Prophets or Professionals?

In its quest for worldly sophistication, the church often prefers to be professional rather than prophetic.

When the phone rings during the dinner hour, it is usually a good idea to just ignore it.

Chances are pretty good these days that the caller on the other end is someone trying to sell you life insurance on your credit card, solicit a donation for some charity fund, or poll your opinion on some topic you really don't care to discuss with a stranger.

These telephone solicitors have so perfected their techniques into an art form over the last few years, however, that once you answer the phone it is virtually impossible to escape their clutches. The good ones begin by asking for you by your first name only -- "Is this you?" Quickly they ask some other innocuous question -- "And how is everyone at home today, doing all right?"

Suckered into thinking you are talking to someone you actually know and care about, you respond to the caller with conversation. Before you know it, you've spent 10 minutes listening to a long-winded sales pitch. If the caller is really good, he or she then...