I had a rare few days breathing space this week and grabbed some time for some easy reading, and rediscovered a book given to me some while back.
The book was "Don't try this at home" - a range of anecdotes by (now) famous chefs about the mistakes they've made along the way.
It was full of re-assuringly embarrasing, funny stories.
But behind the homely charm lay a breadth of accounts of sheer hard graft - long hours, poor rewards, tough taskmasters, starting at below the bottom rung to achieve their goals and aims.
It resonated with something I read on a friend's blog about the hours it takes to develop the ability to do things well here
Which led me to my musing. Our TV schedules are still awash with instant fame shows - singers, stage shows, caberet acts and the latests - choirs. But the real story about humanity tells a very different tale than the quick fix, instant stardom that these veneers of reality offer us.
Stephen (Acts Ch 6) is one of the good examples of the hard graft and hard knocks that is part and parcel of authentic humanity and authentic discipleship. He didn't set out to be a public speaker (or martyr) - he set about being a servant for people who were left out.
"Don't try this..." gives only a tiny snapshot of the long hours, the poor pay, the mistakes along the way, the hard graft behind the scenes. What the public sees is the rich and mighty banquetting on the hidden labours of the impoverished, vulnerable, faltering efforts of people with a passion for their trade.
Authentic Christian discipleship and ministry is much the same - and more. I can't help thinking that Stephen's willingness to be a servant before "earning his stripes" to his memorable but shortlived public ministry is not only a model for today's Christian leaders - but a necessary corrective to the shallowness of the public image of our of our national superstars (who are also remarkably shortlived, but that's another story).
