Sunday Homily, May 24, 2015, Pentecost, B
Readings:
Ruth, The story of Naomi and Ruth
Psalm 104, Lord, send out our Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
1 Corinthians 12, 3-13, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit.
John 15, 26-27 & 16, 12-15, When he comes, he will guide you to all truth.
Georgie says, "Welcome in, Everybody."
Introduction
When the Jews returned from their exile in Babylon to rebuild their temple, they came back with a lot more than they took with them. A lot of what had begun as oral tradition came back in written form. They came back carrying the scrolls.
When the temple was rebuilt the Jews also added to their Liturgy of the Word one book of Midrash to each of five of their feast days.
Today in their synagogues, or in their homes, their Pentecost is remembered and the Book of Ruth is read. Their Pentecost celebrates God giving to Moses the Law 50 days after Passover. The 50 days also coincided with the beginning and end of their grain harvest.
And Megan, too, says, "Hi, Everybody, Nice to be back."
A reading from the Book of Ruth:
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. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers.
As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you.” They answered, “The Lord bless you.” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “To whom does this young woman belong?”
The Beautiful Zoe says, "Wow, it is fun here."
The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.”
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind. I have ordered the young men not to bother you.
If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
Our Special Gift, Genevieve, says, "Welcome, Folks, Just don't mess with my bottle."
Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?”
But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!”
What a Team. Because of the torrential rain, the candles got forgotten and so did the robes for Georgie and Kevin.
Homily by Mike
As you might have hoped, Boaz marries Ruth, the widow and foreigner. She has no property to bring to this union; she brings only herself, and that is more than enough. Boaz has been her advocate; he respects her for who she is as a person.
The whole community of Bethlehem celebrated with Naomi the sacredness of their wedding and the wonder of what would come from it. In this intimate spiritual union of Jew and foreigner, Boaz treats Ruth with goodness and justice, with tenderness and compassion, and in him we see a glimpse of God, as Father, who does bless them with a son, Obed.
Mike homilizing.
And God blessed Obed to be the father of Jesse, the father of King David. From David’s descendants God brought forth the Messiah, his Son, from whom we received the Holy Spirit, our advocate when Christ returned to the Father in glory.
Together, we have been called to be Christ in the world; we are his advocates to others, by our words and actions. Advocates recognize the worth of the other; for they perceive others as made in the image and likeness of God.
Victoria giving us The Look.
Advocates bring about the Kingdom; they are young and old, male and female. They come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and religions; they welcome all others with the same ease and grace; to them God has no favorites.
