Commitment

Whither thou goest …

... the choices that we all make on our life journeys

 



In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband." Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me." Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

So she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." But Ruth said,

"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.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!"

When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

 

Ruth 1:1-18

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Ruth and Naomi

He Qi

2001

China

Dr. He Qi is a professor at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and a tutor for master candidate students in the Philosophy Department of Nanjing University. He is also a member of the China Art Association and a council member of the Asian Christian Art Association.

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20121103847229003&code=ACT&RC=46090&Row=5

 

 

 

 

 

Hold faithfulness and sincerity

as first principles.

~ Confucius

 

 

 

The quality of a person’s life

is in direct proportion to their

commitment to excellence.

~ Vince Lombardi



 

 



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We had a Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans Service at our church last week.

 

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Fall seems to have left us for a while.

 

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Carmon was given a maquette by Harold in exchange for a future quilt.

 

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Barbara W. used to paint only quilt patterns at the Senior Resource Center and,

now that she is at Life Care Nursing Home, she is expanding her painting repertoire.

 

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Barbara W.’s son and daughter-in-law.

 

 

 

 

The shortest way to do many things

is to do only one thing at a time.

~ Sydney Smiles

 

 

 

 

 

November 4, 2012      Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost; 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Previous OPQs may be found at:
       http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

 



One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and 'to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' — this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.

 

Mark 12:28-34

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

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Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

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Hurricane Sandy from Space

Resilience

Prayers and love to all of you affected by Sandy, the devastating storm.

 

 

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Ruth 1:1-18

Ps. 146

Heb. 9:11-14

Mark 12:28-34