December 11, 2012 by Dennis R. Edwards
Minnesota (N)ice

I just got my first taste of winter here in Minneapolis with 16” of snow yesterday and temperatures in the teens today! And of course there is no snow day; we are expected to get to where we need to be! So with such cold temperatures today, I faced the Minnesota Ice. But I didn’t drive the car today! I took the public bus to my appointments and to my office. I know there will be more of the Minnesota Ice since it’s only December. I have some good boots on order and I will be dressing in layers.

But there’s another kind of apparent cold out here that I need to figure out. I had been told that there’s this cultural phenomenon described as “Minnesota Nice.” Here’s the popular Wikipedia definition, and here’s a more scholarly analysis of the behavior. None of this sits well with a native New Yorker! We New Yorkers have long had a reputation for speaking our minds and not backing down from confrontation. Here’s a nice explanation of a NYC attitude.

So, as you might imagine, I wasn’t feeling this Minnesota Nice thing! Yet being a man who has felt called to cross-cultural ministry here in the USA, I am wiling to try. I will do my best to embrace the cultural differences. I am hoping that my NY attitude (tempered by nearly 18 years in DC) will not alienate the lovely people that I am meeting here in Minnesota, but I am also hoping that cultural customs will not prevent us from “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). My wife and I hope to entertain more in our home, as we did in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, DC. Maybe some potluck dinners will help thaw the ice.

Being the “new kid” has been tough in many ways, but it’s only been a bit over 6 months. Who knows? Maybe before long I’ll be cross-country skiing and possibly even ice fishing! (Not!)

Dennis R. Edwards

Dennis hails from New York City, by way of Washington, DC. He's a learner and a teacher, a husband and a father, a pastor and servant. His BS degree is from Cornell (in Chemical Engineering), his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and both his MA and PhD (in Biblical Studies) are from The Catholic University of America. Dennis has been in urban ministry for 3 decades, having started churches in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, D.C. He also led a third congregation in Minneapolis, MN. Having served as an Associate Professor of New Testament at North Park Theological Seminary for the last several years, Dr. Edwards is currently the Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of the Seminary at NPTS. Dennis likes to lift weights, ride his bicycle, play racquetball, play around on his saxophone and flute, eat, and read. "Rev. Dr. Dre," as he is affectionately known, has just released his latest book, Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character (2023).

Dennis R. Edwards

Dennis hails from New York City, by way of Washington, DC. He's a learner and a teacher, a husband and a father, a pastor and servant. His BS degree is from Cornell (in Chemical Engineering), his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and both his MA and PhD (in Biblical Studies) are from The Catholic University of America. Dennis has been in urban ministry for 3 decades, having started churches in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, D.C. He also led a third congregation in Minneapolis, MN. Having served as an Associate Professor of New Testament at North Park Theological Seminary for the last several years, Dr. Edwards is currently the Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of the Seminary at NPTS. Dennis likes to lift weights, ride his bicycle, play racquetball, play around on his saxophone and flute, eat, and read. "Rev. Dr. Dre," as he is affectionately known, has just released his latest book, Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character (2023).