I was having lunch with three friends recently—a plumber, a newspaper owner, and a land acquisition broker for utility companies and cities. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call them Bill, Jerry, and Dave. None of them attend church and aren’t likely to anytime soon. They know me well enough not to be wowed by my close, personal friendship with God, even though I tell them they should be. Bill has known me since first grade, has never been impressed by my pastoral credentials and frequently suggests I should find a real job. Jerry and Dave didn’t meet me until I’d become a pastor, and at first treated me with the deference pastors are accustomed to, though it didn’t last long, maybe a week or two.
