I once saw a list of professions ranked according to the degree of stress that can be found in that vocation. I looked for "minister." It wasn't there. I assumed there must be a mistake, so I looked under "clergy." It wasn't there, either. I looked under "pastor," and "priest." Not there. Later somebody told me that, as a matter of fact, ministry is considered one of the least stressful vocations. Which meant that all the worrying I've done for the last thirty years was for nothing.

The fact of the matter is, everybody thinks that their job is a stressful job. Nobody likes to think that they have an easy time of it. I remember a cartoon: big office, huge desk, a CEO type sitting behind the desk. In front of the desk there's a little man in work clothes, his hat in his hand. He is saying t…