Some of my favorite cartoons for church have a line that goes something like this:

A parishoner sees the pastor’s wife in a grocery store and asks the wife, “So, does your husband work, or he is still pastoring?”

Those always give me a smile. But the perception is more reality than we, as pastors, like to admit.

Recent surveys demonstrate how even regular church goers have a hard time seeing their pastors as a positive contribution to society.

Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans think clergy contribute “a lot” to society, according to new data from a survey on which professions Americans respect most.

Pastors get more respect than journalists. Considering I wanted to be a journalist growing up, I’m thankful for the small things in life, like being one rung up on the ladder of American respect.

Clearly, the “profession” doesn’t get much positive play in the broader culture. What is disappointing is when regular church goers don’t see the good. It could be because we don’t give a good example. It could be because we don’t “toot our own horns.”

It’s sobering no matter how you look at it.