I've been meaning to ask...where do we go from here?

The New Revised Standard Version

1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me.” 14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said,“Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”

18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them,“Call me no longer Naomi,call me Mara,for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.21 I went away full,but the LORD has brought me back empty;why call me Naomiwhen the LORD has dealt harshly with me,and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”22 So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Our second text comes from The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 10. I will summarize this morning and encourage you to read the full chapter and chew on it.

Acts 10 is about Peter and his interaction with Cornelius, centurion of the Italian Cohort. Cornelius was a devout, God-fearing man along with his household. He gave generously to the people, renounced idolatry, and prayed constantly to God. He was visited by an angel of God during his prayers and was told to send for Simon Peter who was staying in Joppa.

In a vision, Peter was ordered by God to get up, kill certain animals, and eat them. However, Peter did not want to consume unclean meat because of Jewish tradition. In the vision, God told him that what He has cleansed is no longer considered common or unclean. Therefore, Peter obeyed and did what God commanded. After this, Cornelius came to the place where Peter was staying and met him. As he fell to his feet at the sight of Peter, Peter told him to rise because he was also a man and not worthy of worship.

Preaching to the Gentiles

The story of Peter preaching the Gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile, is a turning point in the Bible. It was not customary for Jews to have Gentiles in their homes or to preach the Gospel to them. But the reason for Peter’s vision was because God wanted him to go forth and spread the word to those who were not Jewish. This would fulfill Jesus’ command in Matthew in which he instructed the apostles to preach to all nations. In the vision, God was telling Peter that he who is cleansed by God is no longer common or unclean, referring to Cornelius.

Ruth and Naomi...

After the loss of loved ones

disrupts their lives, Ruth and Naomi create a new covenant with each other, choosing to be in a relationship

across their religious, cultural, and generational divides. As women, they build power together in a system where

they have little power.

Rev. Aisha Brooks-Johnson identifies lessons of grief, grace, and growth in the circumstances of Ruth and Naomi.

In her commentary, she notes , “The story of Ruth and Naomi offers an inside look at grief, loss, and God’s ability to redefine the meaning of family and community.

In grief and loss, it is easy to withdraw and handle heavy burdens alone. Grief can be dizzying, leaving one with a multiplicity of emotions.

It seems that we find ourselves in various stages or kinds of grief over the loss of life and livelihood, the loss of the rhythm we used to know.

There is the additional burden of having to navigate the structures and practices within our society.

Those who have lost jobs may face ageism

The perils of capitalism driven by greed rather than need; the prolific practice of striving to increase shareholder value at the expense of truly valuing the common worker.

But we are here by the grace of God and get to extend grace as we go.

We are in a season of growth that is uncertain, painful in its stretching our patience as well as our capacities for change and commitment.

We are in a season of growth that requires a check of our spiritual infrastructure. How strong is the spiritual core upon which we build and stretch, adapt and lean forward?

Naomi and Ruth shared a connection, were in community together. They had different cultural backgrounds but ultimately shared a commitment to move forward together.

Ruth committed to Naomi with this oath, “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried.

This is deep connection, commitment, and community.

I’ve been meaning to ask…where do we go from here?

Whether within or beyond the church, our response to conditions cannot be one of fight or flight regarding the issues erupting or ongoing. Instead our response must be rooted and grounded in being bound to another. Being willing to listen, to sit with, being willing to stay for the journey. In the face of challenges— loss and otherwise, family ties are deepened through a spiritual bond of connection, commitment, and community.

Ruth was committed to Naomi from that day forward.

How might we demonstrate this level of commitment to one another.

We have a challenge with engaging volunteers for the work of ministry. This is not new. In the church as in the world, 80% of the work is often done by 20% of the workers. It seems that the church could be different.

In the world, people want to be asked or told.

Why do people wait to be asked or convinced to engage?

In her commitment to Naomi, Ruth took the initiative to glean wheat in the fields for herself and Ruth. She did wait to be asked.

Knowing our need to be reconciled to God, God descended to take on human form. God took the initiative.

What does it look like for us to take the initiative to commit to one another?

Our commitment to ‘withness’ like Christ becomes our witness for Christ.

Let’s practice:

Imagine a member of the human family before you and speak these words aloud to them (repeat after me):

By the mercy of God and because of God’s grace, we are bound to one another. Your pain is not your own but is now my pain. The plight of your people is held in my hands and my heart as if they were my own. Where you journey and work, I too, will journey and work alongside

you, with God’s help. Where your bones are buried, may I too, find a resting place and declare every earthly resting place sacred in the eyes of God.

In many ways, the first chapter of Ruth encompasses the questions we have been engaging: 1) Where are you

from? (Bethlehem/Moab); 2) Where does it hurt? (Mara: “it hurts everywhere;” Orpah, Ruth, and Naomi’s identities have completely shifted. The world they knew, the lives they were building had all changed. Naomi has gone from being wife and mother to being a childless widow. It hurt everywhere. ;

3) What do you need?

Naomi needed to go home. Resolved to do so, she believed it best for Ruth and Orpah to return to their family homes in Moab for their future security.

Ruth apparently needed a new beginning but it was different from what Naomi had in mind. We cannot assume to know the unique needs of others. Ruth chose Naomi over her family, her nationality, and her prior religious traditions. What a beautiful expression of commitment! She intwined her future to that of Naomi. The ties that bound them were strong. Ruth confessed allegiance to Naomi’s people and Naomi’s God.

…your people shall be my people; your God shall be my God…where you die, I will die—there will I be buried...

Ruth’s made a complete break with the past. Her decision was so strong that she sealed it by invoking the judgment of Israel’s God if she broke her word. That’s fierce loyalty, fierce commitment!

Sometimes what we need is to let go.

Sometimes, the level of commitment we are willing to make may be surprising.

Ruth spoke up confessing her life-giving commitment.

Her confession was giving her life to Naomi and to God. But her confession was also life-giving to Ruth as she would embark on this adventure with Naomi.

Ruth spoke up. We can do the same. In fact, we have done so through our baptismal vows.

We renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of our sin.

we accept the freedom and power God gives us to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.

we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior,

put our whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as our Lord, in union with the church which Christ opened to people of all ages, nations, and races!

With each baptism we witness, we reaffirm both our rejection of sin and our commitment to Christ.

These are not words to be taken lightly. These vows are fierce commitments. We need for more people to make fierce commitments to one another. Such fierce commitments make for strong families and strong communities driven by faith rather than fear.

As the pandemic drags on, there seems to be a drag on commitment in faith communities. But here’s the GOOD NEWS! I am refreshed by people who are speaking up to lace their future with others here at Hilltop.

We don’t know what the future entails but they are willing to come along to find out. And not just come along for the ride, but to come along side-by-side to partner, share ideas, and bring light and life to the possibilities before us!

Where do we go from here?

Oh, there are horizons of possibilities but we will only get there if we look forward.

Ruth and Naomi left the famine and arrive in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Bethlehem means house of bread. It was provident that they arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest ripe with hope and symbolizing a new beginning and perhaps the life feast ahead in Bethlehem.

What does it look like for us to step into a new beginning together, acknowledging the woundedness we carry?

The UMC is still wrestling with inclusion, its history of gender, racial, and economic disparity. That’s a paindemic!

Just as there is woundedness within and among people, and the people are church, there is woundedness within the Church. We must all ask the question...

Where do we go from here?

I think it is important to focus on the ‘we’. Where do we go from here?

Peter and Cornelius provide a clue.

Cornelius was a pious Roman centurion, and Peter, a Jewish Christian from Galilee. These guys could not have been from more different worlds. But they are brought together through visions they each receive.

Cornelius summons Peter simply to listen to him. Cornelius uses his privilege and power to welcome Peter. He takes the risk to extend radical hospitality to one who was loyal to Christ over Caesar, his ruler.

Cornelius

Peter and Cornelius meet face-to-face and Peter says: “I really am learning that God doesn’t show

partiality to one group of people over another.” Through their courageous conversation, their narrow perceptions

of others expand, the Spirit descends upon them, and they share in community and hospitality.

“How can we continue to be in conversation and relationship? What do you love?

What gives you hope? What’s missing? What gives you energy? What’s next?”