Today's text from Isaiah 61 is the text from which Jesus quoted when he spoke at the synagogue in Nazareth (where he attended growing up) at the beginning of his ministry. You can find the story in Luke 4:16ff.
Remember that his theme is leading, so the focus the last three days has been on leadership. He writes, "In today's reading from Isaiah 61, the Spirit's work goes deep, rather than wide, to the oppressed, the imprisoned, the bottom-feeders." Two paragraphs lower he writes, "Inspired leaders don't need to be conspicuous to be effective." That is the heart of today's devotion to me. To do things inconspicuously is counter-cultural behavior. We revel in self-promotion, posturing, letting the world know how good, beautiful. smart, talented, ___________ (you fill in the blank) we are. We post it on facebook, twitter about it, instagram it.
Christian clergy I think are particularly tempted by being conspicuous. The phrase that comes to mind is one coined by Henri Nouwen many years ago: downward mobility. Christians need to follow Jesus, who was downwardly mobile: "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being form in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8). May God give me the grace to lead inconspicuously!
Remember that his theme is leading, so the focus the last three days has been on leadership. He writes, "In today's reading from Isaiah 61, the Spirit's work goes deep, rather than wide, to the oppressed, the imprisoned, the bottom-feeders." Two paragraphs lower he writes, "Inspired leaders don't need to be conspicuous to be effective." That is the heart of today's devotion to me. To do things inconspicuously is counter-cultural behavior. We revel in self-promotion, posturing, letting the world know how good, beautiful. smart, talented, ___________ (you fill in the blank) we are. We post it on facebook, twitter about it, instagram it.
Christian clergy I think are particularly tempted by being conspicuous. The phrase that comes to mind is one coined by Henri Nouwen many years ago: downward mobility. Christians need to follow Jesus, who was downwardly mobile: "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being form in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8). May God give me the grace to lead inconspicuously!
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