Conversation Starters

You are probably familiar with all of the stereotypes of Lutherans. Garrison Keillor has made them famous. They are, for the most part, amusing. We can certainly poke fun at ourselves. If you have seen a stage production of “Church Basement Ladies,” the stereotypes are emphasized in hilarious fashion. In fact, I could attach a name from my past to each and every character in the play. I have met them all.

The humor is probably lost on Lutherans who are native to other parts of the country. Truth be told, a lot of Midwestern and Upper Midwestern Lutherans do resemble the folks in Lake Wobegon. However, I get a bit worried when I hear Lutherans described as “shy” because I think we can use that as an excuse. I don’t think Lutherans are so much shy as we are poorly equipped to tell the story of God’s love for us.

One basic issue seems to be the matter of how to enter into the conversation. I believe there are many people who have a deep faith and a desire to talk about what they have come to know about God. They just don’t know how to share the good news of Christ. How does one enter a conversation without sounding like a religious zealot?

My main form of exercise is walking. When I take a walk I always wear a baseball cap. Most of the time it’s a Cubs cap, but I also have a Minnesota Twins cap. I have found those two caps to be great conversation starters. With the Cubs cap, I immediately find people with whom to share my misery. I have had countless short conversations about Cubs players, management, and the joy of spending time at Wrigley Field.

Once I put on a cap, I’m committed to wearing it for the rest of the day. I have no choice. My hair doesn’t recover from the experience. So it was that I was recently wearing the Twins cap at the gas station. The minivan at the pump just ahead of me had Minnesota plates. The woman pumping gas into the van saw the cap and immediately asked, “Are you from Minnesota?” The conversation was off and running. Later that day I stopped at Papa John’s to pick up a pizza. A young guy in the kitchen interrupted the person helping me at the cash register to ask if Denard Span had been traded. I quickly realized that it was my cap that prompted the question. I also realized that wearing the Twins cap had implied that this Cubs fan actually knows something about the Twins.

Even the most introverted or shy among us would soon be engaged in conversation wearing the right cap! I might have been poorly equipped to discuss the Twins latest trades, but the conversation took place. (In case you’re wondering, the Twins did not make any trades before the deadline.)
I have a small variety of t-shirts, polos and sweat shirts from different congregations in our synod, two or three of them from the congregation of which I am a member. Wearing one might help start a conversation, but I have found them to be far less effective than the baseball caps!

One way to be better equipped to talk about your faith is to practice. About three or four years ago, the ELCA stewardship staff produced a resource called “Stories to Tell. Gifts to Share.” It included a set of bookmarks with 50 conversation starter questions that were to be used with other members of your congregation. It was a great idea. What better way to practice talking about your faith than with someone who shares your faith and probably wants to be better equipped too? Your congregation should provide a safe place to practice.

In a meeting in which we were planning this year’s Discipleship Gatherings, I challenged myself to express my faith in a tweet. A tweet has a maximum of 140 characters. I wonder if this might just be the conversation starter for which I’ve been searching. It won’t fit on a cap, but it might fit on a t-shirt. What do you think?

God made me, loves me, saved me, forgives me, and sent me to you. I have a great story to tell. May I tell it to you?

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/ or comment on Facebook. --JC