Worship is not a forum in which we change people's minds. At best, we bring the concerns of life and allow the Spirit to work on our hearts. We need to promote openness of heart and mind, rather than closing them with our judgments and "hard-hitting" words. If we are open to hear, the words of scripture themselves are "like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces."

Truth must be spoken, but it must be spoken in love. Research and common observation tell us that people are more open to hearing "social action" sermons from pastors whom they perceive as caring about them. Good pastoral work is the foundation of prophetic ministry in congregations.

Further, the truth spoken must be more than current opinion. All political conclusions are flawed by sin and stand under judgment; the Bible seldom provides "an answer" to a specific policy issue. The source of specific facts and opinions should be clearly given when other than biblical material is used in sermons. People are seldom converted to a point of view by one sermon, however good it is. But a sermon that admits of more than one conclusion can have the powerful effect of "giving permission" to talk about a difficult topic in a congregation.

People bring different expectations to worship than they bring to an educational or political forum. In church, people are more receptive, less individually critical, more willing to be dependent, more open to the leading of a spirit. This is as it should be when we consciously attempt to open ourselves to God's presence, and we need to be careful that we do not violate that vulnerability. By way of negative example, some confessions about social issues written for corporate use put words in peoples' mouths to which they have not consciously consented. People may participate in such corporate expressions and then subsequently feel manipulated and angry.