American Idol Pastor?

The other day I was listening to a local Christian radio station (Twin Cities) in which the DJ was sharing his thoughts about the renewed hype on the popular hit show, American Idol. He then went on to say, "What if we, as Christians, were to vote on the pastor that best represents our "Christian Idol of this day?" He wondered, which Pastor would we vote for? Who would be "thee" next American Idol for God? Of course my mind quickly raced to a number of great "pastors," such as Billy Graham, Charles Swindoll, R.C. Sproul, Charles Spurgeon, and the like. But after further reflection, and not to take anything away from these extraordinay men of God, I started wondering about the men and women who may never take center stage. The men and women who are serving Christ faithfully in a rural town or village, where the flock is small and the laborers are even fewer. Men and women who are limited in supplies, but not on hope. Men and women who have to load up their cars and trucks each Sunday with people, never to ask for a reimbursement slip for gas. A church in which the budget is tight but their love is lavishing. These men and women are the "no-namers." You will never see them on the cover of a magazine, never to have written a book or article, never to be selected as a Twitter friend, never to be consulted as a speaker at a Christian convention. No, they just go about their work quietly and diligently, not for glamour reasons. They are the "no-namers."

I wonder from time to time if we are guilty of favoritism for those pastors who are just a bit louder than the rest and have a larger stage or platform to present their ideologies and truths on what Christian success is all about - while neglecting the meek and humble pastors who do it for the eternal prize that awaits them. I believe that there is a fine line between what we call an "idol" and what God perceives as the real deal.

Hey, just some of my thought today as I reflect on some remarkable pastors/mentors in my life that have touched so many in a meek and gentle way.

Today, I'm cheering for the "no-namers."