More Ruth Resources

As our online discussion/art group gets going in the Book of Ruth, we continue to accumulate a wealth of resources that tap into both sides of the brain. Here are some faves:

Bible.org has wonderful textual notes on Ruth.

Heather Goodman has written a nice, brainy Literary Analysis of the Book of Ruth.

InterVarsity has an interesting online Bible study in the book.

Dr. Tom Constable, prof at Dallas Seminary, freely provides his notes (.pdf) on The Book of Ruth.

For online searches of biblical art, follow this link: Biblical art. You can view Naomi and Her Daughter-in-Law by Gustave Doré, and Rembrandt's Boaz and Ruth.

Select The Story of Ruth (1960) with Gregory Peck for your Netflix queue. And read this review of it.

If you're into animation, try this version: Animated story of Ruth (1966)

Or to read the Book of Ruth placed in a modern setting read Dr. Reg Grant's Ebony Moon.

A self-described unobservant Jewish man/writer for Slate blogs as he reads the Bible. Here's the link to what he said about the Book of Ruth.

Or listen instead of read, when you check out the audio book of Ruth.

What are your favorite resources? Any others we should add?

Ruth Resources

Our on-line group begins studying Premium Roast with Ruth this week. In Week 1 we look at the history of two nations: Israel, Naomi's nationality and Moab, Ruth's nationality.

In studying Week 1 I was drawn to visuals. I wanted to see maps, time lines and genealogies so that I could put everything in context. It's just the way I think. I like to know how far apart the cities are, how everyone is related and when it all happened in reference to other events in the Bible.

If this is the way you study or you think these things might be helpful, I have provided links to what I found below. You can also find these same links in the right hand column on each of the Ruth pages on the web site. *Respect Copyright.

• Maps - PreceptAustin.org is a site FULL of Bible study resources. The map I found most useful for this study is here.


• Genealogy - Jim Belote, cultural anthropologist, put together a great genealogy of the Old Testament. You may just want to bookmark this link because the chart is about 43" long.


• One page genealogy - To insert in your books, I put together a one page PDF of the genealogy from Noah to Solomon.


• Timeline - Available on WordSight.org, this is a textual time line from Genesis to Revelation. Bookmark this page and use it to search for specific events and/or people in your browser using "Find in this Page..." under the "Edit" option.


• Color Timeline - SundaySchoolResources has a great color coded time line. You can reference it on-line or send e-mail to request a PDF print version for free.

You will notice that an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper, folded in half, fits perfectly in the back of the Coffee Cup Bible Study books. Use permanent or temporary adhesive to adhere 1/2 of a folded sheet to the inside back cover to keep from losing it. You could also glue a pocket or envelope (A-7 fits perfectly) on the back cover if you want to keep several resources and your SPS art cards in your study book.

*Always remember to respect copyright. These folks are freely making available the fruits of their hard work. You may print this information for your personal use or link to it from your web sites and blogs but don't redistribute it as your own, sell it, or copy it in part or in whole onto your web site or blog.

Ever Been to Rhodes?

Where would you like to go? What's on your travel wish list? Dream with us. I (Sandra) vote for Alaska. My husband took this photo in Rhodes. Where do you want to go?

Ready to Talk about Ruth?

September 19 marks the last day to register for the Yahoo discussion group for Premium Roast with Ruth. Click on the purple box to the right to get yourself registered before it's too late.

Hope from Lamentations

Today I read these words from Lamentations:

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.

Today is a day for many to be silent. In remembrance. In mourning. In loss. With questions. Waiting...
Waiting for answers.
for deliverance.
for God.

Lamentations tells us to wait expectantly. To wait with hope.

We can't run from trouble- it knows how to find us. But we can wait for our Deliverer to show Himself mighty to save.
Lamentations gives me diligent hope as I look to the horizon.

Art Cards

I'm told September 6 is the day Orthodox Christians set aside to commemorate St. Michael the Archangel and his protection of Colossae during a great earthquake.

Whatever you celebrate today, why not do so with art? Below are some links to sites where you can send free postcards with e-art ranging from Rembrandt to Frank Lloyd Wright. Make someone's day with unexpected beauty.

MOMA
http://moma.org/ecards/

Interesting.com ecards
http://www.interesting.com/postcards/

Artmagick ecards
http://www.artmagick.com/ecards/

Premium Roast with Ruth

We've scheduled our next SoulPerSuit using Premium Roast with Ruth.

We'll have Shuffle the Deck, Group Discussion questions and Play Your Hand questions all on the web site. You will need to purchase the book (from Amazon, from CBD), though, to do the study because it will not be on the web site like Esther was. You'll need to get your books by Sept 23 to get started with the on-line group but, of course, you can jump in whenever you can.

Sept 9 Registration begins for Yahoo Groups.
Sept 19 Registration closes for the Yahoo Groups.
Sept 23 Discussion begins on Yahoo Groups.

On Sept 9 there will be links here and on the web site to join the Yahoo group. The web site will also be updated with the schedule for the study.

Stay tuned.