Sermon for February 8th, 2015

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 22:4-6

4The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. 5Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; the cautious will keep far from them. 6Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Matthew 18:18-20

18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Faith & Film III: Into the Woods

• Film Clip #1: Trailer.

Three Minute Plot Summary

Into the Woods is a Broadway musical adapted for the screen, and it can be roughly divided into two parts. In part one, characters from several well-known fairy tales are woven together around their respective wishes:

• Cinderella wishes to go to the festival.
• Rapunzel, locked in a tower, wishes to see the world.
• Prince charming, and his equally charming brother, wish to find their true loves.
• Little Red Riding Hood wishes to bring her grandmother a loaf of bread.
• Jack (from Beanstalk fame) wishes that his cow would give milk. His mother wishes they weren't so poor.
• The Baker and his wife wish that they could have a child.

The Baker and his wife cannot have a child because they have been cursed by the witch next door, who is herself under a curse, and wishes to be young and beautiful again. In order to lift their respective curses, the witch sends the Baker and his wife "Into the Woods" on a quest to find a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. Of course, the cow is Jack's, the cape is Red Riding Hood's, the hair is Rapunzel's, and the slipper is Cinderellas. All of these characters also happen to go "Into the Woods" in pursuit of their own well known quests and wishes.

And by the end of part one, they have all succeeded. Cinderella goes to the festival and marries Prince Charming. His brother finds and marries Rapunzel. Little Red Riding Hood makes it to her grandmother, and is rescued from the Big Bad Wolf by the Baker. Jack climbs the beanstalk and comes back with enough treasure to provide for his family and buy back his cow, the Baker and his wife have a son, and the witch becomes young and beautiful again.

But then, remarkably, the movie continues. It goes on past the "Happily Ever After," and in part two, the characters find themselves back in the woods, where the very actions and events that brought about their happy endings have unexpected, tragic consequences. Relationships fall apart. Some characters die. Some face disillusionment, shame, guilt, fear, and self-doubt. They blame each other, or their circumstances, or their parents. Eventually, however, some of the characters learn how to work together, they form a community and they help each other. They learn

First three films were "Science and Religion" Last three films are "Fantasy and Reality"

Characters face death, violence, infidelity, disillusionment, shame, guilt, blame, after their "happy endings." Healing begins when the characters come together in community. (Non-traditional family) "I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right. I'm the witch. You're the world.” God does not always give you a "clear moral compass" to guide you in the woods. But rather, God (and God's people) are always with you as you journey through the woods.