01/04/2026 ~ Second Sunday after Christmas Day ~ Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12; Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:(1-9), 10-18 ~ EKC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHFiskZv9-s
HARPSWELL TV VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr_xva_LLWY

Your People

“Thus says Yahweh, God: / Sing aloud with gladness, joy for Jacob, / and raise shouts for the chief of nations; / proclaim, make your praise heard, and say, / ‘Save, O God, your people, / the remnant of Israel.’” — Jeremiah 30:7.

Sone of you will embrace what I am about to say. Others will say, “He’s at it again.” Why? Today I once again want to talk about the famous Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim and address one of his musicals, Into the Woods. I apologize— it’s just my background rearing it’s ugly head.

Unlike the last Sondheim show I addressed, this one, Into the Woods, is well known. Even though Sondheim’s music can be complex, this score is quite accessible. Indeed, the show was adapted for a popular movie which stared Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, and Maine native Anna Kendrick.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the show here’s a brief outline. The piece takes several well known fairy tales— The Baker and His Wife, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood— and weaves all the stories together as the characters of these stories interact with one another. Each character has a wish which needs fulfillment.

In order to get the specific wish they want granted, they need to go on an adventure, go into the woods, in pursuit of that wish. However, the woods in this telling are a metaphor for facing the reality of life. And this is a truth: we must all at some point go into the woods, face reality, face real life with all its dangers, joys, pains, triumphs.

In real life sometimes we get what we need. Sometimes we get what we want. Sometimes what we want and get is not really what we need. Of course, sometimes what we want, get and even need turns out to be a disappointment— that’s real life.

But each and every day we do set off on a new journey in life and face the good, the bad and the indifferent. Stephen’s lyrics say just that.

(Quote:) “Into the woods, / It’s time to go, / I hate to leave, / I have to, though. / Into the woods— / It’s time, and so / I must be on my journey. / Into the woods / And down the dell, / The path is straight, / I know it well. / Into the woods, / And who can tell / What’s waiting on the journey?”

“Into the woods, / It’s time to go, / It may be all / In vain, you know. / Into the woods— / But even so, / I have to take the journey. / The way is clear, / The light is good, / I have no fear, / Nor no one should. / The woods are just trees, / The trees are just wood. / No need to be afraid there— / There’s something in the glade there…”

“Into the woods / Without regret, / The choice is made, / The task is set. / Into the woods, / But not forgetting / why I’m on the journey. / Into the woods / to get my wish, / I don’t care how, / The time is now. / Into the woods— Then out of the woods, / And home before dark!” (Slight pause.)

These words are from the Scroll of the Prophet Jeremiah: “Thus says Yahweh, God: / Sing aloud with gladness, joy for Jacob, / and raise shouts for the chief of nations; / proclaim, make your praise heard, and say, / ‘Save, O God, your people, / the remnant of Israel.’” (Slight pause.)

The 30th Chapter of Jeremiah, taken as a whole, presents us with a picture of real life and the reality of real life can be frightening. In this case Jeremiah presents us with pictures of a time of exile— that is frightening. But the reading in its entirety encompasses danger, triumph, pain, joy as real life often does.

Jeremiah seems to understand and insist no matter what real life brings, God is to be praised. Why? God is with us. God is with the people.

And if God is with the people it begs this question: who are the people of God? For Israel the answer was the members of the tribe. But that answers begs a second question: who really belongs to the tribe of God? (Slight pause.) My answer is simple: with the advent of the Christ, everyone— all humanity, whole human race, belongs to the tribe of God.

And that’s yet another reason the 30th Chapter of Jeremiah— and by the way when you have a chance you should read the entire 30th Chapter of Jeremiah; you only heard a portion this morning— that’s another reason the 30th Chapter of Jeremiah taken as a whole presents us with a picture of real life. These words are a reminder. If we break ourselves out into tribes, deteriorate into tribalism, then we’ve missed the part of the covenant God makes with humanity: to love neighbor.

And the part of the covenant which says love neighbor can also be said this way: we are all in this together. So if we do not understand that the life of each of us is to be treasured, we do not understand covenant.

If we do not understand thinking about only ourselves and no one else, understand that radical individualism is a dead end, we do not understand covenant. If we do not understand the covenant of God includes being in relationship with others, we do not understand covenant.

If we do not understand that together we need to work for the common good, we do not understand covenant. So the message of covenant is simple: we are not alone. We need one another. We, together, need to be a community of faith, a community of God.

That leads to another question: when community gathers will there be people in that community with whom we do not agree, even with whom we do not get along? Yes. But despite that, we are, all of us, one people— the people of God. (Slight pause.)

Coming back to Into the Woods, when each of us goes into the woods to face the ups and downs of life, in a real sense we face giants. And Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk says (quote:) “There are Giants in the sky! / There are big, tall, terrible, awesome, scary, wonderful / Giants in the sky!” And yes, we face giants every day. And that’s not easy.

On the other hand, with whom do we face giants? Cinderella says this to Red Riding Hood whose mother has just died (quote:) “Mother cannot guide you. / Now you’re on your own. / Only me beside you. / Still, you’re not alone. / No one is alone.”

“Truly. / No one is alone. / Sometimes people leave you. / Halfway through the wood. / Others may deceive you. / You decide what’s good. / You decide alone. / But no one is alone.” (Slight pause.)

In community we are surrounded by the people of God. And in community God is with us. And in community everything is possible because God is with us encouraging us to rely on each other. We are not alone. Amen.

01/04/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “One seminary professor told us we must learn to think theologically. We need to think theologically because Scripture is not about the stories or history. We should not read it that way. Scripture is about theology because it is a reflection offered by the people of God on their experience of God. And imagine how out theology would change if we did not look to heaven for God but looked in the faces of our neighbors. I think that’s the place to which God calls us.” [1]

BENEDICTION: Hear now this blessing: Let us treat all God’s children as our next of kin. Let us praise God for the people all around us. Let us praise God for the fulness of time. And may the peace of Christ which surpasses our understanding keep our hearts and minds in the companionship of the Holy Spirit and the love of God this day and evermore. Amen.

[1] The last sentence is a paraphrase of something said by the Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines, a United Church of Christ Pastor.