Gifted for Leadership

Comments

Thank you for this perspective- our Nativity also gets a lot of activity thanks to my daughters, but I've never considered this perspective. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts through such a well-written article!

Posted By: Carmen | December 30, 2010 8:23 AM

Thoughtful and yet profound...your comments help us see the ordinary part of the Christmas experience and reflect. What will we do after seeing Jesus again at the Nativity? What will we tell the neighbors?

Posted By: Marilyn | December 30, 2010 11:21 AM

I have always liked but also wondered about Luke 2:17 and 18, where we hear that the shepherds spread their news and "all who heard it were amazed." How long did that amazement last? And how long did it take for the shepherds to settle back into their mundane, workaday world? Unfortunately, if they were at all like me, I am ashamed to admit that it would be all too soon that I would let the daily-ness of life push even this most spectacular of events into the recesses of my memory. Thanks for your reminder that we must never forget the wonder of that night and all that it represents.

Posted By: hsl | December 31, 2010 9:43 AM

I would hope that once we have experienced the presence of Jesus in a profound way that we would go back into our "ordinary" lives, living not so ordinary. I think the shepherds may have watched the sheep differently knowing that someday they would not need to used to sacrifice. The three kings did not return the same route to their home lands and did not tell king Herod where baby Jesus was located. Question for me is how will I live differently now that I have experienced the Messiah!

Posted By: Nadine | December 31, 2010 9:57 AM

I just came back from a Christianity conference, and I missed the conference because of the message, faith and strength I experienced. Back to regular life means back to my work, my study, and the "world" surrounding me. However, I suddenly realize it might not be hard to keep the experience I had in the conference if I do just as what I did in the conference, which were reading the Bible, praying for people, singing hymns,...,and let my life be full of these.

Posted By: Leo | January 3, 2011 1:56 PM

I had never thought of this perspective, either, but I believe that it will preach. What a message!

Posted By: Dan | January 4, 2011 7:16 PM

What a wonderful thought you and your daughter have given to us! Giving you credit, I will use this in my sermon this Sunday as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. As in many high moments of worship, the challenge then becomes baptizing that high moment in the "everydayness" of life. And that is exactly where it needs to be.

Posted By: Randy | January 5, 2011 10:23 AM

The shepherds went out in joy and came back in peace...

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

-Isaiah 55:10-13 (NRSV)

Posted By: Joanne | January 5, 2011 11:31 AM

Oswald Chambers puts it into challenging perspective for me:

"There are times when we do know what God's purpose is; whether we will let the vision be turned into actual character depends upon us, not upon God. If we prefer to loll on the mount and live in the memory of the vision, we will be of no use actually in the ardinary stuff of which human life is made up. We have to learn to live in reliance on what we saw in the vision, not in ecstasies and conscius contemplation of God, but to live in actualities in the light of the vision until we get to the veritable reality. Every bit of our training is in that direction."

Posted By: Helen | January 5, 2011 12:37 PM

I am brought back to that 'What we do I do now' feeling by one of our Priests who, after the final blessing, often says "this act of worship is now over, our service now begins".
It is not just thought provoking, it can be very inspiring and sometimes overwhelming.
If only we would remember - Worship and Adoration needs to be followed by service to give it its true value

Posted By: John Hutton | January 5, 2011 2:09 PM

So too did like the insight. God Blessed I would say. I once heard of a person who did a study of "upon entrance they FELL down and worshipped." The "falling" was involuntary,
just a response to what happens when "sin" meets Absolute Holiness. Can just see Joseph smile and nudge Mary and say. "Watch this Mary." Gives me chills to think.

Posted By: Tom | January 5, 2011 9:30 PM

I have struggled with returning to everyday life after my mountain top prayer times in the morning; would love to stay there forever, but God tells me to go and do His will in my daily work and world. And so I look forward to my next precious time with Him and try, so hard, to stay very closeto Him all through my day.

Posted By: sunny | January 7, 2011 9:46 AM

Yeah ... sooner or later we have to head home. Down from the mountaintop. Back from the oasis. Head home from the party.

To a wounded, starving world that needs to see and experience the gifts and treasure we've received from the Gift-Giver Himself.

All that we've experienced and learn is not for us to hoard. We've been called to share.

Now to get out of our own way and do so!

Posted By: Linda Stoll | January 7, 2011 11:36 AM

I really think that when we have been in the presence of God on a deeper level and have been instructed, corrected, or just become more sensitized to His voice and leading that we are never the same. Life as usual takes on a different tone because deep calling unto deep results in change. Our daily routine may be similar but the ingredients of wisdom in proper perspective of situations and the peace can change us greatly on the inside which reflects how we approach things on the outside. I am not naive to say that it is a magical automatic thing. I do believe however in purposeful hard charging efforts to get in His presence so that He can do what He needs to in my life. I am on a present journey to go beyond the inner courts and into the most holy place. I want to radiate Christ and be infused with His power to advance and tear down strongholds and demonic forces. Having been in the routines of religion for years, it's now time to request to never be the same, to minister in various ways with power, and when I come down off the mountain of prayer or any success to thank the Lord and yearn all the more for even more of Him.

Posted By: Valerie | January 8, 2011 1:38 PM

These are some interesting thoughts, but the bible DOES say what happened to the shepherds after they left: Luke 2:17-20 states that the shepherds went out and told everyone what they had seen and heard, and they returned "glorifying and praising God." We should do the same -- life does not need to return to mundane routine after we have met with God. On the contrary, we can continue to praise Him and revel in what wonders He has shown us!

Posted By: MBowen | January 9, 2011 1:21 PM

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