November 19th, 2025
by Rev. Dr. Vaughn Stafford
by Rev. Dr. Vaughn Stafford
Our family’s favorite Broadway musical is Wicked (I know that doesn’t sound right for a minister to say). Even so, we have seen it multiple times in multiple cities, and we plan to see it many times again. I was first drawn to it because it was billed as the prequel to an annual favorite TV movie from my childhood, The Wizard of Oz. I still remember popping popcorn and getting snacks together to watch it as a family on our old wooden console TV every year. The focus of the musical is the unlikely friendship between Elphaba (The Wicked) and Galinda (The Good). The first act ends with our family’s favorite song in the entire musical, Defying Gravity. Elphaba has discovered that her old ways of fearful living are not what she wants and can’t live within any more. The song picks up with these powerful words, “Something has changed within me, something is not the same, I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game. Too late for second guessing, too late to go back to sleep. It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap.” Then the song launches into the powerful chorus, “It’s time to try defying gravity.”
Over these last years together, God has been mightily changing hearts, families, priorities, and our community. God has grown us in number and depth. We have more people more deeply engaged in every age and stage of life and ministry than we have had or seen in many years (and for many of us, more so than at any point in our lives).
This Sunday, November 23rd, we will wrap up our three-week stewardship sermon series. In week one, we climbed the high dive ladder with Stewarding our Time to Grow in Christ in 2026. In week two, we walked out the diving board past the rails with Stewarding our Talents to Serve for Christ in 2026. This Sunday, we are inviting all of us to defy gravity and leap by Stewarding our Treasures to Give in 2026. This Sunday, we will bring our pledge cards for growing, serving, and giving forward in both worship services and will share a time of consecration of our commitments. My wife and I have been praying and will make the largest commitment we have ever made to a church.
There’s one more section in the lyrics from Wicked that grabs my heart. The bridge declares “Unlimited. Together, we’re unlimited. Together, we’ll be the greatest team there’s ever been. Dreams the way we planned ‘em, if we work in tandem. There’s no fight we cannot win. Just you and I defying gravity!”
That’s the way I feel about the movement of the people of God that the Lord has assembled, and is assembling, at Columbus First Methodist. I pray that this Sunday we defy gravity as we commit to leaping into this new year together.
Over these last years together, God has been mightily changing hearts, families, priorities, and our community. God has grown us in number and depth. We have more people more deeply engaged in every age and stage of life and ministry than we have had or seen in many years (and for many of us, more so than at any point in our lives).
This Sunday, November 23rd, we will wrap up our three-week stewardship sermon series. In week one, we climbed the high dive ladder with Stewarding our Time to Grow in Christ in 2026. In week two, we walked out the diving board past the rails with Stewarding our Talents to Serve for Christ in 2026. This Sunday, we are inviting all of us to defy gravity and leap by Stewarding our Treasures to Give in 2026. This Sunday, we will bring our pledge cards for growing, serving, and giving forward in both worship services and will share a time of consecration of our commitments. My wife and I have been praying and will make the largest commitment we have ever made to a church.
There’s one more section in the lyrics from Wicked that grabs my heart. The bridge declares “Unlimited. Together, we’re unlimited. Together, we’ll be the greatest team there’s ever been. Dreams the way we planned ‘em, if we work in tandem. There’s no fight we cannot win. Just you and I defying gravity!”
That’s the way I feel about the movement of the people of God that the Lord has assembled, and is assembling, at Columbus First Methodist. I pray that this Sunday we defy gravity as we commit to leaping into this new year together.
Posted in Daily Readings OT
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