Ask any first-year seminary student about the kind of church he hopes to pastor, and he’ll probably talk about things like “People who love the Bible” or “People who like to read good theology or the Puritans or C. S. Lewis” or “People who have a passion for planting like-minded churches.” Those are good things, but chances are, few of us will lead churches that are high-functioning in terms of theology and worldview. Most of us will be called to shepherd ordinary people, and we should tune our hearts to see God’s glory in that. Besides, it’s your job, pastor, to teach them to love the Bible, good theology, good books, church planting, and the like.

I was blessed to grow up in a church populated by godly people who were school teachers, farmers, carpenters, auto mechanics, factory workers, small business owners, and much more. They were ordinary people and while our pastor was passionate for God’s Word, he was by no means extraordinary. But that’s how God works: he does extraordinary things through ordinary people. Paul even goes so far as to tell the Corinthians that they are gloriously ordinary: “ . . . not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” (1 Cor. 1:26). That’s most of us, and it describes most of those whom we will be called to lead. Are you up for that? Does that prospect excite you? If not, let Darren Carlson tell you about his uncle and challenge you to the be thankful for the privilege of shepherding godly but unspectacular people—as the world reckons spectacular—to the glory of God.