Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Did you catch Lady Gaga’s Red Carpet arrival at this year’s Grammy Awards? If not, you’re probably one of the few Americans who haven’t been talking about her most unique entrance. All Monday, commentators on television, radio and blogs alike couldn’t help but discuss Gaga’s egg-ridden dress.

Instead of walking down the Red Carpet like most stars, Lady Gaga arrived safely ensconced in a shimmery egg carried by four scantily clad men. After the appropriate amount of incubation, she hatched from her egg onstage to sing her new single, “Born This Way."

As a fan of Lady Gaga, I marvel at her ability to garner media attention from nearly every media outlet – both new and old. However, something has been puzzling me about her Grammy hatching scheme.

Why is it that individuals from all walks of life, including countless Christians, have no problems talking about the latest Gaga feat? Yet, the average church-going Christian would have many concerns talking about the individual who emerged from an egg-like tomb on Easter Sunday.

If Christians are going to live fully into Jesus’ Great Commission, we need to learn new ways to spread the Good News of God in Christ. Or better yet, we need to learn how to talk about our faith and our Church without fear of recrimination or ridicule. As our world becomes increasingly secular, it is vital to become as comfortable inviting someone to church with us as we are inviting someone to go to the movies. But how do we do it?

First and foremost, we simply need to learn to talk about our faith. For instance, on Monday mornings in the office or at school, when coworkers or classmates are asking what we did during the weekend, the Great Commission-oriented Christian might say, “I went to my church on Sunday and heard the most amazing sermon. I’d love for you to join me sometime.” By talking about our parish families and inviting others to join us, we immediately make Christ more accessible to our friends.

Secondly, we need to learn not to be embarrassed about sharing our faith. The old tradition that politics and religion make poor dinner conversation needs to be replaced with discussions about how our faith aids us in our daily living and ethical decisions. For example, at a recent lunch with some friends the topic of global warming came up. During the discussion, I said, “as a person of faith, regardless of the controversies surrounding global warming, I’m doing my part to reduce my global footprint.” This one statement opened up the discussion into one about ethics, faith and responsibility. I shared examples of what I do at home and things my church is doing, too.

Finally, we need to learn from Lady Gaga’s playbook. She is vigilant in making certain her persona is spread out as far as possible. Without hesitation, she uses all media. As we and the Church seek to broadly cast the net of Christ, no one medium should be left out. Let us share in person about Christ’s impact in our lives, let us publicize our churches in the old media outlets of radio, television and newspapers, let us blog about our faith, let us Tweet and Facebook, let us do whatever it takes to get the word out about Christ and his Church.

With due vigilance and an ability to take risks, we can proclaim the message of the only individual “hatched” from an egg-like tomb from death to life. If we are smart about it, people will listen and talk.