Ruth Series: Life in a Hard Life
Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
O Lord our God,
you are in every place,
and no space or distance can ever part us from you;
take into your holy keeping
those from whom we are now separated;
and grant that both they and we,
by drawing nearer to you,
maybe drawn nearer to one another,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Order, 1940, Church of Scotland
Read:
Ruth 1:3-18. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
3Now
Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
6When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
11But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”
14At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
15“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
(Ruth 1:3-18 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
I can’t read this without my heart going out to Naomi. She has received so many hard blows in life. No wonder she thinks “the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”. Wouldn’t you be tempted to think that in her position? She had a vibrant grown up family that had overcome the odds by migrating out of a devastating drought. Now she has lost not only those who were precious to her but the unborn grandchildren she will now never know. Her grief is doubled by the fact that being single in a family obsessed society meant her future was always going to have this shadow over it. Everything seems bleak except for one thing; Ruth.
Her daughter-in-law is determined to stay with her even to the point of leaving her community, wider family and religion out of love for Naomi. What is happening here? It is love. This reveals what sort of person Naomi is. In a world where people love their blood relatives more than those who marry in to the family, Naomi has proven exceptional. She has loved and included her daughter-in-laws so much that Ruth is willing to sacrifice all else to stay with this beautiful person.
Bitter experiences make some people hard but Naomi shows us that it doesn’t have to be so. She retains her inner kindness regardless of what life throws at her. Perhaps you and I could sit at Naomi’s feet and learn.
"The Walk of Faith" is a devotional written by one of our Church Elders here at Living Faith Church.
One of my newer hobbies in recent years is bushwalking, which I began with a club in the last few years. Being a novice walker, I go out once in a while with my club, usually along a track I have never been before. I trust that the leader knows the way! And I set off with hope that I have the stamina to keep up.
Usually there comes a time during the day when I wonder why I am there. Sometimes it is because I am getting tired, or hot, or wet. Other times I think about other things I could (or should!) be doing. But I always feel better about it all when I finish the route – journey completed, job done!
On a recent walk, I found myself day dreaming a bit, comparing bush walking with the Christian journey. We often call the Christian life “the walk of faith”, don’t we? I know I am not the first to think about this comparison. In fact, I think the Pilgrim’s Progress probably gave me a heads up.
But, back to my walk, while I was labouring up a steep section, I found myself thinking of keeping the faith while I put one foot in front of the other. I was coaxing myself to keep going, telling myself “You can do it”. Our life generally has “uphill struggles” along the way, and sometimes our faith can, too. Having some encouragement really helps, and so adding some worship time, reading the Word of God or getting some encouraging words from a fellow pilgrim can all give you a great boost.
Then there are the “downhill runs”, where you might pick up a bit of speed, and even feel like things might get out of control! These are the times I really need my hiking poles. They are a support that literally helps keep me on my feet. Having spiritual support is similar, helping us not to get out of control. Knowing that others are praying for us and that God is there hearing these prayers can help keep life in perspective and under control.
Often the best part of a walk are the lovely views from high vantage points. These “mountain-top experiences” have made it into our language as a concept that describes many types of experiences, and you can apply the phrase to our faith, too. These spiritual highs can act as inspiration for us, with the positive effects lasting though the tougher moments.
How do we ensure that we have these moments of joyful praise, delighted wonder and closeness with our creator? Over the years I have found that slowing life down a bit helps to see the daily good gifts from God around us, hearing an inspiring speaker or passage of Scripture gives a view beyond the mundane daily routine, and noticing the beauty of creation around us can inspire and lift our spirits. And the effect can last a long time.
So, if you are going through life with uphill struggles or out of control downhill runs, perhaps you can look for the mountain top experiences in your life. Being aware that they are all around, if you know how to look for them, can help you to find them. Sharing the stories of our life journeys with other fellow travellers can be both encouraging and help lighten the load of life.
At Living Faith Church we have opportunities to request prayer from our prayer team, sharing in our worship times (on site or online), or join a life group that allows sharing of our faith and life stories. Why not give one of these a try sometime? Who knows what blessing you may find.
L. McLean
https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/
Sacred Space is inspired by the spirituality of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a sixteenth-century Basque native, whose insights into God’s working with the human heart have been of great assistance to countless people over the centuries and are found more helpful than ever today.
Sacred Space is a ministry of the Irish Jesuits. The site originated in the offices of the Jesuit Communication Centre in Ireland in 1999. It has grown into a global online apostolate for daily prayer since that time, and now offers prayer in approximately 15 other languages.
It might seem strange to pray at your computer, in front of a screen or using your smartphone, especially if there are other people around you, or distracting noises. But God is everywhere, all around us, constantly reaching out to us, even in the most unlikely situations. When we know this, and with a bit of practice, we can pray anywhere!
We offer daily prayer on our site to guide you through a session of prayer, in six stages, including preparing your body and mind, and culminating in reflection on the Gospel of the day according to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. The stages are:
- The Presence of God
- Freedom
- Consciousness
- The Word
- Conversation
- Conclusion
It is worth noting that we follow the Irish liturgical calendar which may at times differ from liturgical calendars used in other countries. We hope in the future to provide a choice of liturgical calendars depending on your location and preference.
Another resource that you may like to use is our Living Space page. Here you will find commentaries on both the daily readings and the Sunday readings throughout the Church year. Originally, this was the work of Fr. Frank Doyle, SJ who passed away in 2011. The existing commentaries continue to be edited and updated, but new commentaries are not currently being posted, and every once in a while, there is a day with no commentary available. It is possible to search the Living Space collection for commentaries on particular scripture readings and saints. The collection is also searchable by Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), by Sunday of the Year or by Saint by Month. Please note that the site is undergoing updating and revisions for functionality.
The following devotional is attributed to Kelly Woods. Kelly (she/her) is better known by some as PastoralHare. She works for the Uniting Church by resourcing communities and engaging the younger generations across the VicTas Synod.
This year the Revised Common Lectionary has us exploring the Christmas story found in the Gospel of Luke, particularly looking at Luke 2:1-14, verses 8-14 which go something like this:
8 The Shepherds were not at Jesus’ birth as they were away in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 Because they were unable to be onsite with Mary and Joseph, the Lord sent a message via an angel. Like a glitch in the night sky, a figure materialised before them, and the glory of the Lord radiated like waves of energy around them. The Shepherds were terrified by these radical methods of communication. 10 The angel figure then spoke to them saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news—even in this unconventional way—and it will cause great joy for all the people.11 In the town of David a Saviour has been born, and he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 You must travel to go find him, and you will recognise him by this sign: a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 There was another flicker in the sky, as if the surround-sound system kicked in, and suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising, tweeting, and posting about God, sharing, 14 “Glory to God who transcends all time, and peace to those in the physical realms with whom God’ favour rests.”
Luke 1:8-14 PH Translation*
This version may seem a tad different to what you have read before, however, the Christmas story and the digital world are surprisingly more connected than we may think.
You see, just like the author of Luke documented the events of Jesus’ birth within the larger narrative of scripture, our lives are also unique stories within a larger divine narrative. How we connect with each other, what we post and share across digital forums and communities document the events of our own lives.
Acknowledging our own agency is the first step in understanding the role we play in the grand scheme of the digital world, as these interactions are not just about us as individuals—they are part of the bigger story.
The second step to consider is how you are to use your agency within the digital landscape, and the Christmas story found in the Gospel of Luke can also help us with this.
The author of Luke tells us about how an angel appeared to share the good news of Jesus’ birth, and how it should bring about great joy for all people. The angel was accompanied by a throng of heavenly hosts proclaiming God’s glory, and how the peace of God is also possible on earth as it is in heaven. Perhaps this should cause us to ask whether we are living our life in such a way that we are contributing to this joy and peace for all people? Are our digital interactions documenting words, actions, and expressions of joy, encouragement, and hope to others? Are we able to see our digital platforms as part of the throng of heavenly hosts?
Another learning we can glean from the Lucan story is in the depiction of Jesus’ birth in a manger. That the Saviour of the world came to find rest in a humble manger can help us to seek out this same humility in the digital world. Despite the array of possible ways God could have chosen to enter the world, we find the Messiah to be wrapped in cloths as a baby—vulnerable and dependent on others.
Despite the array of possible ways we can interact in the digital world, are we choosing our interactions to be clothed in humility, open to learning, respectful of others, and seeking authentic community that cultivates genuine interdependent connections?
Along with a sense of authentic connection between each other, are we taking the opportunity to seek God’s presence in the digital world? Like how an angelic figure can materialise out of nothing, are we open to God speaking to us in radical, unconventional ways, too? The angelic presence spoken of in this Christmas story reminds us that God repeatedly transcends all matters of time and space. Are we on the lookout for this divine presence in our digital interactions?
The points above are just a handful of ways the Christmas story continues to speak into our current lives, by offering us lessons into the digital world. No matter how personal our algorithms get, our digital interactions are never only about us; we are connected like a web of threads woven into a divine digital tapestry.
And don’t forget that the Christmas story not only tells us of the day Jesus’ entered the world, but it can help guide us in understanding who we are and why we matter in the interconnected digital realms, too.
*PastoralHare.com Translation 2024
Posted with permission by Kelly Woods PastoralHare.com