Ruth, Naomi & Boaz – Family Faith Companion

Why did Ruth make a startling (crazy?) choice?

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Have you ever admired something in someone, causing you to wonder: What makes them tick?

I’m not talking about wonderment in a swooning sort of way — more wanting to know what it is that motivates a person. What is their driving force?

The Bible doesn’t give us many clues but Naomi must have exhibited behaviors that Ruth applauded, eliciting a, “Hey, I want to be like her” response in Ruth.

This coming Sunday kids will be in worship as we celebrate All Saints Day, a time when we commemorate the lives of those who have shown us a picture of faith. Though this is a day set-aside to remember faith-warriors who have died in the last year, we can stretch our definition of a saint to someone who is living; someone who wears their faith on their sleeve.

Naomi must have worn her faith on her sleeve.

Ruth acted on her admiration for her mother-in-law Naomi. She made a startling choice:

Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Ruth 1:16b,c

Time Out. Talk about… speech bubble
Ask these questions at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.)

What could have made Ruth decide to follow Naomi’s God?
Who to you seems like they are close to God?
Have you ever thought about asking them how they got connected to God?
Identify people you know who seem to be “God followers.” Make a plan to ask them about their faith.
What is it about YOUR faith that might make other’s think: “how can I be like them?”

How are you wearing your faith on your sleeve?

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Photo credits:
A thoughtful child by Ryse Lawrence, in the Public Domain, offered at Pixabay.com.

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How to make bold, Ruth-like promises to people we care about

Posted on October 22, 2015November 5, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Naomi had packed up her belongings, and with her two daughter-in-laws, was heading to Bethlehem. What a trio – three widows without any children! (People hearing this story in Bible times knew about the perilous predicament of a widow without a son to care for her.) These three likely hadn’t gotten very far before Naomi urged them to make a different choice.

Go home. Go back to your families. What possible reason would you have for returning with me? (Ruth 1:11)

One of the daughter-in-laws does just that. She returns to her home in Moab… to her mother… to what was well-known… to her gods (Moab was a land of multiple pagan gods)… to a place where she wasn’t likely to be shunned (Israelites looked down on Moabites). She was looking out for number one – herself. Nothing to be faulted for that!

Meanwhile, Ruth makes a bold, surprising promise:

Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Ruth 1:16

Two kids make a pinky promise (by linking their pinky fingers)

Such an extravagant commitment!

This is a story about love, loyalty, devotion. And it’s about making hard choices.

What “Ruth-like” promises have you made for the people in your life?

While this strategy can apply to everyone in the family, I’m specifically talking to the parents here. How about making one (or all) of these promises:

I’ll attend worship with my family every week – even though the kids might squirm, sigh loudly, and make a fuss. (Because worshiping with your kids is good parenting in action.)
I’ll make sure that I am cultivating my own faith and I’ll talk about my faith journey with my family.
I’ll ask my child every night, “How can I be praying for you?”
I will daily invest in blessing my child.

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a Ruth wheat braiding project If your kids attend FUMC as Cool Disciples, they are mentally absorbing the basics. Each week they hear the story details. As they craft wheat creations or knead barley biscuits, they are learning definitions for widow, famine, and gleaning; they are hearing Ruth’s bold statement of trust.

But, with only (at best) 45 minutes in class, we can’t dig deep enough. We try, but we don’t have the time.

We need parents and caregivers to continue the learning.

We need you to make some Ruth-like promises, to ensure your child’s spiritually is nurtured.

Here’s my Ruth-like, stretching-myself promise to you (because I care about your kids): I’ll keep bugging you to grow your kids faith!

Photo credits:
Pinky promise by Cheryl Holt, in the Public Domain, offered at Pixabay.com.
Other photo from my archives.

How to read a long story – a little at a time

Posted on October 15, 2015October 16, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Pose this question at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) True or false: Dumpster-diving was practiced during Bible times.

Want to find out? Read our scripture together as a family. Since it’s a long story, use the following plan to read and talk about our story in stages, over the course of several days. Read a passage and then discuss the question(s) or do the activities. (Scroll down for suggestions on reviewing this story with preschoolers.)

Read in Ruth	Readers notes	Talk about or do…
Chp 1, verses 1-2 written as 1:1-2	Elimelek (or spelled, Elimeleck) is pronounced: ee-LIM-eh-lek. Mahlon => MAH-luhn. Ephrathite => EF-ruh-tight.	What is a famine? Where have we heard of Bethlehem before? Find Bethlehem and Moab on a map (look here). How long do you suppose it took to travel there?
1:1-5	Orpah => OR-puh. The Moabites and the Israelites were enemies! In fact the Israelites had strict laws forbidding these foreigners from participating in the Israelite community (Deuteronomy 23:3).	What is an “unusual” place you’d like to visit? Why does Moab seem like a strange choice as a place for an Israelite to go? Naomi has bad news! What do you suppose life was like for women back in Bible times?
1:6-18	In a patriarchal society, where women did not have access to jobs, widows were completely dependent upon men – either a grown son, or another husband (if they were able to remarry).	Choices, choices! Which choice would you make: Go with Naomi or go back to “safety?” What could have made Ruth decide to follow Naomi’s God? Why do you suppose Ruth was so devoted to Naomi? Where do you suppose this loyalty come from? Who is someone to whom you are loyal?
1:16-18	Verse 16b, c is our key Bible verse for this Rotation. The “b, c” means the second and third portions of verse 16.	Why does this seem like such an extreme promise for Ruth to make? What promises have you made lately? Any this radical?
1:19-21	Mara is pronounced: MAY-ruh. The meaning of names was important in Bible times. Naomi meant “pleasant;” Mara meant “bitter.”	How is Naomi feeling? She is hurting! She is moaning about her situation! She is doing what is called “lamenting!” Read together the classic Psalm of lament: Psalm 13:1-2. When have you lamented? Do you suppose that a little bit of lamenting is okay every now and then?
1:22-2:13	Elimelek => ee-LIM-eh-lek. Boaz => BO-az. For the laws which set up gleaning, read: Leviticus 19:10; 23:22	What does “gleaning” mean? (It was like welfare for the poor.) What sorts of programs do we have today to help people get food? Make a plan to attend FiSH Fri Service Night.
2:14-23	Israelite law required all farmers to leave dropped grain (or other crops) in the fields for the disadvantaged to glean, however it was the landowner who determined the generosity of the gleanings!	In verse 20, what word is used to describe Boaz’s relationship to Naomi’s family? A close relative? Nearest kin? Guardian-redeemer? Who do you have in your family who takes care of you? Is Naomi still lamenting? What has caused her attitude to change? Count all the ways Boaz showed kindness to Ruth.
3:1-18	According to Israelite laws, the nearest blood relative (a “kinsman redeemer”) was to marry a widow to continue the family line. Naomi is setting up a plan to implement this process.	Which verses tell you that Boaz is an honorable man? How are things looking for Ruth and Naomi? Why do these demonstrations of loyalty seem counter to the Israelite-Moabite prejudice?
4:1-10	Is this a coincidence that Ruth finds her way to Boaz’s fields, or is it God’s grand plan to bless the life of Ruth and Naomi through Boaz? (Methodists say that God works inside of people, to transform them, and others around them.)	What did you think of the handing over of the sandal? In what way do you seal promises? Remember Ruth’s lavish pledge to Naomi? (1:16b, c) What do you suppose Ruth thinks of her promise now that Boaz is going to take care of her? Do you suppose that Ruth gave thanks to God? From this story, what does God teach us about caring for others?
4:13-22	You may wish to take care in how you read verse 13.	What is the significance of the family tree? (King David was their descendant!) David had a great great great… (many greats)… grandson whom we talk about a lot, and who was born in Bethlehem just like Obed; who was it? (Jesus!) What would have happened with Jesus if Ruth hadn’t gone with Naomi?

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Reading and talking about the story for younger children:

Here are several versions of the story:

The Little One’s Bible

This Bible storybook has appropriate questions on each page.

The Beginner’s Bible

Show a map and point out Judah. Identify Moab as the place where Ruth and Naomi were.
At the end of this story, add in the part about Obed being the grandfather of King David and about David being the ancestor of Jesus. Draw your family tree.

A video by Jelly Telly (What’s in the Bible?): Ruth

What’s in the Bible: popsicle stick puppets – Ruth (If reading this in an email, you can watch this video on YouTube.)

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Photo credits:
Gleaning, a painting by Arthur Hughes is in the Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Loyalty, kindness, devotion… is this genuine love?

Posted on October 8, 2015September 2, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

Ruth and Naomi in stained glass Our current Rotation is on three important people in Old Testament history: Ruth, Naomi and Boaz.

Our story is told in the book of Ruth. It is a brief story — only four chapters — yet we find it full of rich teaching opportunities about loyalty, kindness, and devotion, and caring for and accepting the marginalized and “outsiders.”

It’s a love story of the best kind!

It shows us a picture of what God’s love is like.

Hebrew (the original language of this story) has a word for this sort of love: hesed (pronounced: HEH-sed). Hesed is often translated as “lovingkindness” or “mercy,” but neither of these words fully conveys that hesed means acting out of unswerving loyalty. Not surprisingly hesed typifies God.

Watch this short (2 minute) video to get a quick overview of our story. (If reading this in an email, you can watch this video on YouTube.)

Join us as we explore this story!

Check out a growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home.

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On Sundays, at the downtown location…

Date	Our workshops for 1st through 5th graders…
	Art	Games	Cooking	Puppets	Video
10/11	4th grade	1st grade	3rd grade	5th grade	2nd grade
10/18	2nd grade	5th grade	4th grade	3rd grade	1st grade
10/25	1st grade	2nd grade	5th grade	4th grade	3rd grade
11/1	Worship with your family. Read the scripture ahead of time.
11/8	3rd grade	4th grade	2nd grade	1st grade	5th grade

workshop location in the bulletin Note: Room assignments are in flux these days.
Check the bulletin for the location of workshops.

And here’s what the 6th graders will be doing on Sundays downtown… (They’ll always be in the Pine Room!)

10/11	10/18	10/25	11/1	11/8
Art Workshop	Assist the 2nd graders in their Art Workshop	Cooking Workshop	Worship with your family. Read the scripture ahead of time.	Prepare to host Connections. (Will be hosting on 11/22.)

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will braid with wheat. (It’s as close to barley as we could get!)
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a key verse relay race, and a “Stick Together” balloon challenge. The class will also will visit the time-line mural.
In the Cooking Workshop students will create barley biscuits.
In the Puppets Workshop students will watch a popsicle-stick puppet show that tells the story. Then they will sse handle-bag puppets to retell the story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the animated video from Nest Entertainment, Ruth.

And on Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop or Activity
10/10	Art Workshop
10/17	Worship with your family. Read the scripture ahead of time.
10/24	Puppets Workshop
10/31	Worship with your family. Read the scripture ahead of time.
11/7	Worship with your family.

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops. If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI.

Photo credits:
Stained glass of Ruth and Naomi, from Hook Church in the UK – photo by Bob Embleton, via Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons 2.0 License.