Episcopickle
On Sunday I was surprised that several dedicated St. Lukers did not know I always try to keep a jar of pickles from the farmers market in the pockets hidden in my vestments. This has been a thing for a while, so I thought I’d get us on the same page.
Whenever I greet a newcomer, I pull out the jar of pickles, give it to them and thank them for joining us. They almost always say something like, “What’s this?” I always respond sincerely with, “your welcome pickles, of course. We are glad you are here!” After a moment of silence and uncomfortable eye contact I add, “The pickles are homemade and the best I’ve had. Come back next week and let me know what you think!” You’d be surprised how effective this strategy is. Over the summer when a family returned to church after checking us out the previous week the father told me it was because the pickles were that good. He was deadpan and his delivery was perfect.