Andy Talks

Remember where we started the book of Ruth? Naomi had lost everything. She lost her husband, her children, her people, everything. This book begins with having nothing. But then, we see God’s loving kindness modeled over and over again. Ruth to Naomi. Ruth to Boaz. Boaz to Ruth. And in the end, God to Naomi. God’s kindness to Naomi affects all of Israel and affects each of us to this very day.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%204%3A%2013-22&version=NIV

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Today, another has the chance to redeem Namoi’s property and, with that, gain Ruth as a wife. The man, first in line, does not do that. It’s interesting the scripture never names him. There’s even a funny Hebrew idiom that he is called. I’m not saying that he commits a sin, but he does not do what he could have. We focus a lot on sins of “commission” when we do things we should not do. We should also focus on the sins of “omission” when we do not do the things we should be doing. Let’s avoid evil, yes. But let’s also seek to do good.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%204%3A%201-12&version=NIV

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional message from January 12, 2025, Andy shares from Luke 2: 15-22. On this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we talk about the promises we make to God in our baptism, but more importantly, we talk about the promise God makes to us.

Chapter three of Ruth is full of some interesting things. Threshing floors, odd routines, things just sound out of step to us.  What is happening? We see Ruth showing to Boaz that her time of grief is now over, and she would desire marriage. But not just any marriage, but marriage to him. As an older person, this is quite an unexpected gift of kindness. Once again, we see in Ruth the power of kindness, of true, empathic kindness, to change everything.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%203&version=NIV

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

We begin to see the power of kindness today. Boaz shows kindness to Ruth. Why? Well, first, he’s a good man. Second, he tells her that he and others have heard of the kindness that she has shown to her mother-in-law.  Ruth has left her people and has taken refuge under the wings of the God of Israel. We see kindness begin to weave its way into so many tales of redemption. Kindness is always rewarded, for it brings goodness.  It changes others, and it changes us.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%202%3A%204-34&version=NIV

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Traditional message from Ephiphany, Andy shares with us from Matthew 2: 1-12. We see the story of the Wise Men, but more than this, we see the first impression of who Jesus is. We see the wideness of God's mercy. 

Ruth goes out to glean from the fields of harvest. Gleaning is a command that God gives His people regarding the harvest. They are not to take everything from the field. They are to leave room at the margins for the poor. It is one of God’s ways to force His people to remember (and see) the poor. And Ruth just so happens to find herself at Boaz’s field. God is work, causing us to remember the poor guiding us in our lives. Let’s give ourselves space to pay attention to God’s nudge.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%202%3A%201-3&version=NIV

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

Naomi tells the people, do not call her by her name but now call her “Mara.”  This is the Hebrew word for bitter.  In the Bible, your name isn’t just what they call you; it’s who you are. Namio is telling the people she has changed. She is bitter.  We will all suffer. We will all have bad times. But don’t let grief change your name. Don’t let it change who you are. Stay rooted in what is good, not in bitterness.  Don’t let it change you.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%201%3A%206-22&version=NIV

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

We’ll start today looking at the book of Ruth. This is a wonderful book, one of my very favorites, because it teaches us the power of redemptive kindness. We need some of that redemptive kindness in the world today, don’t we? We all hope the New Year will be better, but we look a few days in and realize everything is the same as it has always been. We will have hard times this year, as we do each year. Don’t hope for a perfect year. But live this year knowing that God is with us, no matter what!

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history. - https://methodisttothemadness.buzzsprout.com/

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.

If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

You can read today’s passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth%201%3A%201-5&version=NIV

You can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

In our Christmas Eve sermon, Andy shares with us from Luke 2: 1-20. Mary saw all that had happened that night and treasured it. May we watch what God is doing and treasure it as well.