Tuesday, November 24, 2009

RUTH

This is our revised script for our 'Ruth' presentation!

Ashley – Narrator

Chris – Audience Commentary

Jeanie – Naomi

Eric – David/Servant/Next-of-kin/Witnesses

Rian – Orpah/Boaz

Shelby – Ruth

Eric – My father was Jesse, his father was Obed, his father was Boaz, who was Ruth’s husband. This is her story.

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and Elimelech and his wife Naomi, both from Bethlehem, went to live in Moab with their sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Elimelech died…

Chris -- Horrible bus accident—they didn’t teach to look both ways back in the day.

Eric – …leaving Naomi with their two sons. The sons married Orpah and Ruth, Moabite women. After ten years, both men died…

Chris -- Didn’t learn from their father, I guess.

Eric – …leaving their mother and wives alone.

Ashley – Due to the famine, Naomi took her two daughters-in-law and left to return to Judah. Along the way, Naomi said to the girls,

Jeanie – Go back to your mother’s house. May you be blessed as the Lord has blessed me and dealt kindly with our dead loved ones.

Ashley – The young women began to cry and said to her,

Rian – ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’

Jeanie – Go home, children. Why would you go with me? I can have no more sons for you to marry.

Ashley – The girls cried again, but Orpah did as she was told.

Chris – Went to start a daytime talk show but was struck by a bus on her way there.

Ashley -- Ruth, on the other hand, refused to leave Naomi.

Jeanie – Orpah has gone back to her roots. You should do the same

Shelby – ‘Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried.

Ashley – When Naomi saw that Ruth was not going to take no for an answer…

Chris – a.k.a. She was acting like a stubborn, whiny teenager.

Ashley -- …she allowed the girl to remain with her on their journey to Bethlehem. They arrived there at the beginning of the barley harvest. Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech, had a relative in Bethlehem by the name of Boaz, who was a rich and prosperous land owner.

Chris – Who made his millions off of a local bar and grill, as well as the local supermarket.

Ashley -- Ruth asked Naomi,

Shelby – May I go glean in the grain fields behind someone who may take kindly to me?

Jeanie – ‘Go my daughter.’

Ashley – So Ruth went to the grain fields and ended up in some fields belonging to Boaz. Not long after, Boaz arrived from town and said to his servant that was in charge of his workers…

Chris – Who does this lovely lady belong to?

Eric – She is Naomi’s daughter-in-law who returned with her from Moab. She wanted to glean the grain behind the workers today. She has not rested for even a moment since she began working early this morning.

Rian – In that case, do not go into any other fields to glean grain, my child. Stay close to my workers, who have been instructed to not bother you. Help yourself to the drinking water that is provided to my workers.

Shelby – Why do you show such care for me…

Chris – You don’t even know her! She could be an ax murderer!

Rian – I have been told how you remained loyal to your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, even though that meant leaving your family and coming to a foreign land. May the Lord bless you.

Shelby – May I continue to find favor in your sight, as you have treated me kindly, even though I am not one of your people.

Ashley – Some time elapsed, until it came time to sit down to a meal.

Rian – Come here and eat with us.

Ashley – So Ruth sat down to eat with Boaz and his workers. She had plenty to eat and even had some left over. After the meal, Boaz instructed his workers,

Rian – Let Ruth glean among the grain. Also, remove some grain from the harvest and leave it in the field for her to glean. You must do this without unkind words towards her.

Ashley – Ruth worked in Boaz’s field until evening. Then she took to Naomi what she had gathered that day. There was enough grain for both of them.

Jeanie – In whose field did you work today? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.

Shelby – I worked in the field owned by Boaz.

Jeanie – ‘Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken us.’ As a matter of fact, this man that you speak of is a relative of ours.

Shelby – Really? He even told me to stay near to his workers until the harvest is finished.

Jeanie – It is better that you stay with his workers, rather than risk being bothered in someone else’s field.

Ashley – So Ruth worked in Boaz’s field until the end of the harvest, and she lived with her mother-in-law.

Jeanie – I need to seek a secure place for you. Boaz may be one to offer this secure place, as he is a close relative of ours. He will be at the threshing floor tonight. Get cleaned up and go to where he is, but do not make yourself known until he has finished eating and drinking. After he lies down, go over to him and lie at his feet.

Chris – Just watch. It doesn’t take much to get a man once he’s drunk.

Ashley – Ruth did what Naomi told her to. In the middle of the night, Boaz woke up and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet.

Chris – Oh, really! How often do you wake up and find someone lying at the foot of your bed?

Rian – ‘Who are you?’

Shelby – ‘I am Ruth. Give me your cloak to use as a blanket, as you are my next-of-kin.

Rian – May the Lord bless you. Not only were you loyal to your mother-in-law, you have been loyal to family in that you have not chased other young men. Do not be afraid. My people know that you are a worthy woman. It is true that I am a near kinsman, but there is one closer yet. Stay with me tonight. I will speak to this man in the morning. If he is willing to act as your next-of-kind, he shall. If he will not, then I will.

Ashley – Ruth stayed until the morning, when Boaz gave her a supply of barley to take back to Naomi.

Jeanie – ‘How did things go at the threshing floor?’

Shelby – He gave me a supply of barley so that I would not return to you empty-handed.

Chris – You had to smell his feet all night, and all you got was some wheat?! Isn’t this guy supposed to be rich?

Jeanie – Good. We shall wait here until the next-of-kin issue gets settled. Boaz will get it settled today.

Ashley – Boaz went to the city gates and waited, as he knew that the next-of-kin would be passing by soon enough.

Rian – ‘Come over, friend; sit down here.’

Ashley – Not long after, ten elders of the city passed by and came over to the gate to sit with Boaz and the next-of-kin.

Rian – Naomi is selling the land that belonged to her late husband Elimelech. I thought I would give you a chance to redeem this land, by buying it in the presence of the elders of the city. Please decide if you will be redeeming this land, as I am second in line to redeem it.

Eric – ‘I will redeem it.’

Rian – Okay. On the day you acquire the land, you will also be acquiring Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law, so as to maintain Elimelech’s name on his inheritance.

Eric – On second thought, if I redeem this land, I will damage my own inheritance. You may redeem the land. I do not want it.

Ashley – The custom in Israel at the time was to take off a sandal to give to the other person when confirming a business transaction. The next-of-kin did this and the deal was sealed.

Rian – Elders, today you are witnesses that I have acquired Naomi’s land, along with Ruth.

Eric – ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.’

Ashley – So Boaz and Ruth married and had a son. They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.

Eric – Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.

______________________________________________________________________

The presentations today were great! However, after having seen what some of the other groups put together for their presentation, I definitely think we could have done more as far as preparation, props, line memorization, etc. I'm also still not exactly sure why we had the 'bus' clips in our presentation, though I do agree they added some humor to the whole thing.

Here is the information from the presentation about the book of Ruth:

Name meanings:

Ruth: “friend”

Naomi: “gracious one”

Mara: “bitter one” (although not included in our presentation, Naomi asks to be called Mara when she returns to her hometown after the death of her husband and sons)

Boaz: “strength is in him”

Orpah: “gazelle; from the root; back or nape of neck”

*More comments for the group as a whole can be seen in Ashley Wheeler's blog, our group lead!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

A.J. Jacobs and The Year of Living Biblically


I have heard mention of this book in class quite a few times this semester. Curiosity got the best of me and I ran out and bought it, and so glad I did! I'm not that far into it, but it's a pretty hilarious take on living biblically and following the Bible's rules as closely as possible. The very opening of the novel gives the reader a quiet excitment that A.J. Jacobs will probably be pretty unsuccessful at following the Bible literally:


'It's the first day, and I already feel like the water is three feet over my head. I have chosen September 1 to start my project, and from the moment I wake up, the Bible consumes my life. I can't do anything without fearing I'm breaking a biblical law. Before I so much as inhale or exhale, I have to run through a long mental checklist of the rules' (15).


Getting around day to day proves difficult enough for me; I'm a space cadet 90% of the time. But having a strict set of rules to adhere to every day would be absolutely maddening, or at least I think it would be. Jacobs (nice last name) tries to follow the rules of the most famous book of all time. You would think he would get a little support, right? Or at least understanding? Most of the time, he gets neither, and many people cannot figure out why he is even troubling himself with such an impossible task. His own wife gets so fed up with his unwillingness to touch her or anything she's touched while menstruating that she touches everything in the house, and Jacobs is forced to reside in a tiny, untained corner. It puts into perspective some of the impossible aspects of the Bible, and makes me very thankful for my less structured life. I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm glad I bought it!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Errrmmm....

I performed horribly on that exam. Oh dear....

Monday, November 16, 2009

Test!

The exam outline!

1st Kings:17

    • Who is an early Christ figure?
      • Elijah
  • 2nd Kings
    • Who was associated with early cosmetics?
      • Jezebel
  • Isaiah
    • Which pairing doesn't belong?
      • The Lion and the Lamb
    • Who does Plotz compare God to?
      • Jack Nicholson, Santa
  • Jeremiah
    • Why wouldn't you share a beach house with Jeremiah?
      • Morbidity
  • Ezekiel:4
    • The ingredients and things you need to eat.
    • He compares Israel to his adulterous wife.
  • Minor Prophets
    • Jonah, why does he get on a boat?
      • To run from God. (There is no whale)
  • Psalms
    • Which characters does Plotz talk about most?
      • David
    • Common theme?
      • "Woe is me"
  • Daniel
    • What other biblical story is Daniel closest to?
      • Joseph and his dreams
  • Ezra/Nehemiah
    • Why does Ezra pull out his hair?
      • Intermarriage between Jews and gentiles.
  • Chronicles
    • One sentence sums it up.
      • It retells the stories you've heard already.
  • Should we read the bible?
    • Yes, the less you believe, the more you should read.
MORE QUESTIONS
  • What does Ecclesia mean?
    • Gathering
  • What is Eschatology?
    • The study of the end times.
  • Logos?
    • The word.
  • Jesus and Socrates, how are they similar?
    • Both were "crucified".
  • Why is the Bible a comedy?
    • It has a happy ending.
  • Where are we at in the "U"?
    • The bottom.
  • What type of wisdom would your grandparents give you?
    • Prudential
  • What does Jacob put on his head?
    • A fez, he believed in a false prophet for a while.
  • The three great tragedies?
    • The Brothers Karamazov
    • Job
    • King Lear
  • Why is God patriarchal?
    • It rationalizes the ethos!
  • What is an epiphany?
    • Sudden manifestation of a supernatural or divine being.
  • What is retributive justice, and an example of it?
    • Nothing bad happens unless we deserve it. Job's three "friends".
  • Prudential wisdom?
    • Polonius
  • Skeptical wisdom?
    • Hamlet
  • Best example of narrative/image?
    • Job/Revelation
  • Metenoia?
    • repentence
  • What does Jacob do to make up for the absence of the Torah?
    • He scratches on a rock.
  • Theodicy
    • The question of innocent suffering.
  • What is a parable?
    • an attack on expectations.
  • Apocalypse?
    • A lifting of the veil. (realized eschatology)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Loved the Slave! Love in The Slave


The Slave was a refreshing piece of literature to read after trying to pick apart the Bible and I was most enamoured with the idea of love in Isaac Bashevis Singers novel. Jacob in the novel can be directly related to Job because of the hardships he is forced to face. He suffers the murder of his wife and two children, enslavement, and even the death of Sarah after she gives birth to their child. Jacob experiences more pain in a lifetime than many people have to experience, and still he was bound by his faith and strong ideals. This passage from the novel illustrates Jacob's love for his wife as she is on her deathbed:

'She is good, he thought, really a saint, a thousand times better than any of the others. Have they been to heaven and learned what God likes? Worry and fear, the isolation in which he found himself, had made him rebellious. he was even ready to struggle with God himself. Of course, God was the only God, awesome and all powerful, but it was only fair that his justice be universal. He should not be a tyrant like Gershon, fawning on the strong and spitting at the weak. Was it Sarah's fault who her parents were? Had she had the freedom to choose her mother's womb? If such she must burn in Gehenna, then there was even inequity in heaven' (140).

I was very touched by this passage, by Jacob's loyalty to Sarah even on her deathbed. He could have chosen a wealthy, Jewish wife after the death of his first, but he was willing to set aside everything he knew and push against the law of society to marry for love and only love. This passage explains Jacob was even willing to fight with God. He was the type of person who could not wrap his head around the notion of 'gentiles and jews', but rather put his energy and faith into the greater good of mankind. Even after all he had endured, he wasn't willing to just move with the masses; he was determined to make his own path even if it meant more heartbreak along the way. I admire Jacob in this novel, and I enjoyed reading the slave because of his outlook on life.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Nina Simone on the Brain!

First, I just have to comment on Dr. Sexson's musical selection this semester. Not only has he introduced me to a handful of artists I've never even heard of, he has brought Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone into the classroom. I love Nina Simone, obviously the song 'Feelin' Good' because I'm pretty sure everyone likes that song, but I was particularly impressed with 'Sinner Man' as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you Dr. Sexson for incorporating some modern (or not so modern) musicians into our classroom discussions.

Thomas Wells made the connection between 'Sinner Man' and the song 'Get By' by Talib Kwele, which is awesome. Kanye West sampled Simone's song for that particular track, and I think it's great someone in the class likes this music! I've been getting in to it more and more....especially Common... but like Wells said, enough about Hip Hop. That's not the reason for my blog either.

Here are the lyrics for SinnerMan:

Oh Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?
Where you gonna run to?
All on that day
Well I run to the rock, please hide me
I run to the rock,please hide me
I run to the rock, please hide me, Lord
All on that day
But the rock cried out, I can't hide you
The rock cried out, I can't hide you
The rock cried out, I ain't gonna hide you guy
All on that day
I said, Rock, what's a matter with you rock?
Don't you see I need you, rock?
Lord, Lord, Lord
All on that day
So I run to the river, it was bleedin'
I run to the sea, it was bleedin'
I run to the sea, it was bleedin'
All on that day
So I run to the river, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
All on that day
So I run to the Lord, please hide me Lord
Don't you see me prayin'?
Don't you see me down here prayin'?
But the Lord said, go to the devil
The Lord said, go to the devil
He said, go to the devil
All on that day
So I ran to the devil, he was waitin'
I ran to the devil, he was waitin'
Ran to the devil, he was waitin'
All on that day
I cried -
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[8x]
Bring down,
(Power to da lord),
[4x]
POWER!!!
(power to da lord)
[12x]

(Instrumental)

Oh yeah, Woh yeah, Woh yeah
Well I run to the river, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
I run to the sea, it was boilin'
All on that day
So I ran to the Lord
I said, Lord hide me, please hide me
please help me
All on that day
He said, child, where were you
when you oughta been prayin'?
I said,Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
Lord, Lord, hear me prayin'
All on that day
Sinnerman you oughta be prayin'
Oughta be prayin', Sinnerman
Oughta be prayin',
All on that day
I cried -
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[12x]
Go down
(Power to da Lord)
[3x]
POWER!!!!!!!
(Power to da Lord)
[3x]
Power, Power, Lord
Don't you know I need you Lord
Don't you know that I need you
Don't you know that I need you
Power, Lord!

The song obviously depicts Revelations 16 where the bowls of wrath are poured out placing judgment on every human being. The people in Revelations turn away from God when they should have been praying, which the song shows in its lines. When the people face judgment they turn away from God when they should have looked to him, or at least I think that's what the song entails. The connection between this song and the Book of Revelations is obvious, I know, but I wanted to have a blog about it because I always love to make a musical connection with the Bible if I can. I have found, in my experience, it has helped me to understand the Bible more deeply, which is why I have been so thrilled that Dr. Sexson has been bringing music to class. :)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

My Term Paper

I am going to use the prompt 'What I know now that I didn't know before and the difference it makes'. I was going to use the prompt in correlation with the story of Lot and the idea of 'never looking back', but I have changed my mind about this particular paper. I wrote a previous blog entry about the idea of the apocalypse and the notions swirling around the idea as far as the 'end of the world' and the 'coming of the Lord'. The word 'apocalypse' has always been closely associated with some sort of end of the world, but it only alludes to the end of the world as we know it. I would like the explore the 'lifting of the veil' and the end of a book or chapter as represented in the Bible.
The Bible, specifically the Book of Revelations, lends the word its definition and is the first thing I think about when discussing the idea of the apocalypse. However, the facts engrained in my brain are far different than what actually exists to be in the Bible and elsewhere, and I would like to write about how this idea has affected my life thus far, and the difference it makes knowing what I know now on the subject.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Grapes of Wrath




'Trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored'...

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

In Revelation 14 we see the 144,000, the saved people of God, protected by God. They are the redeemed, undefiled and blameless. For the rest of the people, the warning is given in Revelation 14:7, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come." The people must turn to God before the judgment comes upon them. Revelation 14:8 announces that Babylon the great has fallen because it made all the world commit sexual immorality. In verses 9-10, the third angel comes and warns against worshipping the beast, which is the Roman empire. Thus, Babylon the great is another description for the Roman empire. In Revelation 14:14-20 the judgments begin in attempts to get the peoples of the world to repent before it is too late and they are consumed. Chapter 15 shows the preparation of the bowls of wrath that are going to be poured out upon the earth (Rev. 16:1). In chapter 16 the bowls of wrath are poured out depicting judgment upon all the power, wealth, beauty of Rome. All of the empire would be brought down in God's judgments because they made the nations commit wickedness. Yet these powerful judgments do not turn the people to God, but away from God (Rev. 16:9,21). Now the details of the end of Rome and its power will be depicted.
www.westpalmbeachchurchofchrist.com/.../revelation/summary.html -

This is the short summary I got of the Book of Revelations from one of the many websites devoted a specific church on the Internet. I never made the connection of The Grapes of Wrath to a book in the Bible, perhaps because I have never read the Bible in it's entirety, and still haven't. I know Dr. Sexson was hoping for a full reading, but alas, I have failed at that miserably as well. The 'grapes of wrath' suggested are those prepared by God and poured out upon the Earth? Isn't this a representation of blood? The people have to drink the blood of Christ in order to be saved? Is this where the Catholic right of passage came from known as catechism? I do not have the answers right now, but I'm going to research the matter. Just thought I would throw all my big questions out there. I think, most of the semester, I have been interpreting the Bible the wrong way. But is there a wrong way to interpret the Bible? I think this question is worthy of a completely different blog session.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tried My Hand At the Bible, Tried My Hand at the Prayer...

The apocalypse; I've been hearing about it since I was small. In the Christian tradition, the word apocalypse refers to the Book of Revelations, the last book of the Bible. Every time I hear the word 'apocalypse', I think 'violent end of the world', like God is going to come down on horses of death, causing the sky to rain fire and the earth to start burning from the inside out. In fact, when I was very little and at a neighboring girls house, her mother sat me down and told me just what would happen to me when the world came to an end. Needless to say, I ended up running to my friends room is tears. Hey, I was small. In my previous blog I mentioned that I have given up the virtuous life is Sunday school to explore other options, like nintendo and literature outside the realm of the Bible. This woman was telling me that not only was that a sin and I would ultimately be punished for not going to church, but that when God came down, I would not be among those saved from his wrath. Instead, I would be the one to burn up and never get to know the place she so lovingly referred to as Heaven. I really, literally, thought I was screwed.

Usually, when I'm afraid of something or don't agree with it, I start to study it so I know just what I'm up against. Well, I definitely tried. I decided to go with the same woman's daughters to church camp that year and get myself back into the life of the virtuous. I didn't want to be a sinner and I definitely did not want to end up one of the sorry souls left to wander the earth while everyone else was scooped up in God's arms of love and taken to Heaven. Church camp proved to be even more horrifying than spending time with the Mother. I had never been exposed to 'speaking in tongues', and what I thought was evening mass turned into a circus for me. Everyone around me started raising their hands to the sky while a girl in front of us started speaking complete jibberish and then fell backward when the pastor touched her forehead with his fingertips. The girl fell on the floor and started shaking and convulsing back and forth and everyone jumped to their feet, waving their hands form side to side. I was the only one to stay seated in the entire room and remained that way, absolutely horrified. One of our group counselors took me aside later that night and asked me if I wanted to give my heart over to the Lord. At this point, I wasn't sure. I wanted to secure a spot in Heaven away from the burning damned left on Earth, but I also did not want to be part of the possessed. Speaking in tongues was just not for me. I left camp early that year and never looked back.

For much of my life I have ignored the word 'apocalypse' and the phrase 'coming of the Lord' because I just haven't wanted to think about it. I especially didn't want to think about it after I entered college, because I knew my homosexual tendencies for sure secured my place as one of the burnt and banished. I should have done a bit more research on the subject. Now I know that 'apocolypse' does not mean 'violent end of the world'. Rather, it means to 'take away the veil', so see the world as it really is beyond our own realm of sight and perception. The apocolypse does not refer to the end of the world, but to the end of an age. My fears about being impure and unclean and going to hell because of it are reflected in this song by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (one of my favorites, also):

NOTHING BUT THE WATER II BY GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS

I have tried to find my way, to make it through to a better day
I have cried a mighty song, but in the morning everything was gone
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down

I have tried so many times to put out the devils fire
But every time I sit down to pray, the devils charm pulls me away
So come on water sweet water, wash me down
So come on water sweet water, wash me down

Up in heaven, they know the rule, you've got to get down to the bathing pool
Everybody, you've got to get in line
Down at the river, we're doing fine with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Now I'm ready and it's my time and if I give a nickel, I might get a dime
Only the water can help me now
I'll find glory somewhere, somehow with the water sweet water, wash me down
Come on water sweet water, wash me down

Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at the prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare.
Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at the prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare.
Tried my hand at the bible, tried my hand at the prayer, but now nothing but the water is gonna bring my soul to bare...

I think my soul can rest easier now when I hear words like 'apocalypse' and 'the coming of the Lord', as I don't really associate them anymore with something so terrible as burning up in flames or being a soul trapped to wander a burning earth for the rest of my days.