# St. John's United Church of Christ — June 14, 2026 > [!info] Service at a Glance > **Theme:** Ruth: Gleaning and Hope (Ruth 2:1-23) > **Preacher:** Rev. Caroline E. Saxton > **Series:** Summer Ruth series, week 2 (continues from June 7, "Ruth: Loss and Loyalty," Ruth 1) > **Children's Message:** Roxanne Davenport — "Beep, Beep, I'm a Sheep" (*Divine Wisdom of the Animal Kingdom*, week 2) > **Sacrament:** Baptism of Oscar Wolfe > **Liturgical Day:** Third Sunday after Pentecost · Year A · Green > **Recording:** [youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo) · **Sermon score: 59/65** > [!tip] Timestamp deep-links > Subheadings below carry clickable `[mm:ss]` links into the YouTube recording. On this channel the transcript clock and the livestream clock are synchronized, so offsets land on the moment named. --- ## Liturgical Context ### Christian Liturgical Calendar - **Season:** Season after Pentecost (Ordinary Time). Pentecost fell on May 24, 2026 (NL446); Trinity Sunday on May 31. - **Day:** Third Sunday after Pentecost (Second Sunday after Trinity in the older reckoning). - **Liturgical color:** Green — the long growing season of discipleship between Pentecost and Christ the King. - **Sacrament:** The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated today for Oscar Wolfe, with parents Aaron and Jacklyn Wolfe. ### Lectionary Note St. John's preached the **Narrative Lectionary** (Year 4, John) through the program year; it concluded at Pentecost (NL446, May 24). For the summer the congregation is preaching a **topical series on the Book of Ruth** rather than following a lectionary. Last Sunday (June 7) guest preacher Rev. Peter Emig opened the series on Ruth 1; today Pastor Caroline continues with **Ruth 2** ("Ruth: Gleaning and Hope"), framed by **Deuteronomy 24:19-22** (the gleaning law that the chapter dramatizes) and **Luke 6:36-38** (mercy, and the measure you give). The Revised Common Lectionary Proper 6 propers below are listed for reference only. ### Lectionary Readings (Revised Common Lectionary — Proper 6, Year A, reference only) - **First reading:** Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) — *and* Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 - **Alternate first reading:** Exodus 19:2-8a — *and* Psalm 100 - **Epistle:** Romans 5:1-8 - **Gospel:** Matthew 9:35–10:8, (9-23) - *Source: Vanderbilt Divinity Library, [lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu](https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/2026/06/june-14-2026-proper-6-11/)* ### Jewish Calendar - **Hebrew date:** 29 Sivan 5786 (the eve of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz; 30 Sivan / 1 Tammuz fall June 15-16). - **Holidays:** None — roughly four weeks after Shavuot (6-7 Sivan, May 21-23). - **Preceding Shabbat:** Saturday, June 13 read Parashat **Shelach** (Numbers 13:1–15:41). - **Resonance:** In Jewish tradition the **Book of Ruth is the megillah read at Shavuot** — a fitting backdrop to a summer series on Ruth. ### Ecumenical & Global Observances - **Flag Day** (United States, June 14) — civil observance. - **World Refugee Day** approaches (June 20). Not a liturgical feast, but thematically resonant: Ruth is the Moabite migrant gathered in by Israel's gleaning law, and today's offering prayer names "liberty to those oppressed." Pastor Caroline made the immigration connection explicit in the sermon. - **Juneteenth** (June 19) — the church office is closed in observance. ### Connection to Today's Message Ruth 2 is the chapter where the **Torah's gleaning law becomes narrative**. Deuteronomy 24:19-22 commands that the forgotten sheaf, the overlooked olives, and the gleanings of the vineyard be left "for the alien, the orphan, and the widow." Ruth — a Moabite *and* a widow *and* poor — is the triple beneficiary of that law, and Boaz goes beyond its letter (instructing his workers to pull extra grain out on purpose). Luke 6:36-38 supplies the gospel measure. The arc of the series turns here from **emptiness toward provision** — *hesed* (covenant loyalty / loving-kindness) made concrete in agricultural policy and personal generosity. --- ## Order of Worship > [!note] An asterisk (*) marks where the congregation is invited to stand in body or in spirit. ### Gathering #### Gathering Song — "This Is the Day" > A short praise chorus drawn from Psalm 118:24 ("This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it"). The familiar refrain rejoices in the day God has made and resolves to be glad in it. > *Chorus by Les Garrett, 1967. © 1967 Scripture in Song / Universal Music–Brentwood Benson. Used for personal study; paraphrased rather than reproduced.* ![[Psalm 118#24]] #### Unison Welcome > "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here." *(The UCC extravagant-welcome statement.)* #### Announcements #### Passing of the Peace > "The peace of Christ be with you." — "And also with you." #### Chiming of the Trinity & Prelude #### *Call to Worship *(adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual)* > Here in this place, there are no foreigners, > **for all are welcome in God's house.** > Here in this worship, there is only acceptance, > **for love is the language of faith.** > Here in our lives, there are no divisions, > **for God dwells in each of us.** > Come, let us worship in unity and love. #### *Hymn #345 — "When Morning Gilds the Skies" *Words: Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1828; tr. Edward Caswall (st. 1, 2, 4), 1854; tr. Robert Bridges (st. 3), 1899. Music: Joseph Barnby, 1868 (LAUDES DOMINI, 6.6.6.6.6.6). Public domain.* 1. When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries, may Jesus Christ be praised! Alike at work and prayer to Jesus I repair; may Jesus Christ be praised! 2. The night becomes as day when from the heart we say, may Jesus Christ be praised! The powers of darkness fear when this sweet song they hear, may Jesus Christ be praised! 3. Ye realms of humankind, in this your concord find: may Jesus Christ be praised! Let all the earth around ring joyous with the sound: may Jesus Christ be praised! 4. In heaven's eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this, may Jesus Christ be praised! Let earth, and sea, and sky from depth to height reply, may Jesus Christ be praised! ### Word #### Call to Confession > To you, O God, we sing our praises and utter our prayers, confessing the ways we have fallen short. Let us seek forgiveness and assurance from the One who knows and loves all. #### Prayer of Confession *(adapted from Gathered by Love, Lavon Bayler)* > How easily we forget you, O God of our salvation. We imagine that our prosperity is of our own design. We wander into paths of self-righteousness and greed. We fail to care for those around us and neglect to provide for our neighbors. O God, rescue us from all that would alienate us from others and from you. We humble ourselves and seek your forgiveness. #### Kyrie (Hymnal Companion C-4) > The ancient prayer for mercy: *Kyrie eleison* — "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." #### Assurance of Grace *(adapted from Gathered by Love, Lavon Bayler)* > God inspires our confession and invites our trust. God grants us forgiveness and grace. Trusting in God, we are equipped to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep the faith. Be glad and rejoice in God. #### *Glory Be to the Father #704 (Gloria Patri) *Traditional doxology; Greatorex setting. Public domain.* > Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; > as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, > world without end. Amen, Amen. #### Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 24:19-22; Luke 6:36-38 *Lector: Bill Slothower* **Deuteronomy 24:19-22** (the gleaning law) ![[Deuteronomy 24#19]] ![[Deuteronomy 24#20]] ![[Deuteronomy 24#21]] ![[Deuteronomy 24#22]] **Luke 6:36-38** (mercy, and the measure you give) ![[Luke 6#36]] ![[Luke 6#37]] ![[Luke 6#38]] #### Responsive Reading — "Her Masterpieces" (a remix of Psalm 65) *by Kentina Washington-Leapheart, from "The Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle," ed. Martha Spong. Reproduced from the bulletin for personal study.* > Morning by morning, new mercies: > **the Artist of the Universe paints across a wide expansive canvas of sky;** > Infinite color combinations expand, contract, fade away, and disappear. > **How beautiful are her masterpieces;** > **And then again for evensong – a double blessing!** > What am I to make of this miraculous art-making, > **the beauty that catches the breath in my throat,** > knowing that no matter where we are in the world, > **my loved one and I stare in wonder at the same sky?** *Underlying scripture — Psalm 65 (selected):* ![[Psalm 65#8]] ![[Psalm 65#9]] ![[Psalm 65#11]] ![[Psalm 65#13]] #### Sacrament of Baptism — Oscar Wolfe *Parents: Aaron and Jacklyn Wolfe. (Congregation followed along on the insert/screen.)* > [!quote] Baptismal Liturgy (from the bulletin insert) > **Welcome** > Members and friends in Christ, we gather now to celebrate the gift of grace in the sacrament of baptism. > **There is one body and one Spirit. There is one hope in God's call to us.** > There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Creator of us all. > > **Address** > Baptism is the sacrament through which we are united to Jesus Christ and given part in Christ's ministry of reconciliation. Baptism is the visible sign of an invisible event: the reconciliation of people to God. It also shows the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. In baptism, God works in us the power of forgiveness, the renewal of the Spirit, and the knowledge of the call to be God's people always. > **This is the water of baptism. Out of this water we rise with new life, forgiven of sin and one in Christ, members of Christ's body.** > We invite Oscar Wolfe to come forward with his parents Aaron and Jacklyn Wolfe to be baptized. > > **Questions of the Candidate** > Oscar, do you desire to be baptized into the faith and family of Jesus Christ? **I do.** > Aaron and Jacklyn, are you ready with God's help to guide and encourage Oscar by counsel and example, in prayer and with love, to following in the way of Jesus Christ? **We are.** > Oscar, do you renounce the powers of evil and desire the freedom of new life in Christ? **I do.** > Do you profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? **I do.** > Do you promise, by the grace of God, to be Christ's disciple, to follow in the way of our Savior, to resist oppression and evil, to show love and justice, and to witness to the work and word of Jesus Christ as best you are able? **I promise, with the help of God.** > Do you promise, according to the grace given you, to grow in the Christian faith and to be a faithful member of the church of Jesus Christ, celebrating Christ's presence and furthering Christ's mission in all the world? **I promise, with the help of God.** > > **Congregational Assent** > Jesus Christ calls us to make disciples of all nations and to offer them the gift of grace in baptism. Do you, who witness and celebrate this sacrament, promise your love, support, and care to the one about to be baptized, as he lives and grows in Christ? > **We promise our love, support, and care.** > > **Affirmation of Faith** > Let us unite with the church in all times and places in confessing our faith in the triune God. > Do you believe in God? **I believe in God.** > Do you believe in Jesus Christ? **I believe in Jesus Christ.** > Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? **I believe in the Holy Spirit.** > > **Prayer of Baptism** > Christ be with you. **And also with you.** Let us pray. > > **Act of Baptism** > Oscar, you are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. **Amen.** > The Holy Spirit be upon you, Oscar, child of God, disciple of Christ, member of the church. > > **Prayer for the Baptized** > Let us pray for the one baptized today. > Gracious God, you have filled the world with joy by giving us the gift of Jesus. Bless this newly baptized person. May he be filled with joy; may he never be ashamed to confess a personal faith in you. Bless these your faithful people. Unite them in the peace of Christ and the company of the Holy Spirit. **Amen.** > > **Benediction** > Go in the peace of Christ. **Thanks be to God.** #### Hymn #C-36 — "I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry" *Words and music: John Ylvisaker, 1985 (BORNING CRY). © 1985 John Ylvisaker. Copyrighted — paraphrased by verse for personal study, not reproduced.* > [!abstract] Verse summaries (paraphrase) > 1. God speaks in the first person, present at the child's "borning cry," rejoicing the day they were baptized — there to see their life unfold. > 2. God was present when they were a child, with a faith to suit them well, blazing with light as they wandered to find where demons dwell. > 3. When they heard the wonder of the Word, God rejoiced to see them raised, there to cheer them on as their living Lord through whom they will be complete. > 4. God promises to be the someone to share their time as their hearts join as one, present from dusk till rising sun. > 5. In the middle ages of life — no longer young — God pledges to be there still, to guide them through the blaze of light, even when one more surprise wanders off. > 6. When the evening gently closes in and they shut their weary eyes, God will be there as God has always been, with just one more surprise. > 7. (Reprise of verse 1) "I was there to hear your borning cry, I'll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold." A baptismal favorite at St. John's (listed among the congregation's "Favorite Hymns"), sung here for Oscar's baptism. #### Children's Message — "Beep, Beep, I'm a Sheep" — [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=0s) *Roxanne Davenport · Divine Wisdom of the Animal Kingdom series, week 2. Children's Corner is offered following, with "Miss Melinda" (Mindy Orndorff).* See the documented walk-through with timestamps under [[#Children's Message — Documented]] below. #### Scripture Reading — Ruth 2:1-23 — [10:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=605s) *Read by Rev. Caroline E. Saxton (who read the text and preached). She used a translation rendering Ruth's self-description as "I'm an immigrant" (v. 10) — likely the Common English Bible — a choice that set up the sermon's migration theme.* ![[Ruth 2#1]] ![[Ruth 2#2]] ![[Ruth 2#3]] ![[Ruth 2#4]] ![[Ruth 2#5]] ![[Ruth 2#6]] ![[Ruth 2#7]] ![[Ruth 2#8]] ![[Ruth 2#9]] ![[Ruth 2#10]] ![[Ruth 2#11]] ![[Ruth 2#12]] ![[Ruth 2#13]] ![[Ruth 2#14]] ![[Ruth 2#15]] ![[Ruth 2#16]] ![[Ruth 2#17]] ![[Ruth 2#18]] ![[Ruth 2#19]] ![[Ruth 2#20]] ![[Ruth 2#21]] ![[Ruth 2#22]] ![[Ruth 2#23]] #### Sermon — "Ruth: Gleaning and Hope" — [15:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=914s) *Rev. Caroline E. Saxton. Opening prayer ("Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us…") at [14:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=886s).* Full notes and analysis in [[#Sermon Notes and Analysis]] below. #### Apostles' Creed: An Affirmation of Faith *(Hymnal Companion C-10)* ### Response #### Sharing of Joys and Concerns #### Prayers of the People and the Lord's Prayer (Debts) #### Invitation to Giving #### Offertory #### *Offertory Response #706 — "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow" (Doxology) *Words: Thomas Ken, 1674/1709. Music: OLD HUNDREDTH (Genevan Psalter, 1551; attr. Louis Bourgeois). Public domain. Inclusive-language form commonly used in UCC worship.* > Praise God from whom all blessings flow; > Praise God, all creatures here below; > Praise God above, ye heavenly host: > Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen. #### *Prayer of Dedication *(adapted from Touch Holiness: Resources for Worship, ed. Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi)* > O Gracious God, bless our offering that it may reach and touch those who hunger, who hurt, who mourn, who seek new hope. As part of the global village, we care about all of our sisters and brothers and siblings. We pray for peace and justice, for liberty to those oppressed, for joy to those who are weary. In Jesus' name, Amen. ### Sending #### *Hymn #371 — "Now Thank We All Our God" *Words: Martin Rinkart, 1636; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1858. Music: Johann Crüger, 1647; harm. Felix Mendelssohn, 1840 (NUN DANKET, 6.7.6.7.6.6.6.6). Public domain.* 1. Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom this world rejoices; who, from our mothers' arms, hath blest us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. 2. O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in God's grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills in this world and the next. 3. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given, the Son, and Him who reigns with them in highest heaven, the one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore. #### *Commission & Benediction #### Postlude (seated) --- ## Children's Message — Documented *Roxanne Davenport · "Beep, Beep, I'm a Sheep" · Divine Wisdom of the Animal Kingdom (week 2)* > [!note] The summer children's series picks one biblical animal each week. Week 1 (June 7) introduced animals in general and the call to care for creation; this week is the sheep. ##### Recap of the series — [00:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=25s) Opens by congratulating Oscar (just baptized) and recaps the *Divine Wisdom of the Animal Kingdom* premise: each week, a different biblical animal. ##### "Beep, beep, I'm a sheep" — the most-named animal — [01:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=98s) Reveals the sheep (with a puppet/prop) and notes sheep are referenced **more than 500 times** — the most commonly mentioned animal in the Bible. ##### Why sheep mattered: occupations and economy — [02:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=147s) Bible-times occupations: fishing by the sea, shepherding inland (often the youngest child got drafted). Shepherding was lowly but important. ##### What sheep give — [02:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=174s) Crowd-sources the answers: meat, wool (clothing), manure (fertilizer), and **companionship**. Sheep were a sign of wealth; the more you had, the wealthier you were. ##### Sheep are not smart — and need protection — [04:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=265s) Sheep wander off, are vulnerable to wolves, will walk off a cliff. The only way to redirect one is to physically point its head toward the flock. ##### But they trust the shepherd — [05:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=318s) Sheep don't trust people generally, but they know the shepherd's voice and follow it; the shepherd guides, protects, keeps them together, leads them to green grass. ##### Sheep all through scripture — [06:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=366s) Shepherds get the good news first (Luke 2); the lost sheep / the one matters as much as the flock (Luke 15). ##### Sheep vs. goats; Good Shepherd; Lamb of God — [06:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=400s) Sheep vs. goats (Matthew 25); Jesus the Good Shepherd (John 10); Psalm 23; John the Baptist's "Lamb of God" — lambs were sacrificed, hence the title for the one sacrificed for us. ##### The turn: "We are like sheep" — [07:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=465s) We know better when we come to church, but we wander and get distracted — and need to listen for the shepherd's voice to call us back. ##### We need community — [08:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=512s) Like sheep, we need community to stay on track, to celebrate, mourn, and support. "So be a sheep." ##### Children's prayer — [09:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=558s) Prayer of confession-and-return: we wander, God always takes us back, searches for us, rejoices when we return. Handoff to Children's Corner with "Miss Melinda" at [09:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=587s). > [!tip] Cross-link > The children's message lays down the **Good Shepherd / Lamb of God** theme; the sermon picks up the complementary biblical-care theme — feeding the hungry and gathering in the stranger. Two halves of the same pastoral economy: the shepherd who protects, and the field-owner who provides. --- ## Sermon Notes and Analysis > [!info] Recording map > Opening prayer [14:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=886s) · Sermon body from [15:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=914s) · Closing prayer ~[23:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1409s). > **Transcript gap:** the recording's captured audio drops from roughly [17:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1020s) to [19:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1160s) (~2.5 minutes). This may be a musical interlude, a video, or simply an untranscribed stretch — worth a listen to confirm what fell in the gap. The analysis below reflects the observable portions. ### Sermon Title Ruth: Gleaning and Hope ### Scripture Ruth 2:1-23 (sermon text), framed by Deuteronomy 24:19-22 (gleaning law) and Luke 6:36-38 (mercy and measure). Cross-reference to Ruth 2:12 ("under whose wings you've come to seek refuge") echoed in the closing. ### Introduction — [15:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=914s) A local hook: one of the best parts of living in this part of Pennsylvania is fresh local produce — cherries, peaches, apples, strawberries. **Not this year.** A late hard frost means the usual crops failed; produce will be shipped in, and gleaning ministries (the **Gleaning Project**) will have fewer fields and orchards from which to collect leftovers — so **less to share with neighbors**. The ancient practice of gleaning was designed for exactly this: helping those left out and struggling to survive. ### Main Points #### Point 1 — Gleaning is law, not optional charity (and it's economics) — [16:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=967s) Deuteronomy 24:19-22 is **clear about what is required**: share with the vulnerable — widows, orphans, immigrants — rather than hoarding. Ruth 2 shows what gleaning looks like **in practice, not in the abstract**. The signature line: *"It's not simply a matter of religion, it's a matter of economics."* And the theological premise: *"God does not desire for anyone to go hungry"* — which is why Jesus spends so much of his time eating with people. ([16:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=995s)) *[Transcript gap ~[17:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1020s)–[19:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1160s).]* #### Point 2 — From bitterness to joy: gleaning and hope, with real danger — [19:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1160s) Though many hurdles remain, we glimpse a path **from bitterness to joy, from death to life** — *"such is the connection between gleaning and hope."* But the field is not safe: Boaz says, *"I've ordered the young men not to assault you."* Violence against women, against immigrants, against immigrant women is **not new**. Boaz can't control every man, but as the field's owner he can protect the women who work there, and he tells Ruth to stay. ([19:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1189s)) #### Point 3 — Ruth has agency; her life matters — [20:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1219s) Ruth is among the figures lifted up in **Karen González, *The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong.*** What Pastor Caroline loves about Ruth: she is **not a passive character** — a woman determined to survive and to secure a future for Naomi. (Her *daring to act* is next week's text — [20:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1250s).) She has "skin in the game," shows up, works hard. *"Her life matters."* #### Point 4 — God sees the immigrant; so should we — [21:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1260s) In a time when immigrant neighbors are called *"aliens and illegals,"* we are reminded that **God created all of us in the divine image and calls us good.** Scripture is full of characters who, by choice or circumstance, were immigrants; **God sees them, God loves them, and so should we.** We sustain those around us by embodying the **fruits of the Spirit** — we may do little literal gleaning, but we are to be **people who offer help and hope.** ([21:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1285s)) #### Point 5 — The table: chosen family and God's welcome — [21:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1315s) Last night ~30 gathered in Fellowship Hall with members of one of the church's **Spanish-speaking congregations** — a potluck with food, music, laughter, connection. Pastor Caroline and **Pastor Martin** presided over communion using a **plate and chalice handcrafted in the Palestinian city of Hebron** ([22:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1353s)). At the table — God's table, *not yours or mine* — we are renewed; **under God's wings we find refuge** (echoing Ruth 2:12). Naomi and Ruth remind us that **family is chosen as well as made**; God's family is all kinds of people, and we are the body of Christ. ([23:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1383s)) #### Conclusion & Call — "Be a little like Boaz" — [23:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1409s) We may not fix every problem, yet we strive to be part of the solution. *"They'll know we are Christians by our love, walking hand in hand, working side by side."* **Perhaps we can be a little like Boaz, offering others help and hope.** Closing prayer: *"Spirit of God, holy breath, work on us and in us that you might work through us. Amen."* ### Illustrations and Stories - **The failed local harvest / the Gleaning Project** ([15:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=914s)) — a concrete, local image binding ancient gleaning law to present-day food sharing in Franklin County. - **The intercultural potluck and Hebron communion ware** ([21:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1315s)) — lived enactment of the sermon's claim, one day old. - **Karen González's *The God Who Sees*** ([20:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1219s)) — a Latina/immigrant theological voice naming Ruth as an immigrant story. ### Scripture Connections - Deuteronomy 24:19-22 (gleaning law) — explicitly cited by verse ([16:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=967s)) - Ruth 2:12 — "under whose wings you've come to seek refuge," echoed at the table ([22:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1353s)) - Luke 6:36-38 (framing reading) — mercy and the measure you give - Implicit Gospel meal-theology — "Jesus spends so much of his time eating with people" ### Key Quotes - *"It's not simply a matter of religion, it's a matter of economics."* ([16:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=995s)) - *"God does not desire for anyone to go hungry."* ([16:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=995s)) - *"Such is the connection between gleaning and hope."* ([19:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1160s)) - *"Her life matters."* ([20:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1250s)) - *"God created all of us in the divine image and calls us good."* ([21:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1260s)) - *"Family is chosen as well as made."* ([23:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1383s)) - *"Perhaps we can be a little like Boaz, offering others help and hope."* ([23:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo&t=1409s)) --- ## Personal Reflections > [!note] Fill this section after the service ### What Spoke to Me ### Questions Raised ### Challenges to My Thinking ### Liturgical Context Reflections <!-- How do the gleaning law (Deut 24), the measure-you-give of Luke 6, a baptism, and a children's message about the Good Shepherd all converge on one economy of care? How does "it's a matter of economics" land in a congregation a day after an intercultural potluck, and a week before World Refugee Day and Juneteenth? --> --- ## Applications ### This Week I Will - [ ] - [ ] - [ ] ### People to Pray For - The Wolfe family — Oscar, Aaron, and Jacklyn — newly baptized - Bill and Joanne Slothower (flowers given in memory of David Slothower) - The Spanish-speaking congregation that shared the table Saturday night; Pastor Martin - Local farmers and the Gleaning Project after the late frost ### Follow-up Study - [ ] Trace the *hesed* thread from Ruth 1 (loyalty) into Ruth 2 (provision) and forward to Ruth 3-4 (redemption) - [ ] Compare the gleaning law (Deut 24:19-22; Lev 19:9-10; 23:22) as ancient welfare policy with the offering-prayer's "liberty to those oppressed" - [ ] Read Karen González, *The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong* (Ruth chapter) ahead of next week's Ruth 3 - [ ] Note the *kanaph* / "wings" wordplay: refuge "under God's wings" (Ruth 2:12) → Ruth asks Boaz to spread his "wing/cloak" (Ruth 3:9). Watch whether next week's sermon picks it up. --- ## Comprehensive Sermon Analysis > [!info] Scored on the 13-category / 65-point rubric. **Total: 59/65.** > The transcript gap (~17:00–19:20) lowers confidence on Delivery and Structure; the score reflects the observable portions and may rise on a full listen. ### Scoring Rubric (13 categories × 5 = 65) | # | Category | Score (/5) | Notes | |---|----------|:---------:|-------| | 1 | Faithfulness to the text | 4 | Centers the gleaning law and reads Ruth 2 responsibly; moves quickly to application without dwelling on the text's internal mechanics (threshing, the ephah, *go'el*). | | 2 | Theological depth | 4 | *Imago Dei*, table theology, refuge "under God's wings," meal-theology of Jesus; rich but not deeply unfolded (no explicit *hesed* / *go'el* exposition). | | 3 | Clarity of central claim | 5 | One unmistakable thesis: gleaning is required economics, not optional charity; God wants no one hungry; welcome the immigrant. | | 4 | Structure and flow | 4 | Clean arc (frost → law → economics → danger → agency → immigration → table → call); the audio gap obscures one transition. | | 5 | Illustration quality | 5 | The failed local harvest / Gleaning Project, the previous-night potluck, and the Hebron communion ware are vivid, local, and lived. | | 6 | Application / "so what" | 5 | Concrete and inclusive: embody the fruits of the Spirit, provide for the hungry, welcome immigrants, "be a little like Boaz." | | 7 | Rhetorical delivery | 4 | Warm, pastoral, conversational on the evidence available; full assessment limited by the transcript gap. | | 8 | Pastoral sensitivity | 5 | Names immigrant neighbors with dignity against the "aliens and illegals" framing; tender on safety and survival. | | 9 | Justice / social dimension | 5 | The heart of the sermon — economic justice, gendered violence, migration, *imago Dei* — and tied to the congregation's own practice. | | 10 | Hermeneutical honesty | 4 | Transparent about reading lens and about narrative truth ("I don't know if the story happened this way, but I know that the story is true"); names her contemporary frame openly. | | 11 | Engagement with the congregation | 4 | Strong identification and shared reference (the potluck), though the sermon itself is largely monologic; interactivity lived mostly in the children's message. | | 12 | Liturgical integration | 5 | Binds baptism, the framing readings, the prior-night communion, and the welcome statement into one coherent theme of gathering-in. | | 13 | Memorability / take-home | 5 | "A matter of economics, not just religion," "family is chosen as well as made," "be a little like Boaz" — sticky, portable lines. | | | **Total** | **59/65** | Strong prophetic-narrative sermon; appropriately higher than the 50/65 guest sermon on Ruth 1 the week prior. | ### Preaching Style Primarily **narrative** (walking the congregation through Ruth 2) blended with **prophetic** (economic justice, gendered violence, migration) and **topical/series** framing, with a **biographical** focus on Ruth as character. The blend is well-suited to the text and to an Open and Affirming congregation. A note of **homiletical honesty** ("I don't know if the story happened this way, but I know that the story is true") frames the narrative mode openly rather than as bare historical claim. ### Logical Reasoning Sound prophetic-ethical reasoning, largely associative-narrative rather than syllogistic. The spine is valid: *the law requires provision for the vulnerable (Deut 24) → Ruth 2 enacts it → therefore we are obligated to similar provision and welcome.* The *imago Dei* premise grounds the immigration application ethically rather than merely emotionally. No fallacies of note. Two soft rhetorical moves to flag for completeness, neither fallacious: the "aliens and illegals" contrast is values-laden (but earned, since it's anchored in the imago-Dei argument), and "they'll know we are Christians by our love" leans on a familiar hymn/sentiment (Peter Scholtes, from John 13:35) as a warrant. ### References - **Karen González**, *The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong* — a Latina/immigrant theological voice, directly on theme (marginalized-voice credit). - The **Gleaning Project** (local food-recovery ministry) — secular/communal reference grounding the theology. - **Palestinian Christian artisans** (Hebron communion ware) and a **Spanish-speaking partner congregation** — embodied global-church reference. - Allusion to **"They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love"** (Scholtes). ### Side-by-Side Comparison: Narrative-Prophetic vs. Fully Exegetical | Aspect | This Sermon's Style | Fully Exegetical Version | |--------|--------------------|--------------------------| | Primary Style | Narrative-prophetic, application-forward | Verse-by-verse exposition of Ruth 2 | | Stories | Local frost/Gleaning Project, potluck, Hebron ware | Fewer modern stories; more time in the ancient agrarian setting | | Scripture Depth | Gleaning law cited; Ruth 2 walked through thematically | Develops *go'el* (kinsman-redeemer), *hesed*, and the *kanaph*/"wings" wordplay (2:12 → 3:9); situates Boaz's instructions in barley-harvest labor law | | Application | Welcome immigrants; embody fruits of the Spirit; "be like Boaz" | Systemic: food policy, sanctuary practice, structural provision vs. private charity | ### Hermeneutical Genealogy Observations Saxton reads Ruth 2 through a **migration / liberationist** lens (explicitly citing González) layered over the **welfare-of-the-stranger (*ger*) tradition** and a **feminist** emphasis on Ruth's agency. She actively displaces two rival genealogies that present themselves as the "plain sense" of Ruth: - the **prosperity / diligence** reading ("Ruth worked hard and was rewarded" → gleaning as bootstraps) — neutralized by framing gleaning as a **legal entitlement of the vulnerable**, "a matter of economics," not a reward for industry; - the **romance / courtship** reading (the purity-culture "wait-for-your-Boaz," "Boaz as ideal husband" template) — deferred ("we'll talk more next Sunday") and pre-empted by foregrounding Ruth's **agency and safety** over her marriageability. Her "under God's wings, refuge" draws on the *kanaph* imagery of Ruth 2:12 — the same root that returns in Ruth 3:9 — a genealogy thread to watch next week. ### Lateral-Transfer Check The sermon **resists lateral transfer well.** A high-control reading would either (a) moralize gleaning into optional private charity ("be generous like Boaz") while leaving the structural/legal obligation invisible, or (b) cast Ruth as a model of passive, submissive virtue. Saxton does the opposite: she names gleaning as **law and economics**, foregrounds Ruth's **agency** ("she's not a passive character"), and contests the dehumanizing political frame directly. This is a clean **counter-exemplar** to the WHO/NAR corpus, where Ruth is typically deployed as a courtship/"wait-for-your-Boaz" template or a diligence-rewards proof text — both of which relocate a structural-justice text into individualized purity/prosperity registers. - **Watch-item:** "be a little like Boaz, offering help and hope" can tip toward the charity register if heard apart from the preceding economics framing. The sermon earns the line because it grounds Boaz's generosity in the *law* first — but the closing, standing alone, is the most transfer-vulnerable sentence in the sermon. --- ## Worship Leadership | Role | Name | |------|------| | Pastor / Preacher | Rev. Caroline E. Saxton | | Organist | Barbara Motichka | | Choir Director | Gary Crum | | Deacon in Charge | Diana Kongkeattikul | | Lector | Bill Slothower | | Children's Message | Roxanne Davenport | | Children's Corner | Mindy Orndorff ("Miss Melinda" in the recording) | | Media Coordinators | Chris Willman-Bunge and Neath Ham | | Bulletin Cover | Edd Scheer | **Flowers at the Foot of the Cross** are given in memory of David Slothower by Bill and Joanne Slothower. ### Staff & Contacts - The Rev. Caroline E. Saxton, [email protected] — (641) 260-1868 (cell) - Tonya Schwartz, Office Administrator, [email protected] — (717) 263-8593 (office) - Gary Crum, Music Director | Barbara Motichka, Organist - Roxanne Davenport, Director of Children & Youth - The Rev. Stephen W. Hoffman, Pastor Emeritus ### Worship Resources (sources) - Call to Worship adapted from *The Abingdon Worship Annual 2012* - Prayer of Confession & Assurance of Grace adapted from *Gathered by Love* by Lavon Bayler - "Her Masterpieces" by Kentina Washington-Leapheart, in *The Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle*, ed. Martha Spong - *Touch Holiness: Resources for Worship*, ed. Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi --- ## Church News & Announcements > [!note] Birthdays this week > 06/16 Mary Lynn Cate · 06/17 Lynda Thomason · 06/19 Jill Miller · 06/20 Tom Kinton · 06/21 Kerry Miller and Lynda Pound ### For Families The "Nursery Nook in the Narthex" quiet area and the infant/toddler space in the Parlor are available during worship. Age-appropriate activity bags are also available. ### Pastoral Coverage Pastor Caroline is away **June 15-18** for professional development. **Rev. Julia Brown** of Solomon's UCC in Chambersburg is "on call." For a pastoral emergency, contact the church office and they will get your message to Pastor Julia. Pastor Caroline returns to lead worship **Sunday, June 21**. ### Camp Cooks Kitchen helpers are needed **June 22-26**. A sign-up sheet is at the welcome center; volunteers work under the direction of Kirk Johnson. ### Summer Special Music A sign-up is posted on the choir room door for anyone who would like to sing or play an instrument in worship this summer. Contact Gary Crum. ### Parking Lots Work on the parking lots is progressing; patience requested. Special e-blasts with parking directions will be sent as needed, weekdays and Sundays. ### Summer Church School The Wired Word and Upper Room adult classes meet throughout the summer; a K-12 Faith and Fellowship opportunity continues in the youth room. Questions: Diana Kongkeattikul or Roxanne Davenport. ### Summer Snacks for NETwork Ministry Collection boxes for non-perishable snacks are in the front lobby. A suggested-items list is on the bulletin boards and in the June *Spirit*. ### Vacation Bible School — "Snowball Mountain" Wish list: snow sports equipment; white poly-fill stuffing/batting; 3"+ Styrofoam balls; white sheets; Styrofoam medication coolers; a snowflake projector. A collection cart is in the lobby. **VBS Work Days** after worship Sunday, June 28 and Sunday, July 12. Contact Roxanne. ### Bible and a Beer A space to talk about faith in public — 3rd Monday of the month at the Trojan Diner, 6:30 pm. Next gathering: **June 15**. ### Summer Prayer Gatherings Sunday, July 12 at 8:45 at the Peace Pole (bring your own chair); also at St. John's Camp, Saturday, August 22 at 9:30 am. ### An Evening of Food, Fun, and Fellowship All three congregations worshipping at St. John's gathered Saturday, June 13, 4-8 pm in Fellowship Hall (potluck). *Pastor Caroline referenced this in the sermon — ~30 gathered with a Spanish-speaking congregation, with communion celebrated alongside Pastor Martin.* ### Summer Quarter First Fruits First Fruits giving in May, June, and July supports the Race Against Poverty (RAP), Maranatha Ministry, and United Way's Stuff the Bus. ### Sunday Night Bible Study — Ecclesiastes On break for a few weeks; will **resume Sunday, July 26** at 8 pm via Zoom (Meeting ID 836 0593 5961, Passcode 277938). A hyperlink is in the weekly e-blast. ### Monday Afternoon Book Study Reading Chapter 4 of Adam Hamilton's *The Walk: Five Essential Practices of the Christian Life* for discussion **Monday, June 22, 1:30 pm** in Conference Room 111. *(No session June 15; resumes 6/22.)* ### July/August Upper Room Devotionals Available at the Welcome Center; suggested donation $1 (small print) / $2 (large print). Copies can be mailed on request. ### Stay in Touch Contact the Church Office to join the email list for weekly emails, Diana's Devotionals, and/or the Prayer Chain. --- ## This Week at St. John's - **Today (Sun. June 14):** NO Bible Study on Ecclesiastes (begins Sunday, July 26) - **Mon. June 15:** 1:30 pm — *No* Monday Afternoon Book Study (Ch. 4 resumes 6/22) · 6:30 pm — Bible & Beer, Trojan Diner - **Tue. June 16:** 10:00 am — Summer Singers Practice, Fellowship Hall · 5:30 pm — Yoga, Room 202 - **Fri. June 19:** Church Office Closed — Juneteenth - **Sun. June 21:** 8:45 am — K-12 Faith and Fellowship (Youth Room 206) · 8:45 am — Wired Word Church School · 8:45 am — Upper Room Church School · 10:00 am — Sunday Worship (Sanctuary) · *Pastor Caroline returns; Ruth series continues (Ruth 3)* - **Sun. July 26:** Sunday Night Bible Study resumes (Ecclesiastes), 8:00 pm --- ## Vision & Mission > [!quote] St. John's Vision > We are called to love, to learn, to worship and to witness in Christ as a congregation that welcomes everyone, and seeks service that will advance God's realm on earth. > [!quote] St. John's Mission > To grow in love of God and neighbor. --- *Bulletin processed via `church-bulletin-to-obsidian`; sermon completed from the recording via `church-notes`. Recording: [youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrL4J_jFjo). Timestamp deep-links verified against the transcript clock; one ~2.5-minute transcript gap (17:00–19:20) flagged for a confirming listen.*