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| Ruth, the dutiful daughter-in-law |
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| by William Blake. |
RUTH 2 ROTATION
Click here for Overview * Background Notes * In the Arts * Questions for Discussion * Workshops * Revu from Ruth 1.
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TOPIC/STORY
The story of Ruth, a young woman from another country, and how her loyalty and courage along with the kindness of family members,
reap bountiful rewards for all.
DATE:
September 2007
WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES:
* Arts 1 -- grain mosaic
* Arts 2 -- Jesse tree
* Kitchen -- Amish friendship bread
* Music -- new song
* Computer -- make banner for baby shower for Ruth
SOURCE TEXT:
Book of Ruth, Chps 1 – 4. READ THESE.
KEY VERSE:
RUTH 1.16: “Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God
will be my God.” (Good News Bible)
AFTER STORYTIME IN CHURCH, ALL CHILDREN MEET FOR GATHERING TIME, BRIEF REVIEW, THEN GO TO SCHEDULED WORKSHOPS.
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BACKGROUND NOTES (& OTHER NEAT INFO)
REVERSAL OF FORTUNES.
The story begins when three women are left unsupported and somewhat outcast after the deaths of their husbands. Their fortunes
turn when they make use of Israelite legal codes and traditions that 1. allow foreigners, widows and the poor to gather or
glean grain during the harvest season (see book intro in NRSV); and 2. require a widow’s next of kin to marry and provide
for her (see intro to this story in Lois Wilson’s Miriam, Mary & Me. )
NOT FROM AROUND HERE
It’s significant that while Naomi the matriarch has Jewish roots, Ruth does not. Ruth is quite distinctly from someplace
else. Lois Wilson, in the book cited above (which can be found in the St. John’s Resource Centre), sets the story up
this way: “Most commentators believe that this artistic tale was written in the fourth century BCE as a protest against
the prevailing hostility to the Moabites… The book of Ruth advocates an attitude of tolerance toward people of other
nations.”
WHERE'S MOAB?
Check out a few maps. There’s an old-fashioned one.
Scroll down here for a good little map.
HARVEST THEME
Ruth and Naomi’s fortunes turn in the barley fields. Ruth, the destitute foreigner, goes on to become the grandmother
of a remarkable family.
EVOCATIVE ART.
Check out some amazing artworks by:
- William Blake
- Marc Chagall. Click here and scroll down to see several pieces on Ruth by Chagall.
AWESOME POETRY
Poets are drawn to Ruth. John Keats’s famous ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ features Ruth in verse 7. He makes liberal
poetic use of the harvest imagery from this grand story. Find this poem here.
JESSE TREE
There are many variations of the Jesse tree. Mainly it means Jesus’s family tree. This comes from Isaiah 11.1: “There
shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse...” (New King James Version). The list of descendents at the end of the
book of Ruth names her son Obed as father of Jesse and grandfather of David. The list of Jesus’s ancestors at the beginning
of the gospel of Matthew fills in the rest of the blanks. Special mention is made in Matthew of Ruth as the mother of Obed.
MASTERPIECE OF SERENITY
There’s a wonderful, readable, not-too-academic (really!) explanation of the story of Ruth by Canadian writer, literary
critic and scholar Northrop Frye in an essay called, ‘The Bride from the Strange Land,’ in the collection, Northop
Frye on Religion. He concludes his essay with this:
“It is the unclouded serenity of the story that impresses the reader, a serenity that does for an agricultural and harvest
setting what, let us say, the twenty-third Psalm does for a pastoral one. Like that Psalm, it expresses the feeling that if
human beings give up their murderous and polluting ways, the physical environment will be seen as something identical with
the human one, as something to live in rather than to dominate. At that point “serenity” becomes inadequate too…
[In fact this story] expresses the highest vision of human life within the context of the will of God that words can make.”
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What kinds of fears, worries or concerns do you think were running through Ruth’s mind when she had to choose whether
to follow Naomi into a foreign country or to go home?
2. What about Boaz. Do you think he had any fears or concerns about marrying an ‘outsider?’ Do his and Ruth’s
actions say something about how they or their culture respected the elderly?
3. What about Orpah. What fears or concerns would she have about returning to her ‘mother’s house’? Can
you think of a parallel situation in today’s world? (maybe Iraqi women returning or staying home to try to educate the
current generation of girls.)
*******WORKSHOPS*******
IN REAL TIME WITH THE CHILDREN IN YOUR WORKSHOPS COVER THESE TWO POINTS:
1. REVIEW THE STORY WITH THE CHILDREN. HAVE THEM SUMMARIZE TO DEMONSTRATE TO ALL HOW MUCH MORE THEY REMEMBER FROM PAST WEEKS.
2. EXPLAIN HOW YOUR ACTIVITY CONNECTS TO THE STORY.
Arts 1 -- grain mosaic.
As a masterpiece in serenity celebrating the agricultural myth, why not represent this story in types of grain.
Activity: make a mosaic using different types of grain, like corn, rice, pearl barley, etc.
Materials: Black or navy blue construction paper, white glue, pencils for sketching, various grains such as rice, corn (ie
popcorn kernels), pearl barley, couscous...
Have the children sketch an image from the story. Could be three women, Naomi and Boaz, Naomi with baby. Spread glue over
sections of picture. Fill with type of grain to suit design.
Arts 2 -- Jesse tree.
How can you leave the story of Ruth without creating a Jesse tree?!
Activity: Create a Jesse tree linking Jesse thru Obed to Jesus. (See study notes above or footnotes in a good Bible)
Materials: Oversize white paper, pencils, fine tipped markers, corn husks, white glue.
Instructions: Think about how to render this family tree using parts of a corn plant. (In Canada, corn is in season and farmers
who sell it have lots of husks floating around). Have the children sketch their Jesse tree -- including their own family members
if they wish. Use parts of the corn plants, like husks, silks, kernels, to augment the drawing. Darken text with markers.
Glue on corn bits to suit design.
Kitchen -- Amish friendship bread
This recipe may take a bit longer than some, but it's so appropriate here!
Activity: Make and pass along Amish friendship bread and starter.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
1 cup starter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
***Explain the concept to the children (that you make the starter and pass it along to a friend). But they will begin with
making their own loaf from starter. If you are really short on time, have a loaf ready for them to eat and share after they
have mixed their own loaf and put it in the oven. Each child could be given a piece of cake and frozen block of starter with
instructions to take home.***
This takes 10 days, but is worthwhile.
This is a delicious bread that can be adapted many ways. Make it plain or mix in your favorite fruit. Give the starter and
recipe as a gift during the holidays.
Make something special to share with a friend. This delicious starter can make a variety of breads. Do not use metal containers
or utensils.
Starter: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic
container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup
milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the
10 day cycle. On days 2 through 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days
6 through 9; stir only. Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give
2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container
in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).
Note: Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with
step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room
temperature to thaw before using.
Amish Friendship Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients (including Starter) and mix well. Pour into 2 well greased and sugared
9x5-inch loaf pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until done. Cool 20 minutes before removing from pans. Makes 2 (9x5-inch) loaves.
This recipe for Amish Friendship Bread (with starter) serves/makes 1.
Music -- new song
When I think of friendship songs, I think of that terrific campfire song, "Make new friends but keep the old." It sounds so
nice in a round, so this would be a perfect one to teach the kids.
The lyrics are pretty simple, and don't have anything to do with our story. So that means we need to make up couple of verses
of our own.
Try this -- teach the kids the first 2 or 3 basic verses to learn the tune:
Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.
A circle is round,
it has no end.
That's how long,
I will be your friend.
A fire burns bright,
it warms the heart.
We've been friends,
from the very start.
You have one hand,
I have the other.
Put them together,
We have each other.
Then brainstorm new verses with the kids. How about something like:
Ruth was a young bride,
Naomi was her mother,
Lifelong friends,
they loved one another...
Boaz thought Ruth
was such a fine lady
that they got married
and had a little baby!
Now see if you can do all your verses in a round!
Computer -- banner for baby shower
What do you do when a friend has a new baby -- throw a baby shower! Make a banner for your baby shower. Invite your class
to bring baby items for donation to a family with a new baby in your church. Invite the family to your shower. Or give the
items to your Welcome or Pastoral Care team for the next baby that joins your church family. Remember, no shower is complete
without a few refreshments!
Activity: make a banner for a baby shower.
Material: simple banner program. If you want to host a real shower, send a note around to your students asking them to bring
a baby item. Collect the items in a large shopping or gift bag or basket. Bring simple snacks and drinks for your shower guests.
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Review of Activities from Ruth 1
Arts -- corn husk dolls
Drama -- a play
Kitchen -- Boaz banana muffins
Computer -- congratulations card for Ruth's new baby.
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