In

our story for today, Ruth, who married into Naomi’s family, pledges

to remain with Naomi and to join with her people and worship God. At

the end of the book of Ruth, we find Naomi with a grandchild, born to

Ruth and a kinsman-­redeemer named Boaz, who has married the

widow Ruth and taken her mother-in-law Naomi into his household (Ruth

4). Hope is restored to this family through God’s provision of

extended family members who show his love to one another.

I

experienced something like that in a church full of transplants.

People from many places became a large extended family to one

another. I especially remember a woman named Carol who had no

grand­chil­dren but became a grand­mother to my own

­children.

One

purpose of the church is to reshape our understanding of family.

Being part of a church family means including people who are not

related by blood—except for the blood of Jesus.

The

early church quickly became a community in which people relied on one

another and even called each other brothers and sisters.

One

of the ongoing challenges of being a church family is to understand

that our relationships are to be shaped by our relationship with God.

God is making us into a family.