We Can Make a Difference
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
(Ruth 3)

Let us dwell together in peace, and let us not be instruments of our own or others’ oppression. And now, may God’s word be spoken, may only God’s word be heard. Amen.

I was new in town. I was in my early 20s and had transferred to a larger university from a smaller college. As has always been my way, on Sunday, I was looking for a church. I found myself walking into St. Barnabas and I loved it…everything was wonderful. But, there was one thing I needed to get out of the way.

On the way out of church in the receiving line the curate (aka known as an assistant pastor) noticed that I was new and invited me to return. I told her I would love to as long as I could be honest about who I was. “I’m gay,” I said. She seemed stunned not by the fact but by my directness. It was the 80s in the Bible Belt after all.
She smiled and said, “That won’t be a problem here.”
She then invited me to join the Canterbury Club at the university. She was the club’s chaplain.

I became part of the Canterbury Club. We had mass every Tuesday morning at 7:30 am (an ungodly hour for a holy service) and again on Thursdays at noon (much more civilized). Thursday mass was followed by lunch. We also had a Saturday morning discussion group and the occasional movie night. I’d go to church on Sundays, but during the week, the Canterbury Club was like a parish of its own right there on campus.

That priest who welcomed an audacious young queer into her parish and into her campus ministry was the first person who ever said to me, “I think you may have a priestly vocation.” Those words changed my life.

Simple actions. But those acts of simple generosity helped shape my life and ministry. We don’t even know the difference we may be making in someone’s life by sharing a glance, a word, an invitation, a smile.

This church touches lives. But what is this church?

It’s the retired designer who volunteers to make our lovely vestments. It’s the usher team. This church is the garden team that labors in the hot sun on Saturdays so that we can utilize the GLF prayer garden.

This church is a facility that houses support groups and senior services and transgender programs that give hope to people every day.

This church is the music ministry that is here every Thursday night rehearsing so that we can have a beautiful worship experience. It’s the volunteers who put together 200 brown bag lunches every week to give to people who need assistance with food. This church is the people who bring food items to share with local food banks beyond our own food sharing ministry.

This church is the prayer team holding you in prayer every week. This church is every volunteer who lectors and serves communion. This church is a volunteer who comes in once a week just to clean bathrooms.

This church is every person who lovingly and joyfully tithes to the work of this ministry. This church is the couple that helps people make arrangements to be interred in our columbarium. It’s the home and hospital visitation team, the hospitality team, the ministers who facilitate worship at assisted living facilities, the team that ministers to people as they begin their journeys to recovery.

This church is a professional painter who gives us her time and labor for free. This church is a group of volunteers who count offerings and enter data and address envelopes. This church is the A/V volunteers, the part time employees who work other jobs as well, the full time staff who in some cases left more lucrative corporate jobs to serve this community.

This church that touches, uplifts, blesses, and maybe even saves lives is YOU. Stuffing an envelope, saying a prayer, reading a passage, singing a song, digging in the dirt, putting some money in the plate, visiting someone in the hospital…it may not seem like much, but it makes this church what it is and this church is a miracle to someone.

Because of YOU, people know they are God’s miracle and not God’s mistake.
Because of YOU, people know there’s not a spot where God is not.
Because of YOU, people know there is a church that will affirm their sacred value.
Because of YOU, people are a little less food insecure.
Because of YOU, people find community.
Because of YOU, people have a place to face their challenges and embrace the power of hope.

We can make a difference.
You make a difference.

Boaz made a difference in Ruth and Naomi’s life. Naomi concocts a scheme to get Ruth to seem him privately. “Wait until he’s eaten a big meal and had some wine after a long day’s work. When he goes to bed, he’ll be out like a light. You slip in and position yourself at his feet. He’s bound to notice you and then you can announce your intentions.“

Well, being at someone’s feet is an intimate posture to be sure, and in ancient literature, “feet” sometimes symbolize genitalia, making the posture even more intimate. Boaz does awaken at some point and finds a woman at his…”feet”…and he’s startled. Ruth explains that she’s a childless widow, and as he is her husband’s cousin, she’d like him to marry her.

It was a common practice in the culture. If a man died childless, his nearest single male relative was expected to marry his widow, thus providing security for her and the new husband would serve as a surrogate father. When the widow had her first child by the new husband, the child would be called the departed husband’s child. So, Ruth asks Boaz to take her as his wife.

But why Boaz? He’s not the closest kin. There’s one person closer in line. Why skip him?

Ruth and Naomi have made a life long commitment to each other. I think Naomi knew something about Boaz that led her to believe that he might be okay with that. She sent Ruth to him to lie at his “feet” trusting that he wouldn’t make a move on her. That’s risky, unless she knows something.

Boaz is successful, is a life long “bachelor” (like Rock Hudson), and while he agrees to marry her he also says without hesitation, “there is a nearer relative and if he’ll do it, LET HIM.” If Boaz aint, I ain’t!

But, two women who have pledged to be together for the rest of time. What man would understand and support that? A man like Boaz. And he does. And he will marry Ruth and provide a home for her and Naomi and he will even try to have a child with Ruth. He is willing to form a family so that two women can stay together and be safe. And because of Boaz’s generosity, Ruth and Boaz become Jesus’ ancestors. Without Boaz, we wouldn’t have Jesus! You never know what a difference your one simple action can make.

When you make your offering today, or hug someone at the sign of peace, or speak to someone in the social hall, or invite someone to lunch…you don’t know what you might be setting in motion. But know that your every loving intention and act of compassion matters, and may even help launch a ministry, or contribute to a church that changes lives, or even help Jesus become more real to someone. We can make a difference. And we will, and we do. And this is the good news. Amen.