November 2. This year’s contest is a recurrence of the most frequent World Series match in history. This will be the eleventh time the teams have squared off in the World Series, the first since the strike-shortened 1981 season, the year of Fernando Mania.
In the Sermon
Jesus has kind, encouraging words for a scribe, a group that has antagonized and provoked him in all the other encounters recorded in the gospels.
Ruth is determined to stay with her mother-in-law. While we commonly perceive this to indicate her loyalty and devotion to Naomi, maybe clinging to the old woman is her best option.
Ruth emigrates to Bethlehem. She follows Naomi’s instruction, and, in next week’s lesson, has the Biblical equivalent of happily ever after.
This all happened because Boaz, and Bethlehem, had the wisdom, or courage, to welcome a foreigner. They lived out the second commandment that Jesus discussed with the scribe.
Following the US presidential election, we’re going to need to find common ground, because however the election goes, division will remain. Perhaps we can take a cue from Bethlehem, which welcomed Ruth.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Beam Me Up, Jesus
by Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 12:28-34
Are we there yet?
How much further?
We’re never gonna get there!
What parent has not heard these lamentations from our children while making a long journey in the car. And how do we respond?
Almost there. Just a little further. We’re only halfway there. Shut up and read your book!
What our kids don’t realize is that we are as impatient at the length of the journey as they are. None of us want to spend hours in the car watching the utility poles go by, dodging semis, passing infuriatingly slow drivers who insist on driving the speed limit. What we’d really like to do is step into the transporter on the Starship Enterprise and be taken/sent to wherever it is that we want to go in a matter of seconds.
This is especially true when the destination we seek is the Kingdom of God.
Beam me up, Jesus!
Are We There, Yet?
Jesus has finished his last miracle and now is in Jerusalem, winding up his teaching. As if to sum it all up, all the miracles, all the sayings, all the instructions, Jesus has the opportunity to answer a question: “Which commandment is the first of all?” That is, the most important. Or as we would put it, today: “What’s the bottom line on all of this?”
Now, there are two kinds of questions that students ask of teachers: One question is to elicit information. How many? What kind? When? How?
The second kind of question is to establish a relationship with the teacher. “So, of the five canons of rhetoric, why is delivery more important than style?” “Were you a hippy when you were in college?” “Who do you think was the greatest orator who ever lived?” (I taught public speaking and that’s the kind of questions I got.)
The person who is asking the question of Jesus, here, is a scribe, an expert in the law. He knows and has studied all 613 of the individual commandments that are found in the Torah. He has analyzed them and uncovered layers of complexity and subtlety that the average lay person would never have suspected existed.
If there is a right or wrong answer, he knows what it is before he asks the question.
But it’s more complex than that.
There were two schools of thought about which commandment was the greatest: One, the conservative side, said that all of the commandments were equally important. They were like the individual strands of a rope, the breaking of any of which made the whole rope weaker.
On the other side, the liberals, said that the commandments had to be interpreted differently depending upon the context. There was one lens, however, through which all scripture should be viewed, and that was the Shema, the ancient and historic, traditional prayer of all of Judaism: “Hear, O Israel. The Lord is your God. The Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Now so far, so good. Jesus has identified himself with the good liberal religious people of his day, the mainstream protestant church of his time. The first century version of the United Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, and the Episcopalians. But he doesn’t stop there. He goes on.
There is one other law that comes second but is inseparably connected to the first and it is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (This you may recognize as the truncated or shortened version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”)
Jesus sums up by saying, “There is no commandment greater than these.” (plural)
Now everyone holds their breath to see what the scribe will say. Is he a liberal or a conservative? Will he agree with Jesus or condemn him for being a heretic?
Finally, the scribe smiles and says to Jesus, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ — this is much more important than any burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
The scribe is just glad to have found a kindred mind, someone who thinks the way he thinks, who sees things the way he sees them. He says as much: “You are right, Teacher!”
I used to think of this line as inappropriately judgmental. Who does this guy think he is telling Jesus that he’s right? Of course he’s right! He’s Jesus! But lately, I’ve come to see it differently.
I know what it is like to be in a minority when it comes to theology or politics. I know what it is like to begin to wonder if I’m the only person in the world who understands this or that thing or thinks it is important. I know what it’s like to feel alone on some point of theology or ethics and then to find someone who agrees with me.
How reassuring it is. How affirming it feels to have someone say to you, “I think you’re right about this.” That’s huge!
I think that’s how this scribe feels. He has finally found someone who agrees with him and when he says, “You are right, Rabbi,” what he is really saying is, “YES! I’m not crazy. Here’s an articulate, popular, young teacher who believes what I believe.
Together, we can prove to the world that we’re right.
There is nothing quite as comforting in this life as being right, unless it’s having another person, especially one that you respect, affirm your rightness. And that’s what Jesus does with the scribe. He affirms his rightness.
You can almost see it happen, can’t you? The scribe nodding his head as Jesus speaks and, when Jesus finishes the scribe says, “Yes! Exactly! That’s what I’ve been saying all along!” Then he repeats what Jesus says, word for word.
Jesus claps him on the shoulder, nods, and says, “You are not far from the kingdom of God,” and smiles at the guy and walks away.
The scribe is left standing there smiling and nodding his head…that’s right…I’m right… I’ve been right all along… I’m not far from the kingdom of God… wait, what?
Not far? What’s that supposed to mean? What does he mean by not far from the kingdom? Hey, I got it right. I had the right answer all along. You said so! Why am I not IN the kingdom? What’s with this “not far” stuff? I just repeated every single word you said and agreed with it. I got all the answers right.
So why am I not in the kingdom, yet?
The Right Stuff
What do you think?
Why is he just “not far” from the kingdom? Why is he not yet there? Why isn’t he in the kingdom yet? He had all the right answers. He agreed with Jesus on every, single point. He knew what he was supposed to know. He gets it.
So, why isn’t he in the kingdom, yet? He has the right answers. He believes in the right things.
Why isn’t he in the kingdom, yet?
Because he still thinks that it’s about having the right answers and believing the right things. He still thinks that the Kingdom of God is something that you earn admittance to. He still thinks that he deserves admission to God’s kingdom because of his moral and intellectual achievements.
He doesn’t yet understand that admission is free. It’s given to us as a gift of God’s grace. We don’t have to… indeed, we CAN’T… earn it.
In a couple of days we will reap the harvest of this election season. Some of us will mourn and some of us will gloat and all of us will swear that it was all about who was right and who was wrong, who was strong and who was weak, who was popular and who was unpopular, who was awake and who was woke.
Some will even swear that we have brought the USA one step closer to the Kingdom of God or maybe even establish America as God’s kingdom on earth.
And we will be wrong.
Because the Kingdom of God isn’t about being right or wrong. It’s not about knowing the right things to believe or voting this way or that. It isn’t a destination that we will arrive at because we took the right road, the high road, the moral road.
It’s a gift, given to us by a loving God and we reap the benefits of it only because we have accepted it as a gift.
Are we there yet?
Almost. We are not far from the Kingdom.
But we ain’t there yet.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Chris Keating:
Ruth 1:1-18
Jesus’ undocumented immigrant relative
While debates about immigration policy in the United States continue to grab headlines, there is little discussion among Americans about Jesus’ undocumented relative Ruth.
Immigration remains one of the leading issues in this year’s presidential campaign, and is also a prominent feature in the story of Ruth. As Michael Moore observes, the story of Ruth challenges our assumptions about immigrants. Moore says that the story drives us to ask, “What challenges does Ruth the immigrant face as she accompanies her mother-in-law Naomi to Judah?” and “How does God help her meet those challenges?”
The context for Ruth includes strict injunctions prohibiting interactions between Moabites and Israelites (cf. Deuteronomy 23:3). Evangelical pastor Philip Wright notes that Ruth “throws a wrinkle in our positions” about immigration. “People think they have a wrinkle-free position on immigration until they read the story of Ruth. Ruth was an illegal immigrant. She’s from Moab. One of those countries.” Wright reminds his congregation to go back and double check Deuteronomy 23:2 if they have lingering doubts about Israel’s immigration policies regarding Moabites. “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.”
* * *
Ruth 1:1-18
Challenges faced by immigrants
Ruth’s life is marked by the sort of difficulty and tragedy many immigrants face — and that is before she makes this especially difficult, even counter-cultural, choice to remain with her mother-in-law. The safe choice might have been to return to her home country. Instead, Ruth “clung” to her mother-in-law even as her sister-in-law Orpah heads home. (v. 14). A KFF research report this year reveals that a majority of Hispanic immigrants in the United States are long-term US residents who continue to face significant socioeconomic challenges. Three in four Hispanic immigrants have been in the United States for ten years, though a majority live in low income (less than $40,000 a year) households. Like Ruth, many came to the United States in search of better opportunities, and many believe they are indeed better off. Yet substantial numbers report unfair employment experiences and discrimination — even among those who are citizens. The survey also revealed the resiliency of immigrants in facing these large challenges.
* * *
Ruth 1:1-18
Amid the alien corn
Ruth’s story of grief and tragedy was immortalized by the English Romantic poet John Keats in his epic poem, “Ode to a Nightingale.” Keats’ stanzas reveal Ruth’s tear-stained cheeks as he writes of the nightingale:
Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown:
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
* * *
Psalm 146
On the eve of the election
As early voting continues across the nation, the last weekend before the election has revealed as whole host of potential “October surprises.” One of those was the revelation that apparently Jeff Bezos, publisher of the Washington Post, seems to agree with Psalm 146’s counsel to “not put your trust in princes.”
Last week, the Washington Post revealed it would not be endorsing a candidate for president. It was the first time since the 1980s that the newspaper remained independent in the presidential race, returning to what it called its “roots” of not endorsing presidential candidates.
The move prompted resignations from columnists and editors, as well as the loss of more than 200,000 digital subscribers. By Monday, the number of cancellations had exceeded 8% of the paper’s paid circulation.
The psalmist, of course, was not worried about elections or endorsements. Psalm 146 exhorts its readers to focus not on the transient mortality of human leaders, but on the promises of God.
Bezos, who has been the Post’s owner since 2012, said that the decision reflects his commitment to enhance the paper’s credibility. “Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” Bezos wrote in Monday’s paper. “No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say, ‘I’m going with Newspaper A’s endorsement.’ None. What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”
* * *
Psalm 146
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob
The Lord’s steadfast nature lifts up those who are pushed down, much the way six-year-old Jesse Lewis did during the horrific Shady Hook Elementary school tragedy on December 14, 2012. Jesse, who died during the shooting, somehow found the courage to stand still during the shooting and tell his classmates to “run.”
According to his mother, Jesse had written these words on their kitchen chalkboard: “Norturing,” “helin,” and “love.” Pastor and author Lisa Nichols Hickman says that when Jesse’s mom returned home after the tragedy, she “immediately knew these were Jesse’s last words to her: Nurturing, healing, love.” Hickman says:
I'm writing Jesse's words into the margins of my Bible next to Psalm 146. His words are an invitation to live differently than the way our culture pushes us to exist. His words make sense when I read them alongside this ancient text of Psalm 146.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Mark 12:28-34
Making God Happy
Love God with everything you have, Jesus says. We all do that in different ways, with different gifts. Christine Sine invites us to think about how we’re delighting God, as we do that.
She asks, “What about me gives God joy? When I first asked myself that question, my mind went blank. I sat in silence for five minutes trying to think of one thing that I thought God liked about me. I knew God loved me after all love is the essence of who God is. To love is God’s nature, almost one might think, God’s duty. That God might actually enjoy who I am and love me because of that enjoyment rather than out of a sense of obligation was a new concept.”
After more thought, she says, “I realized God is not only pleased with what I do, but with who I am. God delights in me when I laugh and sing and enjoy the feel of the wind on my face. God delights in me when I stand in awe of a sunset or the intricate design of a flower. God delights in me when I stand and stare at the light shining through the hairs on a cactus like the one above. God delights in me when I sit in stillness and enjoy the sense of the divine embrace. God delights in me when I walk around our local park with my dog and enjoy the beauty of Mt. Rainier in the distance. God delights in me when I take time to play. The list goes on and on, but I rarely take time to note these things, yet as I do so joy bubbles up inside me.”
When we love God, we enter into this beautiful dance of reciprocal and unending love.
* * *
Mark 12:28-34
Finding the God We Love
Jesus proclaims that the greatest thing we can do in the world is “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Author Sarah Bessey reflects on how her love for God has changed over the years, and where she finds God now. She shares that after a lifetime of attending church, "These days, my own knowing of God’s love rarely happens in the places where I was told to look for God: church services, quiet times, Christian lady books, worship music, whatever. Don’t misunderstand me, if you still find life and goodness in those things, then please carry on. But these days, I feel God’s nearness most in the dark, in the public pool, around the dinner table, on unremarkable sidewalks during a daily walk, under a cover of stars. I feel God’s love for all of us in sad songs, in lines of poetry, and in the long line of people snaking down the shopping mall aisles, all waiting to pick up a packet of information so they can shop for a local family in need and drop off Christmas toys for kids they’ll never meet. It’s usually in the homeliest of places and most commonplace moments that I can feel God’s love the nearest these days." (from Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith)
Our love for God shifts and grows as we continue to seek God in all kinds of places.
* * *
Psalm 119:1-8
Following the Path of God
Happy are those who walk in God’s way, the psalmist says. If only God’s ways were easier to discern. Ann Patchett, in her book What Now? observes that one step following God leads to another. "Every choice lays down a trail of breadcrumbs, so that when you look behind you there appears to be a very clear path that points straight to the place where you now stand. But when you look ahead there isn’t a bread crumb in sight — there are just a few shrubs, a bunch of trees, a handful of skittish woodland creatures. You glance from left to right and find no indication of which way you’re supposed to go. And so you stand there, sniffing at the wind, looking for directional clues in the growth patterns of moss, and you think, What now?"
We follow God’s way step by mysterious step.
* * *
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
The Power of Words
Deuteronomy instructs us to hold onto the words of God, and to use their power to live faithful lives.
Scientist Lisa Feldman Barrett notes the power of words. "Humans are unique in the animal kingdom, however, because we also regulate each other with words. A kind word may calm you, as when a friend gives you a compliment at the end of a hard day. A hateful word from a bully may cause your brain to predict threat and flood your bloodstream with hormones, squandering precious resources..."
"The power of words over your biology can span great distances. Right now, I can text the words I love you from the United States to my close friend in Belgium, and even though she cannot hear my voice or see my face, I will change her heart rate, her breathing, and her metabolism. Or someone could text something ambiguous to you like ‘Is your door locked?’ and odds are that it would affect your nervous system in an unpleasant way. Your nervous system can be perturbed not only across distances, but also across the centuries. If you’ve ever taken comfort from ancient texts such as the Bible or the Koran, you’ve received body-budgeting assistance from people long gone. Books, videos, and podcasts can warm you or give you the chills. These effects might not last long, but research shows that we all can tweak one another’s nervous systems quickly with mere words in very physical ways that go beyond what you might suspect."
"Words, then, are tools for regulating human bodies. Other people’s words have a direct effect on your brain activity and your bodily systems, and your words have that same effect on other people. Whether you intend that effect is irrelevant. It’s how we’re wired." (from Seven And A Half Lessons About The Brain)
* * *
Psalm 146
Keep the Door to Hope Open
“Help and hope come from the Lord,” the psalmist proclaims in Psalm 146. In his new book Hope for Cynics, Jamil Zaki makes the case that living with hope is a choice that leads us into a richer life. Not being hopeful is a punishment in itself.
Zaki notes, “Dozens of studies demonstrate that cynics suffer more depression, drink more heavily, earn less money, and even die younger than non-cynics. In the seventeenth century, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes became cynicism’s intellectual spokesperson. His book Leviathan argues that people need government to rein them in because left to our own devices, human lives are “nasty, brutish, and short.” Few lines better capture a cynical view of life, but ironically, Hobbes’s words best describe cynics themselves. When I describe “cynics,” you might conjure up a certain type of person: the toxic, smirking misanthrope, oozing contempt. But they are not a fixed category, like New Zealanders or anesthesiologists. Cynicism is a spectrum. We all have cynical moments, or in my case, cynical years.”
Hope opens doors in life, Zaki insists. He says, “Refusing to trust anyone is like playing poker by folding every hand before it begins. Cynicism protects us from predators but also shuts down opportunities for collaboration, love, and community, all of which require trust. And though we forever remember people who hurt us, it’s harder to notice the friends we could have made...Cynicism is not a radical worldview. It’s a tool of the status quo. This is useful to elites, and propagandists sow distrust to better control people. Corrupt politicians gain cover by convincing voters that everyone is corrupt. Media companies trade in judgment and outrage.”
Hope leads us toward God’s unfolding grace.
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Mark 12:28-34
613 = 2
The Talmud tells us that there are 613 laws in the Torah. In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus boils all of those 613 laws down into two that we can further boil down into six words: Love God and love your neighbor.
Simple, right? Well, maybe not.
The complications come when we examine the word “love.” There are, after all, all kinds of love, right? There’s romantic love, there’ friendship, and there’s the love of a parent for a child and, conversely, a child for a parent. I love my new computer and my grandkids. I “love this song” when it comes up on the radio. I love my dog and, I don’t care what they say, I’m convinced that she loves me.
So, what kind of love is it that Jesus is talking about, here?
Scholars tell us that it is most likely agape, the love that not just wishes and hopes for, but honors and works sacrificially for the good of the other.
* * *
Priorities: First Catch A Rabbit
The passage declares that these two verses supplant the temple sacrifice as the path to righteousness. No longer do we have to bring our best livestock to be slaughtered and burned on the altar. Living the life of love for God and neighbor is enough. It is a matter of priorities.
An old recipe for the German dish hassenpfeffer (sour rabbit) begins with, “First, catch the rabbit.”
The one who wrote the recipe understood the notion of priorities, putting first things first. (Not to mention giving us a great title for a sermon!)
In the Great Commandments, Jesus admonishes us to put God and our neighbor first, thus aligning our priorities with those of Jesus.
* * *
Priorities 2.0: 525,600 Minutes
One of the most famous songs to come out of the Broadway musical Rent is “Seasons of Love,” which asks the listener how they will allot the 525,600 minutes that make up a year and then suggests that those minutes “might well be spent on love.”
525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In 525,600 minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?
How about love?
* * *
How We Spend Our Lives
According to people who study such things, if you live to 70 years of age, this is how you will, on average, spend those years.
Sleeping, 23 years
Work, 16 years
Watching TV, 8 years
Eating, 8 years
Traveling, 6 years
Doing nothing, 4.5 years
Being sick or injured, 4 years
Getting dressed, 2 years
Worshiping, 6 months
* * *
Hebrews 9:11-14
According to the author of Hebrews, the temple sacrifice has been supplanted by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This is something that we, as Christians, celebrate. But beware of how this will go over with those who make their living enabling and performing the temple sacrifices. Here are a couple of illustrations on the subject of sacrifice, great and small.
Chopped His Prize Money
Lance Nitahara went to culinary school shortly after high school but was flunked out because, as one might expect from some teenagers, he didn’t show enough enthusiasm for the culinary arts. He bummed around and then joined his father’s screening and window company but after a couple of years his wife signed him up for a cooking class.
There he discovered that he really did love cooking and begged the culinary school to readmit him. They did, and apparently, he did well. In fact, he did well enough to win the $10,000 prize on the Food Network show, Chopped.
But, even more impressive than that, immediately after he was announced the winner, he announced that he was going to use part of his prize money to pay for his competitor, Yoanne Magris, to visit her ill grandmother in France, which she had said she was going to do had she won. The judges, the announcer, everyone was speechless, and some had tears in their eyes as Yoanne hugged Lance and thanked him.
* * *
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Created in 1863 after separate Navy and Army awards were established, the Medal of Honor is the military’s highest recognition, bestowed for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” Of the over 3,500 medals awarded, more than 600, or about 18%, have been posthumous.
One cannot but wonder just how far “above and beyond” the call of duty one must go to earn the Medal of Honor. Since the Civil War, 1,246,164 Americans have died fighting wars. About .33%. All of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice, just not far enough above and beyond the call of duty.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: The earth is God’s and all that is in it.
All: The world, and those who live in it.
One: Who shall ascend the hill of God?
All: Those who have clean hands and pure hearts.
One: Lift up your heads, O gates! that the King of glory may come in.
All: Who is this king of glory? God of hosts, this is the king of glory.
OR
One: We come together to welcome God into our presence.
All: We rejoice that God is our guide throughout our lives.
One: Let us open our eyes to the light God brings to us.
All: With God’s help, we will walk in the light of God.
One: Walk with God and with one another.
All: We will welcome all to walk God’s path together.
Hymns and Songs
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
UMH: 140
GTG: 39
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELW: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart
UMH: 160/161
H82: 556/557
PH: 145/146
GTG: 804
AAHH: 537
NNBH: 7
NCH: 55/71
CH: 15
LBW: 553
ELW: 873/874
W&P: 113
AMEC: 8
For All the Saints
UMH: 711
H82: 287
PH: 526
GTG: 326
AAHH: 339
NNBH: 301
NCH: 299
CH: 637
LBW: 174
ELW: 422
W&P: 529
AMEC: 476
STLT: 103
I Sing a Song of the Saints of God
UMH: 712
H82: 293
PH: 364
GTG: 730
NCH: 295
I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath
UMH: 60
H82: 429
PH: 253
GTG: 806
CH: 20
We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder
UMH: 418
AAHH: 464
NNBH: 217
NCH: 500
AMEC: 363
STLT: 211
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
GTG: 729
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
UMH: 430
H82: 659/660
PH: 357
GTG: 738
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
W&P: 589
AMEC: 299
Be Thou My Vision
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
GTG: 450
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELW: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
Let There Be Light
UMH: 440
NNBH: 450
NCH: 589
STLT: 142
Make Me a Servant
CCB: 90
Walk with Me
CCB: 88
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who calls us to journey with you through life:
Grant us the wisdom to keep our eyes on the path
so that we may know you here on the journey
and join your saints at the destination;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you journey with us through all our lives. You seek to keep us on the path that walks with you so that we can join the saints at our final destination. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to keep our eyes on the path.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You set out a path where you walk with us, but we allow ourselves to be distracted and we stray from that path and from you. Sometimes it is the things of this world which sparkle and take our attention away from you. Sometimes we focus so much on heaven that we forget that you are here walking with us. Open our eyes that we may see you and our ears that we may hear your voice. Help us to walk with you step by step. Cleanse our hearts so that we may always seek you. Amen.
One: God desires to walk with us now and to welcome us to join the saints that have gone before us. Receive God’s blessing and help others walk the path of eternal life.
Prayers of the People
Glory to you, O God who was, and is, and ever shall be. Blessed are you for your loving kindness.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You set out a path where you walk with us, but we allow ourselves to be distracted and we stray from that path and from you. Sometimes it is the things of this world which sparkle and take our attention away from you. Sometimes we focus so much on heaven that we forget that you are here walking with us. Open our eyes that we may see you and our ears that we may hear your voice. Help us to walk with you step by step. Cleanse our hearts so that we may always seek you.
We thank you for your presence with us in this world and in the world to come. We thank you for those saints who walk with us on our journey with you. Today we especially remember those who have completed their journey and now rest in you: (names of the departed may be read). We are thankful for the opportunities you give us to walk with others on their path.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for those who are grieving because they have lost the physical presence of loved ones. We pray that good memories might ease their burden as your Spirit of comfort rests upon them. We pray for those who strayed from your path and feel lost. As you call them back to you may our faithful love help them find their way.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
New Kinds of Families / Found Families
by Katy Stenta
Ruth 1:1-18
Naomi had two sons.
They married two women,
Ruth and Oprah.
Sadly, both of Naomi’s sons died, leaving the three women alone in the world.
In those days
Women did not have much security without men.
Naomi told her daughters-in-law to go back home to their fathers, and Naomi planned to go back to her hometown anyway.
After all. they were not technically family in any way.
Ruth and Oprah wept.
They really loved Naomi, but Naomi thought it was better to return to their birth families.
Finally Oprah left.
But Ruth refused to leave
And said, no, we are bonded.
Your people are my family.
Your God is my God.
They became a “found” family.
A family that is bonded by ties different than blood
Or marriage.
A family that found one another, a chosen family.
They chose family.
Do you know any chosen families?
Do you have people who aren’t related that you treat like family?
In the church, we are supposed to be each other’s found family.
Sometimes we do a good job of this.
Sometimes we don’t.
But mostly we are working on loving one another
No matter what.
Let’s pray (repeat after me):
God
Thank you
For reminding us
That we don’t
Have to the related
To
Love
And care
For one another
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 3, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- The Courage to Welcome the Foreigner by Tom Willadsen based on Ruth 1:1-18, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34, Psalm 146, Deuteronomy 6:1-9.
- Second Thoughts: Beam Me Up, Jesus by Dean Feldmeyer based on Mark 12:28-34.
- Sermon illustrations by Chris Keating, Mary Austin, Dean Feldmeyer.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children’s Sermon: New Kinds of Families / Found Families by Katy Stenta based on Ruth 1:1-18.
The Courage to Welcome the Foreignerby Tom Willadsen
Ruth 1:1-18, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34, Psalm 146
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Right, Jesus. But suppose my “neighbor” is a foreigner, an outsider, just coming here to sponge off people like us? What then? Are we supposed to let them work? Take our jobs?
Like Ruth did?
In the Scriptures
Ruth 1:1-18
The book of Ruth is a concisely, beautifully told story. One could easily make the case for naming the book after Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi/Mara. The happy ending has Naomi nursing her step-grandson in triumph, as the women in the neighborhood — the same ones she instructed to call her Mara/Bitter, rather than Naomi/Pleasant, back in chapter 1, say, “A son has been born to Naomi.” The actual mother, unnamed in Ruth 4, Ruth, is one of three women named in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1. Ruth is a foreigner; the first convert to Judaism. She is the great-grandmother of David.
Ruth may be best known for her determined speech in 1:16-17, where she informs Naomi that she is committed to staying with her. In the NRSV her speech appears in verse. The Hebrew is even more terse and direct than the English translation. One could render the text something like:
Don’t pressure me to leave,
Or turn from following you.
Where you go, I go.
Where you sleep, I sleep.
Your people, my people.
Your God, my God….
Imagine her saying this through gritted teeth. She is one tough, determined lady!
Re-reading this text raised a question in my mind: What became of Orpah? Maybe she had a home to return to, a family ready to take a young widow in again. It’s possible Ruth was determined to stay with Naomi because she did not need the security of a family-of-origin safety net to return to. I thank fellow TIW writer Dean Feldmeyer for this observation.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Hear, O Israel…
Most of the book of Deuteronomy is a series of speeches Moses gives the people, preparing them to enter the Promised Land. They are repeatedly reminded to keep the Lord’s laws, statues, ordinances, decrees, and commandments, so that it may go well for them and their children’s children. Deuteronomy 6:4, however, stands out. It is commonly known as “the Shema” by modern Jews. It’s the central credal statement of Judaism. It starts with the command to hear, but more than just hear, believers are commanded to believe and do. They were going to encounter other gods in the Promised Land, the Shema reminds them of what is essential and life-giving. The shema takes its name from the Hebrew word for “hear,” the first word in statement.
The Hebrew text of the Shema is set apart because the final letter in the first word, שמע and the final letter in the last word, אחד are slightly larger. While the Shema can be rendered a variety of ways, one might want to go with the Jewish Publication Society’s version, “HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.” (All caps in original)
The rest of this text will sound familiar to our congregants. Jesus quotes it nearly verbatim in today’s gospel lesson.
Mark 12:28-34
The scribe who approaches Jesus in today’s reading stands alone. Jesus has 19 interactions with scribes in Mark’s gospel and this is the only one that is positive. This is also the rare occasion where Jesus is asked a question which he answers. He does not turn the question around or reply with a question of his own. Jesus’ answer is grounded in the Torah. Jesus is not introducing anything new, he says nothing uniquely “Christian.” His answer reflects the depth and core of Judaism. He quotes today’s lesson from Deuteronomy and also references Leviticus 19:18b. Note that the scribe asks Jesus for the first commandment, and Jesus goes for extra credit and gives the second most important commandment as well.
Jesus’ final words to the scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” can be interpreted two different ways. The Glass Half Full reading is “You’re almost there, good job!” The Glass Half Empty reading might be something like, “Ooh, you’re sooo close, but not quite there yet, sorry.”
When I had to inspect work my sons did when they were younger, I found a much better reception when I said, “You’ve made a great start!” with a smile in my voice, as opposed to, “Here’s what you need to do to finish!” using the Dad Voice. Is Jesus encouraging the scribe, or cajoling him? Preacher, you have 15 minutes to explore that question.
Psalm 146
The last five psalms all begin with “Praise the Lord!” or, in Hebrew, “Hallelujah!” Today’s psalm is a nice connection with the story of Ruth. Starting at v. 7, the psalmist lists various ways the Lord alleviates human distress:
Exercising justice for the oppressed;
Feeding the hungry;
Setting prisoners free;
Opening the eyes of the blind;
Lifting up those who are bowed down (perhaps by debt, or worry, or burdensome physical labor);
Loving the righteous (the innocent in the legal system who are at the mercy of those charged to uphold justice);
Watching over the stranger; and
Upholding the widow and orphan.
Those last two categories can be applied to Ruth. Ruth, the conspicuously hard-working foreigner. Was she accused of taking the job of a Bethlehemite? Just asking.
Hebrews 9:11-14
The blood of Christ is better than the blood of goats and sheep we used to sacrifice. Jesus is a better priest than the Levitical priests.
In the News
All Saints’ Day was two days ago. Not all churches observe that holy day. My comments will not directly address that topic.
The election, “the most pivotal election in the nation’s history,” or maybe, to lower the temperature, “the most pivotal election in the last four years,” takes place in a deeply divided nation. By November 3, a huge number of people will have voted. I currently live in the swing county of a swing state (Washoe County, Nevada). When early voting began, Saturday, October 19, the line for early voting at my polling place had more than 70 people in it!
Chances are a majority of our members have already voted, and even more of them will have made their decision before casting their ballots. Addressing a political contest is always a fraught effort, anyway, so perhaps, preacher, turn your attention to the Day After. Or perhaps the week after, as election results from states like Pennsylvania and Arizona may not be finalized for several days. Whichever candidate wins the presidency, and whichever political party controls the House of Representatives and Senate, we’re going to have to live together. The Sun will rise in the east as it always has.
At this writing, Thursday, October 24, Israel is contemplating an attack on Iran. Plans for such an attack were leaked to the press, Friday, October 18. Such an attack prior to the US presidential election could have a significant impact. Israel would be retaliating for the ballistic missile attack Iran carried out against Israel, Tuesday, October 1.
Then there’s the World Series. If it goes to seven games, the winner will be determined by the game scheduled to start at 8:08 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, November 2. This year’s contest is a recurrence of the most frequent World Series match in history. This will be the eleventh time the teams have squared off in the World Series, the first since the strike-shortened 1981 season, the year of Fernando Mania.
In the Sermon
Jesus has kind, encouraging words for a scribe, a group that has antagonized and provoked him in all the other encounters recorded in the gospels.
Ruth is determined to stay with her mother-in-law. While we commonly perceive this to indicate her loyalty and devotion to Naomi, maybe clinging to the old woman is her best option.
Ruth emigrates to Bethlehem. She follows Naomi’s instruction, and, in next week’s lesson, has the Biblical equivalent of happily ever after.
This all happened because Boaz, and Bethlehem, had the wisdom, or courage, to welcome a foreigner. They lived out the second commandment that Jesus discussed with the scribe.
Following the US presidential election, we’re going to need to find common ground, because however the election goes, division will remain. Perhaps we can take a cue from Bethlehem, which welcomed Ruth.
SECOND THOUGHTSBeam Me Up, Jesus
by Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 12:28-34
Are we there yet?
How much further?
We’re never gonna get there!
What parent has not heard these lamentations from our children while making a long journey in the car. And how do we respond?
Almost there. Just a little further. We’re only halfway there. Shut up and read your book!
What our kids don’t realize is that we are as impatient at the length of the journey as they are. None of us want to spend hours in the car watching the utility poles go by, dodging semis, passing infuriatingly slow drivers who insist on driving the speed limit. What we’d really like to do is step into the transporter on the Starship Enterprise and be taken/sent to wherever it is that we want to go in a matter of seconds.
This is especially true when the destination we seek is the Kingdom of God.
Beam me up, Jesus!
Are We There, Yet?
Jesus has finished his last miracle and now is in Jerusalem, winding up his teaching. As if to sum it all up, all the miracles, all the sayings, all the instructions, Jesus has the opportunity to answer a question: “Which commandment is the first of all?” That is, the most important. Or as we would put it, today: “What’s the bottom line on all of this?”
Now, there are two kinds of questions that students ask of teachers: One question is to elicit information. How many? What kind? When? How?
The second kind of question is to establish a relationship with the teacher. “So, of the five canons of rhetoric, why is delivery more important than style?” “Were you a hippy when you were in college?” “Who do you think was the greatest orator who ever lived?” (I taught public speaking and that’s the kind of questions I got.)
The person who is asking the question of Jesus, here, is a scribe, an expert in the law. He knows and has studied all 613 of the individual commandments that are found in the Torah. He has analyzed them and uncovered layers of complexity and subtlety that the average lay person would never have suspected existed.
If there is a right or wrong answer, he knows what it is before he asks the question.
But it’s more complex than that.
There were two schools of thought about which commandment was the greatest: One, the conservative side, said that all of the commandments were equally important. They were like the individual strands of a rope, the breaking of any of which made the whole rope weaker.
On the other side, the liberals, said that the commandments had to be interpreted differently depending upon the context. There was one lens, however, through which all scripture should be viewed, and that was the Shema, the ancient and historic, traditional prayer of all of Judaism: “Hear, O Israel. The Lord is your God. The Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Now so far, so good. Jesus has identified himself with the good liberal religious people of his day, the mainstream protestant church of his time. The first century version of the United Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, and the Episcopalians. But he doesn’t stop there. He goes on.
There is one other law that comes second but is inseparably connected to the first and it is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (This you may recognize as the truncated or shortened version of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”)
Jesus sums up by saying, “There is no commandment greater than these.” (plural)
Now everyone holds their breath to see what the scribe will say. Is he a liberal or a conservative? Will he agree with Jesus or condemn him for being a heretic?
Finally, the scribe smiles and says to Jesus, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ — this is much more important than any burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
The scribe is just glad to have found a kindred mind, someone who thinks the way he thinks, who sees things the way he sees them. He says as much: “You are right, Teacher!”
I used to think of this line as inappropriately judgmental. Who does this guy think he is telling Jesus that he’s right? Of course he’s right! He’s Jesus! But lately, I’ve come to see it differently.
I know what it is like to be in a minority when it comes to theology or politics. I know what it is like to begin to wonder if I’m the only person in the world who understands this or that thing or thinks it is important. I know what it’s like to feel alone on some point of theology or ethics and then to find someone who agrees with me.
How reassuring it is. How affirming it feels to have someone say to you, “I think you’re right about this.” That’s huge!
I think that’s how this scribe feels. He has finally found someone who agrees with him and when he says, “You are right, Rabbi,” what he is really saying is, “YES! I’m not crazy. Here’s an articulate, popular, young teacher who believes what I believe.
Together, we can prove to the world that we’re right.
There is nothing quite as comforting in this life as being right, unless it’s having another person, especially one that you respect, affirm your rightness. And that’s what Jesus does with the scribe. He affirms his rightness.
You can almost see it happen, can’t you? The scribe nodding his head as Jesus speaks and, when Jesus finishes the scribe says, “Yes! Exactly! That’s what I’ve been saying all along!” Then he repeats what Jesus says, word for word.
Jesus claps him on the shoulder, nods, and says, “You are not far from the kingdom of God,” and smiles at the guy and walks away.
The scribe is left standing there smiling and nodding his head…that’s right…I’m right… I’ve been right all along… I’m not far from the kingdom of God… wait, what?
Not far? What’s that supposed to mean? What does he mean by not far from the kingdom? Hey, I got it right. I had the right answer all along. You said so! Why am I not IN the kingdom? What’s with this “not far” stuff? I just repeated every single word you said and agreed with it. I got all the answers right.
So why am I not in the kingdom, yet?
The Right Stuff
What do you think?
Why is he just “not far” from the kingdom? Why is he not yet there? Why isn’t he in the kingdom yet? He had all the right answers. He agreed with Jesus on every, single point. He knew what he was supposed to know. He gets it.
So, why isn’t he in the kingdom, yet? He has the right answers. He believes in the right things.
Why isn’t he in the kingdom, yet?
Because he still thinks that it’s about having the right answers and believing the right things. He still thinks that the Kingdom of God is something that you earn admittance to. He still thinks that he deserves admission to God’s kingdom because of his moral and intellectual achievements.
He doesn’t yet understand that admission is free. It’s given to us as a gift of God’s grace. We don’t have to… indeed, we CAN’T… earn it.
In a couple of days we will reap the harvest of this election season. Some of us will mourn and some of us will gloat and all of us will swear that it was all about who was right and who was wrong, who was strong and who was weak, who was popular and who was unpopular, who was awake and who was woke.
Some will even swear that we have brought the USA one step closer to the Kingdom of God or maybe even establish America as God’s kingdom on earth.
And we will be wrong.
Because the Kingdom of God isn’t about being right or wrong. It’s not about knowing the right things to believe or voting this way or that. It isn’t a destination that we will arrive at because we took the right road, the high road, the moral road.
It’s a gift, given to us by a loving God and we reap the benefits of it only because we have accepted it as a gift.
Are we there yet?
Almost. We are not far from the Kingdom.
But we ain’t there yet.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Chris Keating:Ruth 1:1-18
Jesus’ undocumented immigrant relative
While debates about immigration policy in the United States continue to grab headlines, there is little discussion among Americans about Jesus’ undocumented relative Ruth.
Immigration remains one of the leading issues in this year’s presidential campaign, and is also a prominent feature in the story of Ruth. As Michael Moore observes, the story of Ruth challenges our assumptions about immigrants. Moore says that the story drives us to ask, “What challenges does Ruth the immigrant face as she accompanies her mother-in-law Naomi to Judah?” and “How does God help her meet those challenges?”
The context for Ruth includes strict injunctions prohibiting interactions between Moabites and Israelites (cf. Deuteronomy 23:3). Evangelical pastor Philip Wright notes that Ruth “throws a wrinkle in our positions” about immigration. “People think they have a wrinkle-free position on immigration until they read the story of Ruth. Ruth was an illegal immigrant. She’s from Moab. One of those countries.” Wright reminds his congregation to go back and double check Deuteronomy 23:2 if they have lingering doubts about Israel’s immigration policies regarding Moabites. “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.”
* * *
Ruth 1:1-18
Challenges faced by immigrants
Ruth’s life is marked by the sort of difficulty and tragedy many immigrants face — and that is before she makes this especially difficult, even counter-cultural, choice to remain with her mother-in-law. The safe choice might have been to return to her home country. Instead, Ruth “clung” to her mother-in-law even as her sister-in-law Orpah heads home. (v. 14). A KFF research report this year reveals that a majority of Hispanic immigrants in the United States are long-term US residents who continue to face significant socioeconomic challenges. Three in four Hispanic immigrants have been in the United States for ten years, though a majority live in low income (less than $40,000 a year) households. Like Ruth, many came to the United States in search of better opportunities, and many believe they are indeed better off. Yet substantial numbers report unfair employment experiences and discrimination — even among those who are citizens. The survey also revealed the resiliency of immigrants in facing these large challenges.
* * *
Ruth 1:1-18
Amid the alien corn
Ruth’s story of grief and tragedy was immortalized by the English Romantic poet John Keats in his epic poem, “Ode to a Nightingale.” Keats’ stanzas reveal Ruth’s tear-stained cheeks as he writes of the nightingale:
Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown:
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
* * *
Psalm 146
On the eve of the election
As early voting continues across the nation, the last weekend before the election has revealed as whole host of potential “October surprises.” One of those was the revelation that apparently Jeff Bezos, publisher of the Washington Post, seems to agree with Psalm 146’s counsel to “not put your trust in princes.”
Last week, the Washington Post revealed it would not be endorsing a candidate for president. It was the first time since the 1980s that the newspaper remained independent in the presidential race, returning to what it called its “roots” of not endorsing presidential candidates.
The move prompted resignations from columnists and editors, as well as the loss of more than 200,000 digital subscribers. By Monday, the number of cancellations had exceeded 8% of the paper’s paid circulation.
The psalmist, of course, was not worried about elections or endorsements. Psalm 146 exhorts its readers to focus not on the transient mortality of human leaders, but on the promises of God.
Bezos, who has been the Post’s owner since 2012, said that the decision reflects his commitment to enhance the paper’s credibility. “Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” Bezos wrote in Monday’s paper. “No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say, ‘I’m going with Newspaper A’s endorsement.’ None. What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”
* * *
Psalm 146
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob
The Lord’s steadfast nature lifts up those who are pushed down, much the way six-year-old Jesse Lewis did during the horrific Shady Hook Elementary school tragedy on December 14, 2012. Jesse, who died during the shooting, somehow found the courage to stand still during the shooting and tell his classmates to “run.”
According to his mother, Jesse had written these words on their kitchen chalkboard: “Norturing,” “helin,” and “love.” Pastor and author Lisa Nichols Hickman says that when Jesse’s mom returned home after the tragedy, she “immediately knew these were Jesse’s last words to her: Nurturing, healing, love.” Hickman says:
I'm writing Jesse's words into the margins of my Bible next to Psalm 146. His words are an invitation to live differently than the way our culture pushes us to exist. His words make sense when I read them alongside this ancient text of Psalm 146.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:Mark 12:28-34
Making God Happy
Love God with everything you have, Jesus says. We all do that in different ways, with different gifts. Christine Sine invites us to think about how we’re delighting God, as we do that.
She asks, “What about me gives God joy? When I first asked myself that question, my mind went blank. I sat in silence for five minutes trying to think of one thing that I thought God liked about me. I knew God loved me after all love is the essence of who God is. To love is God’s nature, almost one might think, God’s duty. That God might actually enjoy who I am and love me because of that enjoyment rather than out of a sense of obligation was a new concept.”
After more thought, she says, “I realized God is not only pleased with what I do, but with who I am. God delights in me when I laugh and sing and enjoy the feel of the wind on my face. God delights in me when I stand in awe of a sunset or the intricate design of a flower. God delights in me when I stand and stare at the light shining through the hairs on a cactus like the one above. God delights in me when I sit in stillness and enjoy the sense of the divine embrace. God delights in me when I walk around our local park with my dog and enjoy the beauty of Mt. Rainier in the distance. God delights in me when I take time to play. The list goes on and on, but I rarely take time to note these things, yet as I do so joy bubbles up inside me.”
When we love God, we enter into this beautiful dance of reciprocal and unending love.
* * *
Mark 12:28-34
Finding the God We Love
Jesus proclaims that the greatest thing we can do in the world is “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Author Sarah Bessey reflects on how her love for God has changed over the years, and where she finds God now. She shares that after a lifetime of attending church, "These days, my own knowing of God’s love rarely happens in the places where I was told to look for God: church services, quiet times, Christian lady books, worship music, whatever. Don’t misunderstand me, if you still find life and goodness in those things, then please carry on. But these days, I feel God’s nearness most in the dark, in the public pool, around the dinner table, on unremarkable sidewalks during a daily walk, under a cover of stars. I feel God’s love for all of us in sad songs, in lines of poetry, and in the long line of people snaking down the shopping mall aisles, all waiting to pick up a packet of information so they can shop for a local family in need and drop off Christmas toys for kids they’ll never meet. It’s usually in the homeliest of places and most commonplace moments that I can feel God’s love the nearest these days." (from Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith)
Our love for God shifts and grows as we continue to seek God in all kinds of places.
* * *
Psalm 119:1-8
Following the Path of God
Happy are those who walk in God’s way, the psalmist says. If only God’s ways were easier to discern. Ann Patchett, in her book What Now? observes that one step following God leads to another. "Every choice lays down a trail of breadcrumbs, so that when you look behind you there appears to be a very clear path that points straight to the place where you now stand. But when you look ahead there isn’t a bread crumb in sight — there are just a few shrubs, a bunch of trees, a handful of skittish woodland creatures. You glance from left to right and find no indication of which way you’re supposed to go. And so you stand there, sniffing at the wind, looking for directional clues in the growth patterns of moss, and you think, What now?"
We follow God’s way step by mysterious step.
* * *
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
The Power of Words
Deuteronomy instructs us to hold onto the words of God, and to use their power to live faithful lives.
Scientist Lisa Feldman Barrett notes the power of words. "Humans are unique in the animal kingdom, however, because we also regulate each other with words. A kind word may calm you, as when a friend gives you a compliment at the end of a hard day. A hateful word from a bully may cause your brain to predict threat and flood your bloodstream with hormones, squandering precious resources..."
"The power of words over your biology can span great distances. Right now, I can text the words I love you from the United States to my close friend in Belgium, and even though she cannot hear my voice or see my face, I will change her heart rate, her breathing, and her metabolism. Or someone could text something ambiguous to you like ‘Is your door locked?’ and odds are that it would affect your nervous system in an unpleasant way. Your nervous system can be perturbed not only across distances, but also across the centuries. If you’ve ever taken comfort from ancient texts such as the Bible or the Koran, you’ve received body-budgeting assistance from people long gone. Books, videos, and podcasts can warm you or give you the chills. These effects might not last long, but research shows that we all can tweak one another’s nervous systems quickly with mere words in very physical ways that go beyond what you might suspect."
"Words, then, are tools for regulating human bodies. Other people’s words have a direct effect on your brain activity and your bodily systems, and your words have that same effect on other people. Whether you intend that effect is irrelevant. It’s how we’re wired." (from Seven And A Half Lessons About The Brain)
* * *
Psalm 146
Keep the Door to Hope Open
“Help and hope come from the Lord,” the psalmist proclaims in Psalm 146. In his new book Hope for Cynics, Jamil Zaki makes the case that living with hope is a choice that leads us into a richer life. Not being hopeful is a punishment in itself.
Zaki notes, “Dozens of studies demonstrate that cynics suffer more depression, drink more heavily, earn less money, and even die younger than non-cynics. In the seventeenth century, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes became cynicism’s intellectual spokesperson. His book Leviathan argues that people need government to rein them in because left to our own devices, human lives are “nasty, brutish, and short.” Few lines better capture a cynical view of life, but ironically, Hobbes’s words best describe cynics themselves. When I describe “cynics,” you might conjure up a certain type of person: the toxic, smirking misanthrope, oozing contempt. But they are not a fixed category, like New Zealanders or anesthesiologists. Cynicism is a spectrum. We all have cynical moments, or in my case, cynical years.”
Hope opens doors in life, Zaki insists. He says, “Refusing to trust anyone is like playing poker by folding every hand before it begins. Cynicism protects us from predators but also shuts down opportunities for collaboration, love, and community, all of which require trust. And though we forever remember people who hurt us, it’s harder to notice the friends we could have made...Cynicism is not a radical worldview. It’s a tool of the status quo. This is useful to elites, and propagandists sow distrust to better control people. Corrupt politicians gain cover by convincing voters that everyone is corrupt. Media companies trade in judgment and outrage.”
Hope leads us toward God’s unfolding grace.
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:Mark 12:28-34
613 = 2
The Talmud tells us that there are 613 laws in the Torah. In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus boils all of those 613 laws down into two that we can further boil down into six words: Love God and love your neighbor.
Simple, right? Well, maybe not.
The complications come when we examine the word “love.” There are, after all, all kinds of love, right? There’s romantic love, there’ friendship, and there’s the love of a parent for a child and, conversely, a child for a parent. I love my new computer and my grandkids. I “love this song” when it comes up on the radio. I love my dog and, I don’t care what they say, I’m convinced that she loves me.
So, what kind of love is it that Jesus is talking about, here?
Scholars tell us that it is most likely agape, the love that not just wishes and hopes for, but honors and works sacrificially for the good of the other.
* * *
Priorities: First Catch A Rabbit
The passage declares that these two verses supplant the temple sacrifice as the path to righteousness. No longer do we have to bring our best livestock to be slaughtered and burned on the altar. Living the life of love for God and neighbor is enough. It is a matter of priorities.
An old recipe for the German dish hassenpfeffer (sour rabbit) begins with, “First, catch the rabbit.”
The one who wrote the recipe understood the notion of priorities, putting first things first. (Not to mention giving us a great title for a sermon!)
In the Great Commandments, Jesus admonishes us to put God and our neighbor first, thus aligning our priorities with those of Jesus.
* * *
Priorities 2.0: 525,600 Minutes
One of the most famous songs to come out of the Broadway musical Rent is “Seasons of Love,” which asks the listener how they will allot the 525,600 minutes that make up a year and then suggests that those minutes “might well be spent on love.”
525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In 525,600 minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?
How about love?
* * *
How We Spend Our Lives
According to people who study such things, if you live to 70 years of age, this is how you will, on average, spend those years.
Sleeping, 23 years
Work, 16 years
Watching TV, 8 years
Eating, 8 years
Traveling, 6 years
Doing nothing, 4.5 years
Being sick or injured, 4 years
Getting dressed, 2 years
Worshiping, 6 months
* * *
Hebrews 9:11-14
According to the author of Hebrews, the temple sacrifice has been supplanted by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This is something that we, as Christians, celebrate. But beware of how this will go over with those who make their living enabling and performing the temple sacrifices. Here are a couple of illustrations on the subject of sacrifice, great and small.
Chopped His Prize Money
Lance Nitahara went to culinary school shortly after high school but was flunked out because, as one might expect from some teenagers, he didn’t show enough enthusiasm for the culinary arts. He bummed around and then joined his father’s screening and window company but after a couple of years his wife signed him up for a cooking class.
There he discovered that he really did love cooking and begged the culinary school to readmit him. They did, and apparently, he did well. In fact, he did well enough to win the $10,000 prize on the Food Network show, Chopped.
But, even more impressive than that, immediately after he was announced the winner, he announced that he was going to use part of his prize money to pay for his competitor, Yoanne Magris, to visit her ill grandmother in France, which she had said she was going to do had she won. The judges, the announcer, everyone was speechless, and some had tears in their eyes as Yoanne hugged Lance and thanked him.
* * *
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Created in 1863 after separate Navy and Army awards were established, the Medal of Honor is the military’s highest recognition, bestowed for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” Of the over 3,500 medals awarded, more than 600, or about 18%, have been posthumous.
One cannot but wonder just how far “above and beyond” the call of duty one must go to earn the Medal of Honor. Since the Civil War, 1,246,164 Americans have died fighting wars. About .33%. All of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice, just not far enough above and beyond the call of duty.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: The earth is God’s and all that is in it.
All: The world, and those who live in it.
One: Who shall ascend the hill of God?
All: Those who have clean hands and pure hearts.
One: Lift up your heads, O gates! that the King of glory may come in.
All: Who is this king of glory? God of hosts, this is the king of glory.
OR
One: We come together to welcome God into our presence.
All: We rejoice that God is our guide throughout our lives.
One: Let us open our eyes to the light God brings to us.
All: With God’s help, we will walk in the light of God.
One: Walk with God and with one another.
All: We will welcome all to walk God’s path together.
Hymns and Songs
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
UMH: 140
GTG: 39
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELW: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart
UMH: 160/161
H82: 556/557
PH: 145/146
GTG: 804
AAHH: 537
NNBH: 7
NCH: 55/71
CH: 15
LBW: 553
ELW: 873/874
W&P: 113
AMEC: 8
For All the Saints
UMH: 711
H82: 287
PH: 526
GTG: 326
AAHH: 339
NNBH: 301
NCH: 299
CH: 637
LBW: 174
ELW: 422
W&P: 529
AMEC: 476
STLT: 103
I Sing a Song of the Saints of God
UMH: 712
H82: 293
PH: 364
GTG: 730
NCH: 295
I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath
UMH: 60
H82: 429
PH: 253
GTG: 806
CH: 20
We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder
UMH: 418
AAHH: 464
NNBH: 217
NCH: 500
AMEC: 363
STLT: 211
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
GTG: 729
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
UMH: 430
H82: 659/660
PH: 357
GTG: 738
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
W&P: 589
AMEC: 299
Be Thou My Vision
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
GTG: 450
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELW: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
Let There Be Light
UMH: 440
NNBH: 450
NCH: 589
STLT: 142
Make Me a Servant
CCB: 90
Walk with Me
CCB: 88
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who calls us to journey with you through life:
Grant us the wisdom to keep our eyes on the path
so that we may know you here on the journey
and join your saints at the destination;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you journey with us through all our lives. You seek to keep us on the path that walks with you so that we can join the saints at our final destination. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to keep our eyes on the path.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You set out a path where you walk with us, but we allow ourselves to be distracted and we stray from that path and from you. Sometimes it is the things of this world which sparkle and take our attention away from you. Sometimes we focus so much on heaven that we forget that you are here walking with us. Open our eyes that we may see you and our ears that we may hear your voice. Help us to walk with you step by step. Cleanse our hearts so that we may always seek you. Amen.
One: God desires to walk with us now and to welcome us to join the saints that have gone before us. Receive God’s blessing and help others walk the path of eternal life.
Prayers of the People
Glory to you, O God who was, and is, and ever shall be. Blessed are you for your loving kindness.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You set out a path where you walk with us, but we allow ourselves to be distracted and we stray from that path and from you. Sometimes it is the things of this world which sparkle and take our attention away from you. Sometimes we focus so much on heaven that we forget that you are here walking with us. Open our eyes that we may see you and our ears that we may hear your voice. Help us to walk with you step by step. Cleanse our hearts so that we may always seek you.
We thank you for your presence with us in this world and in the world to come. We thank you for those saints who walk with us on our journey with you. Today we especially remember those who have completed their journey and now rest in you: (names of the departed may be read). We are thankful for the opportunities you give us to walk with others on their path.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for those who are grieving because they have lost the physical presence of loved ones. We pray that good memories might ease their burden as your Spirit of comfort rests upon them. We pray for those who strayed from your path and feel lost. As you call them back to you may our faithful love help them find their way.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONNew Kinds of Families / Found Families
by Katy Stenta
Ruth 1:1-18
Naomi had two sons.
They married two women,
Ruth and Oprah.
Sadly, both of Naomi’s sons died, leaving the three women alone in the world.
In those days
Women did not have much security without men.
Naomi told her daughters-in-law to go back home to their fathers, and Naomi planned to go back to her hometown anyway.
After all. they were not technically family in any way.
Ruth and Oprah wept.
They really loved Naomi, but Naomi thought it was better to return to their birth families.
Finally Oprah left.
But Ruth refused to leave
And said, no, we are bonded.
Your people are my family.
Your God is my God.
They became a “found” family.
A family that is bonded by ties different than blood
Or marriage.
A family that found one another, a chosen family.
They chose family.
Do you know any chosen families?
Do you have people who aren’t related that you treat like family?
In the church, we are supposed to be each other’s found family.
Sometimes we do a good job of this.
Sometimes we don’t.
But mostly we are working on loving one another
No matter what.
Let’s pray (repeat after me):
God
Thank you
For reminding us
That we don’t
Have to the related
To
Love
And care
For one another
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 3, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
