I love the desert. For some, it’s just dry and brown and appears deserted. But there are hidden treasures within. Specifically, I love the blossoming cacti. The vibrant colorful flowers only last a day each year, but when they bloom, they catch your eye and help you re-imagine your perception of the desert. (

The Israelites were in the middle of a physical and spiritual desert…feeling dry, doubting the possibility of God doing a new thing in the oppressive wilderness of exile. And from that parched place, the prophet Isaiah shared, "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom.”

Do you feel parched? Are you desert-wandering? Read the passages for this sermon and ask yourself, "Am I like John the Baptist, questioning who Jesus really is and how God works? Can I re-imagine the world and see and/or believe the promises of Isaiah (i.e. flowering deserts) and Mary (i.e. raising up the lowly)?"

Where, if anywhere, do you see God working against the grain, going opposite our assumption or expectations? Remember, God’s methods are seldom our own!

When do you start listening to Christmas Music? And why do you, if you do love the old Christmas classics?

Personally, I’m a die-hard “Don’t start until the day after Thanksgiving!” But then, it’s the only Pandora Station on until New Years. Why?

They “help prepare the way.” They challange my assumptions. “He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.” Really, God, to every corner of our pain and brokenness?

They fill me with God’s truths. “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, til He appeared and the soul felt his worth.”

They sing me into the story. “No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.”

They are God’s message to me about what God wants to and will do in our often worn-out, weary, and war-torn world.

So, let us joyfully sing of the miraculous message of Christ’s coming.

In this sermon, we wrap up our consideration of "The Virtues of Christian Statesmanship" with the images of the Scales of Justice and the Lamp of Wisdom / Education in our stained glass window. Ponder a bit:

* Why do you think these images are tied to these ideals: scales to justice, lamp to wisdom / education?

* Taken on their own (don't try to read any theology into them), in your mind and in our culture what do you think justice and wisdom / education even mean? Are the two related, and if so, how?

* Do you think your understanding is different than a biblical understanding of those terms? Does our culture interpret those words differently than a biblical understanding?

* Should a biblical understanding inform our personal and / or cultural understandings? Why or why not?

I can honestly admit that my understanding has changed on these, which I speak to in this sermon. Key to these changes have been Scriptures such as Psalm 82, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, and Matthew 11:28-30. How do these texts affirm or contrast with your own (or our culture's) understanding of justice and wisdom / education?

Rev. Linda Kaufman is an Episcopal Priest with Community Solutions (and an Inspire_DC Consultant) who has worked trying to end homelessness in DC for the past 20 years. Here, she explores with us various ways and models the congregations can faithfully help be part of the housing solution.

In addition to the audio of her presentation, there is a video that she showed a part of her time of sharing.

Together we continue to use the images of the exquisite stained glass in the back of our sanctuary (named in 1966 as the”J. Edgar Hoover Christian Statesmanship Window”) to explore the seemingly dated and yet timely call to “Christian Statesmanship.” Yes, we will explore the irony of the title but also the challenge of the virtues the symbols represent.

As a kid, did you like the seesaw?

Recently at a park, my son, Andrew, hopped on one side and then asked me to join on the other. I obliged. All I did was lift my feet from the ground and let “the law of gravity” work. As you can guess, my side of the seesaw dropped down and Andrew‘s side shot up. His body literally lifted up off the seat. A grin consumed his face as he shouted with glee. Seeing such joy, I too giggled and smiled.

That’s how generosity works. We simply freely offer our weight (i.e. the things we are carry around with us like our time, talent, and material resources) for God’s use. God then takes it and uses it to propel others into freedom and joy. And we too rejoice for getting to be a part of God’s liberating love at work. That’s how God’s “law of generosity” works. That’s why Jesus taught his followers to be generous with love, forgiveness, kindness, and so much more.

In this sermon, as we conclude our Defying Gravity series, we will explore the powerful defiance of generosity that leads to joy. So, pray over the passages inspiring this sermon (see below) to determine how you will give back to God in 2017.

Have you seen WICKED - the Broadway sensation? In this musical that innovates on the themes from the idyllic WIZARD OF OZ, we learn the back story of “Galinda, the Good Witch” and “Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.” The story reveals that labels like “good” and “wicked” are never that straightforward. And we are reminded that power can be used for both good and evil by anybody at any time.

So some very exciting news! First, Tracy Olivera, a regular lead in Washington Theatre shows at places like Signature, joined us by singing “Defying Gravity” from that musical. Here are some lyrics from that song:

(Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West singing…)

Unlimited

Together we're unlimited

Together we'll be the greatest team

There's ever been

Galinda -

Dreams, the way we planned ‘em

Second, we use the lyrics of the song in conversation with our Scriptures for the week (Ephesians 3:16-21 and 1 Timothy 6:17-19) to go deeper in our own study of Defying Gravity and how worldly gravities often paralyze us.

Now ask yourself, do you feel limited or unlimited at the moment? Why? What are the limits on your time, treasure, heart, and soul? And are they “for good” and/or "for God?" Finally, what tethers or grounds you in Christ’s love?

What weighs you down?

This month, we’ll be celebrating a church-wide stewardship series called “Defying Gravity.” Together we will explore what things (possessions, mentalities, etc.) keep us from soaring into God’s dreams for us. We will also delve into daily practices that free us from our consumerist culture and open us to God’s spirit elevating us to new possibilities.

How? We’ll examine the generous life—what it is and why it can be hard to experience. We’ll be studying the topic of generosity, including data from surveys, insights from experts, conversations with generous people about their goals and habits, and of course Scripture. All of this is to help us understand how generosity brings people joy and what forces work against it, because in actuality, all of us want to experience the significance of blessing others but feel trapped by past decisions and misled by a society that bombards us with messages of having more and having better.

The good news is that Jesus offers us a way to “defy gravity” and break free from the culture of more.