June 22, 2008

Ruth

Ruth Visits Mill Creek Workcamp

Ruth 2:1-3

Opening Words: It has become my custom to take the summer months and preach on a single Old Testament personality. Over the past few years we a examined the lives of Nehemiah, Esther, Elijah and Joseph. This summer we are looking at the life of Ruth. Last week we finished the first chapter. Do you remember what happened in the first chapter? Ruth’s story began in a sea of despair. Naomi and her husband decided to move to Moab to escape the famine that had come to Judah. The move was only to be temporary but it became permanent. Geographically speaking, Moab and Bethlehem are only fifty miles apart but it is like living on a different planet. The language, the lifestyle, but most of all the religion are different. Naomi and her husband are suddenly outcasts. That is difficult but the hardest is yet to come. It is while they are in this foreign land that Naomi’s life begins to implode. Two things happen. First, her husband dies. Then her sons die. Standing on a mountain of regret she decides to go home because the famine in Judah has passed. The only thing holding her back is her two Moabite daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. The three women’s lives have become intertwined. In other words, they loved one another. The younger women are forced to make a difficult choice. Do they return home to their biological families or do they remain with Naomi. Life is filled with many difficult choices. Orpah decides to return home but Ruth decided to stay with her mother-in-law and travel toJudah. The chapter ended with these two women making that fifty mile trip between Moab and Bethlehem. When they arrive, the table has turned. It is now Ruth who is suddenly the stranger in the strange land. That is how the first chapter ended. How much of that story do you remember? How much of that story do you know? This evening we begin the second chapter. Let me call this weekend’s message Ruth Visits Mill Creek Workcamp.

Ruth 2:1-3 ¹ Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.

² And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor."
Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter." ³ So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

In January 1998 Ryan was the typical six year old first grader in a Canada. However, he soon separated himself from the rest of the class. One day his teacher told him about children living in Africa with little access to medicine, food or clean water. He wanted to respond so he asked his parents for $70 so the people in Africa could dig a well. His parents said, “No!” "You don't understand" Ryan cried, "Children are dying because they don't have clean water!" Ryan's mum and dad agreed to pay him $2 for every additional chore he performed. So he set about cleaning, washing windows, picking up pine cones and more. Within three months he had raised enough for a well. His mother, impressed by his hard work, arranged for him to present the money directly to WaterCan, a nonprofit organization that funds well building in developing countries. When presenting the money Ryan learned that although $70 would buy a hand pump it actually cost $2000 to drill a well. Six year old Ryan started doing more chores. Given the fact that the Canadian International Development Agency matched WaterCan's funds two for one, Ryan needed to raise $700 to get that well. Ryan's parents wanted to encourage him. They emailed all their family and friends telling them about Ryan's project. An article on Ryan and his project was printed in the town paper. Donations came in and Ryan continued doing his chores. By August Ryan had raised the required $700. In recognition of his achievement Ryan, by now turned 7, was invited to a WaterCan Board meeting to hear a Ugandan director of Aid and Development speak. The Director hugged Ryan, thanking him for his well. He then went on to describe how so many places needed wells, yet the process of digging was very slow. With a hand auger it took 20 people digging for 10 days. How good it would be if they could buy a portable motorised drill. But it would cost $25000. "I'll raise the money for that drill" said Ryan. "I want everyone in Africa to have clean water." And so Ryan, with some help from mum and dad set about the task. He needed to raise around $8000, with the Canadian Government committed to a 2 for1 matching contribution. The Ottawa Citizen newspaper printed an article about Ryan which was rerun in newspapers across Canada. A local TV station interviewed Ryan. Donations started to flow in. Ryan responded to each with a thank you note. He spent hours hand-printing letters, seeking donations from the business world. His schoolmates started a contribution fund. By November 1999 the required amount had been received. The Ugandan Aid and Development agency got their portable drill. Ryan's neighbor, impressed by his effort, donated his frequent flyer points to enable Ryan and his mother to travel to Uganda to see the well he had originally raised money for. When he arrived, in July 2000 he was greeted by 5000 cheering children and the village elders of Angolo, the town in which the well was built. They took him to the well which had a message at its base: "Ryan's Well: Formed by Ryan Hreljac For the Community of Angolo Primary School". For these people water was life, and they spent the day feasting and dancing in honor of Ryan.

Six year old Ryan Hreljac responded to poverty in a positive way. The question of the day is what is your response to poverty? What is our response as a church to poverty? Are we going to swing into action in the name of Jesus? Or are we, are you, going to do nothing but stand on our excuses?

This week we begin the second chapter. Let me say this clearly. Naomi and Ruth are living in poverty. They are faced with their own survival. The challenge they are facing is not getting a date. Their challenge is not getting home in time to watch Oprah. The challenge they are facing is not shelter, where they will live. The challenge they are facing is more basic, food! However, the challenge they faced was not unique to them. Many were facing the same challenge. There were many empty stomachs in Judah in their time. It was like the Great Depression in America during the 1930’s but there were no bread lines in Judah. The government played no active roll in helping the poor. The individual was responsible for their own survival. Naomi and Ruth were responsible for their own survival. They had no husbands to turn to for help. The only thing they had was their own hunger. They were just two lonely faces in a massive army of hopelessness. Listen to this next line. They were not bad people, who made poor choices. They were good people, who had no options. They were good people, who had no opportunity.

There are many people in our world today, who are just like Ruth and Naomi. They are not bad people, who made poor choices. They are good people, who have no options. They are good people, who had very few opportunities. I was blessed because I was born on a mountain of opportunities. That is not everyone’s story. What is your response to poverty as an individual? What is our response to poverty as a church? The easiest thing to do is nothing. It is easy to write off the poor and say they are lazy, dishonest and mentally ill. It is really hard to respond to the poor with respect but this is what the Master calls us to do. There is nothing easy about being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Over the past two years the Mill Creek Camp steering committee has been working hard to help the poorest in our community. It is one way we are responding to the poor in our community. It began with a simple application to Group. Once accepted they began working on a plan to make this camp a reality. They met with the Youngstown Board of Education and secured Chaney High School to house the campers. They distributed applications to residents within the city who need help. They inspected over 150 homes of the applicants. We needed $25,000 to host the camp. They raised over $46,000. They filled goodies bags to be distributed to the campers. They organized a public relations campaign. They organized a picnic to say welcome. I had the greatest blessing. I had a front row seat so I am qualified to say this. They prayed and worried (sometimes fought) about every detail. They called in many favors from old friends and met knew friends. In the end they discovered something they already knew. The people of the Mahoning Valley are good people, who take great pride in caring for their own. They learned many of the poor in our area are just like Ruth and Naomi, good people, who have no options. They have been working hard but their time has now come. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” I have never been prouder to be pastor of this church. I didn’t go into the ministry to maintain building and pay apportionments. I went into the ministry to change people’s lives in the name of Jesus. I can honestly say you have changed my life.

This weekend Ruth visits Mill Creek Workcamp. When I organized this sermon series I had no idea the text and the event would align perfectly. I believe it was a “God thing.” This weekend we are looking at the first three verses of the second chapter of Ruth. I will develop them by using three words; each word begins with the letter P. Each word is illustrated with Mill Creek Workcamp. So if you are ready say, “Amen!”

Poverty

My first word is poverty. Have you ever experienced real poverty? Don’t answer that question too quickly. One of the great blessings of living in America is living in an economically strong land. So many are upset today because they have never really experienced economic hardship in their lives. (I hate to say it but the hardship may get worse.) A strong national economy is one of those blessings that we take for granted. People have no trouble taking out a thirty year mortgage or a car loan because they trust in our national economy. They believe they are going to have a job long enough to pay off the loan. I know there are people here at this moment who have experienced true poverty so I am going to say this gently. Most of us have never really experienced real poverty. As a matter of fact you would have to be 96 years old or older to have experienced real economic hardship. Is there anyone here today born in the year 1912 or earlier. Is there anyone here in that population demographic? Let me explain what I mean.

My father Ronald Adams was born in 1920. He lived in the booming metropolis of Ashtabula, Ohio. He would tell us stories of “The Great Depression.” He collected coal from the rail road track to heat the family home and he ate stone soup with the rest of the neighborhood. However, he would tell us about the hardship of those years with a smile on his face. I always thought that was odd. My grandfather Roger Adams was born in 1892 in the booming metropolis of Pierpont, Ohio. He never talked about “The Great Depression.” When those years of his life came up he would become emotionally upset. It wasn’t until I did the math that I discovered why my father’s and my grandfather’s reaction to the Great Depression was so different. Do the math with me. The heart of the Great Depression was 1932. In that year the unemployment rate in America hit 25%. In 1932 my father, born in 1920, was twelve years old. In 1932 my grandfather, born in 1892, was forty years old. They were both living through the heart of the depression. But their experiences were completely different. One was a happy go lucky boy. The other was a responsible man. My Aunt Phyllis was born 1932 so my grandfather was responsible for feeding another child. My grandfather was the greatest person I have ever known but he was poor. He wanted to go into the ministry but he couldn’t. I feel so fortunate because I get to live his dream and mine everyday. Let me ask you that question again. Have you ever experienced real poverty? The kind of poverty where you aren’t just responsible for yourself but for someone else? That is the story of Ruth and Naomi. This is the story of many in our community. Mill Creek Workcamp is our response to the poverty that exists in our little corner of the world. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” My first word is poverty. What is your response to poverty?

People

My second word is people. Let me state the obvious. Ruth and Naomi were people. They had names. They had dreams and hopes. They had emotions. They had a story. They had personalities. There were people that loved them and people that were glad when they left. They weren’t just the poor, lumped together with the other poor. They were individuals! They were Ruth and Naomi. Ministry takes a giant step forward when we begin to identify the poor as individuals.

In 1993 I was so fortunate to be part of a Volunteers in Missions trip to the Philippines. That was my first exposure to real poverty. The trip was both physically and emotionally hard. I lost thirteen pounds but I met many wonderful people. We stayed at Harris Memorial College near Manila. It is a school for young Pilipino women who were going into Christian service. They would take us outside of the gates of the school and introduce us to the homeless in that area. There was a twelve year old boy in this middle huddle of people. This is 1993 and he wore an old Michael Jordon basketball jersey. It was given to him by a missionary several years earlier. It was his only shirt. I couldn’t pronounce his name so I just called him Michael. For some unknown reason I just connected with him. I stood next to him and we were a study of contrast. I had a bright future back in America waiting for me but Michael had nothing. It is still true today. Every time I see news from the Philippines or hear about the Philippines. I don’t think about the poor and the homeless. I think about Michael. I wonder what he is doing today. In my heart I know there is a world of difference between the homeless and the poor and Michael.

The same thing is true with Mill Creek Workcamp. Faithfully very week volunteers would go out and inspect the homes. That was the hardest part of the project. It is easy to stay in the church building with a cup of coffee and a donut. It was hard to meet the people, who needed our help. It was harder to meet the people that we couldn’t help. They aren’t just the poor in the city. They are people. They are individuals with dreams and disappointments. The Bible story is not about the poor. The story is about Ruth and Naomi. If you learn one name of the people we are helping this week it will change you. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” The first word is poverty. The second word is people. What is your response to poverty?

Plan

My third word is plan. I don’t have much time left so let me say this. Having a plan is not a bad thing. It is a good thing. A plan does not show a lack of faith. It shows you want to do your best for God. In Ruth and Naomi’s day, they had a plan to help the poor. The old law said the rich should not harvest the corners of their fields. That grain was to be left for the poor. The manual that comes with Mill Creek Workcamp is thick. It lays out everything in detail so there are no surprises. We want to do our best for God. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Let me end with the question of the day. What is your response to poverty?

Let me end by asking you to do two things this week. First, I want you to pray for Mill Creek Workcamp. I want you to pray for the staff, campers and the steering committee. But most of all I want you to pray for the residents. Second, I want you to learn the name of one of the people we are helping. They aren’t just the poor. They have names. They are people, good people, who have no options and few opportunities. They are people, who God loves. What is your response to poverty?