SAMPLE - sample - SAMPLE - sample NAOMI, RUTH, AND BOAZ. Today s Bible experience. Purpose statement. Bible memory.

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1 3 NAOMI, RUTH, AND BOAZ Today s Bible experience Ruth 1 2 Ruth moved with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Bethlehem. In order to support them, Ruth gleaned in nearby fields. Boaz, the owner of the farm, helped Ruth and Naomi by making sure grain was left for them. Purpose statement Peacemakers help other people. Bible memory Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. Romans 12:17 Bible background The book of Ruth begins with disasters. There is a famine in Bethlehem, so Elimelech and Naomi and their two sons move to the land of Moab. While they are there, the sons marry Moabite women. Then Elimelech dies. Later, the sons also die. Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. One of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, insists she accompany Naomi. The book of Ruth is a story of women living in a man s world, a story of relationships and love, and a story about helping those who are foreign and vulnerable in a strange land. Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth face two problems when they arrive in Bethlehem. One is that they do not have a way to support themselves. Widows relied on family or charity for their needs, or were forced into prostitution. The second problem is that though there is now plenty of food in Bethlehem, it is still difficult to access. How are two widows who have journeyed from Moab expected to survive? Ruth goes to the fields to glean. She gathers leftover grain that field workers have left behind. Ruth catches the eye of the owner of the farm, Boaz. Boaz is a relative of Elimelech s. When he discovers that Ruth is Naomi s daughter-in-law, Boaz tells the workers to be sure to leave some grain for Ruth. He invites Ruth to join him and his workers at mealtime, and she eats until she is full. Boaz tells the men to leave her alone. Even though Ruth is a foreign widow, she is not to be harassed while in his fields. Ruth continues gleaning until the end of the harvest. Today s story ends there, but we know that Ruth and Boaz eventually marry. They become David s great-grandparents. (The Day 4 story is about David.) Though the story is usually told from the perspective of Ruth, it is Boaz who acts as a hero in this narrative. Ruth is a foreigner from Moab. There are stories in the Bible of hostility between Moab and Israel (see the book of Numbers). Yet Boaz does not allow these divisions to keep him from helping 18

2 Ruth. He practices what is written in the religious laws: You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan (Exodus 22:21-22). Children have classmates and neighbors of various backgrounds; we live in multicultural societies. The story of Boaz helping Ruth is a relevant one as we consider how to develop relationships and friendships with those around us. There are many ways we can learn to be peacemakers by helping others! Session materials Bible Bible memory poster or slide show from the Resource CD; projector Peace Lab CD, songbook, and CD player Offering containers Advance preparation Pray for the adults and children who will participate in VBS. May they be open to learning about God s way of peace and to practicing it in their lives. Read Ruth 1 2 and the Bible background (p. 18) to become familiar with today s story. Read the Worship plan and practice the readings. Prepare what you will say during worship. Prepare the Bible memory slide show from the Resource CD, and practice teaching the passage (p. 20). Prepare to remind children about the offering project and to add visuals for keeping track of the money given toward the project (p. 4). If a music group is leading singing, make sure the group practices the songs. Work with the drama leader to make sure actors are rehearsed and props and other items are gathered. WORSHIP PLAN Gathering 1. Play the Peace Lab CD as the children enter the worship space, or have the music group sing. 2. Welcome everyone to the third day of Peace Lab vacation Bible school! Remind the children that during VBS they are learning to be peacemakers. Say: On the first day of VBS, we learned that Jesus wants us to be make peace. He said, Blessed are the peacemakers. Today we will learn more about how we can practice peace. Our story is from the Old Testament, and it s about someone who practiced peace by helping someone who needed help. Worshiping 1. Lead the call to worship. Review the lines and motions from the previous sessions, then teach the ones for today. note: A line will be added to the call to worship each day. Check an online ASL dictionary for video of this sign. Worship and Drama Guide 19

3 Leader: Peacemakers help other people. All: God s peace (sign peace ) in my heart (place hands over heart). God s peace (sign peace ) in my mind (point to head with both hands). God s peace (sign peace ) in my hands (hold out both hands, palms up). Practice peace. 2. Pray: Thank you, God, that we can learn about peace. Thank you for the Bible that teaches us so many things. Help us to listen and learn today as we hear about how Boaz shows us how to be a peacemaker by helping others. And as we learn, remind us of how much you love each and every one of us. Help us to love each other. Amen. 3. Sing the Peace Lab theme song, We Will Bring Your Peace, from the Peace Lab CD. Sing additional praise songs. Here are suggestions: I ve Got the Joy Peace Is Flowing like a River Be a Sower 4. Introduce the Bible memory passage. Open your Bible to Romans 12:17. Today the children will learn part of the Romans 12:16-18 passage. At the end of VBS, all the parts will be put together. Invite children to read today s verse with you from their Bibles, the Bible memory poster, or the Bible memory slide show. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. Romans 12:17 Motions not: shake head evil (first time): hold out left hand, palm up evil (second time): hold out right hand, palm up thought: point to head with both hands noble: bring hands together in a prayer position 5. Open your Bible to Ruth 1 2, and explain that the drama will tell us about these verses. Say: Today s Bible story will tell us about one way we can practice peace. Remember my friend Peter? He s with us again today to help tell us the story. Transition to the drama (pp ). note: The dramas use the name Peter; however, we invite you to use the actor s given name. 20

4 Responding 1. Ask the children to think about what they saw and heard during the drama. Allow time for them to think silently as you ask questions. If it would work for your group, after a time of silence, give the children 30 seconds to tell a friend their thoughts about the questions. In today s story, Boaz noticed someone who needed help. Think of a time when you saw someone who needed help. What did you do? How does helping others help us become peacemakers? Our memory passage for today tells us not to repay evil for evil but to take thought for what is noble. How did Boaz take thought for what is noble in this story? 2. Talk about the offering project (p. 4). Remind children that one way to practice peace is by sharing what we have with others. Point out the visual that keeps track of how much money is collected. Thank the children for sharing so generously! Collect today s offering. Sending 1. Explain the schedule. Every day after Worship time, children will go with their assigned group and do activities and make crafts that relate to making peace. 2. Sing Go in Peace as a sending song. 3. Give a sending blessing using the same words as in the call to worship, but substituting Go in peace for Practice peace as follows: Leader: Peacemakers help other people. All: God s peace (sign peace ) in my heart (place hands over heart). God s peace (sign peace ) in my mind (point to head with both hands). God s peace (sign peace ) in my hands (hold out both hands, palms up). Go in peace. Worship and Drama Guide 21

5 DAY 3 DRAMA The dramas present the Bible stories to the children and are an important part of the Peace Lab worship experience. The dramas use only two characters a worship leader and a modern-day character. Characters Worship leader Peter, dressed as a farmer in overalls, boots, hat note: The actor s real name may be used. For the purposes of the written dramas, the character is called Peter. Props Water bottle Drama (Worship leader is onstage. Peter enters from the back of the room with the water bottle and slowly proceeds to the front. He waters his fields as he walks by, squirting water on either side of him.) WL: Peter! What are you doing? Peter: I m not Peter, I m Boaz. (gives worship leader an exaggerated wink) I m watering my crops. (gestures to his outfit) Can t you tell that I m a farmer? WL: I can see that. But yesterday you were Abram, a peacemaker who found a good way to solve a problem! Peter: That was yesterday. Do you have any idea how many stories of peacemakers there are in the Bible? Peacemakers not only find good ways to solve problems they also help people! WL: And that s why you re dressed like a farmer today? To teach us that? Peter: Yes! To tell the children my story. The story of Boaz. He was a farmer. WL: I don t think he dressed like that Permission is granted to purchasers of Peace Lab to photocopy this page for use with this curriculum.

6 Peter: (looks down at his overalls) You don t? WL: No. (points to the water bottle) And I don t think he watered his own field, either. Boaz had workers who did the field work for him. Peter: (sighs, puts down the water bottle) Oh well. Maybe I didn t get the costume right, but I did learn the story about how Boaz helped someone in need. Can I tell it now? WL: Sure, Peter! We d love to hear it! (turns to children) Wouldn t we? Peter: Great! Okay. (takes a deep breath, gets into character, then begins telling his story) One day... (in a stage whisper to worship leader) I didn t start out with Once upon a time today... WL: Thanks, Peter. Go on... Peter: One day, I went out to check on how things were going in my field. When I got there, I noticed a woman following behind the workers. She picked up any grain they left behind or dropped (Peter acts this out as he talks). There were usually some poor and hungry people who did this, but this was a woman I hadn t seen before. I asked one of my workers about it, and he told me her name was Ruth. I found out that she was taking care of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Both of their husbands had died and they had no one to provide for them. No one! When the workers had lunch, I shared some with Ruth. I told her to stay in my field and glean that s the word for picking up the leftover grain behind my workers. Then I told my workers to accidentally on purpose leave some grain behind for her so that she would have enough to feed both herself and Naomi. Some people might have thought this was strange. I mean, maybe she was from another country, not like us. Maybe I d never see her again. Maybe it meant that I didn t have quite as much grain at the end of the day. But I thought it was the right thing to do to help her. WL: Boaz, what a great way to practice peace! You noticed someone who needed something and helped her! Peter: Thanks! (picks up his water bottle) Now, if you ll excuse me, I ve got seeds to plant! Weeds to pull! Crops to water! (looks at worship leader) See you tomorrow! Well, Boaz won t, but I will, dressed as somebody else! (Peter walks out, watering the fields as he leaves) WL: Bye, Boaz! And thanks for sharing your story with us! (waves goodbye) Permission is granted to purchasers of Peace Lab to photocopy this page for use with this curriculum. Worship and Drama Guide 23