During his tenth anniversary, Garrison Keillor told a story (he said it was true) about an experience he had as a teenager. Walking down the sidewalk one day, he saw this unbelievably beautiful woman coming toward him. A stunningly beautiful woman. What could he do? He spied a large, white Cadillac parked next to the sidewalk. Strolling over to the Cadillac, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a dime, put it in the parking meter, and leaned confidently against the Cadillac, smiling at the approaching woman. To his delight, she returned the smile. She moved toward him, spoke to him, saying, “Thank you” as she got into the Cadillac and drove off.

Take this as a parable of ministry. The church is not our Cadillac. We pastors, leaders, teachers may be “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1) but not owners. It is fine for us to make our contribution, to lean against the church in order to look good, but ultimately this Cadillac is God’s and God has entrusted it to the laos, God’s people rather than to the pastors of God’s people. – William H. Willimon, The Last Word, p. 85