Reading "Introverts in the Church"
Posted by tom | Nov 6, 2009Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture (Adam McHugh, InterVarsity Press, November 2009) arrived today and I've started to read it. Hope Theresa has some interest in chatting about the book during our much needed date night. Below's a quote from Chapter 1. Any comments from friends, whether more heavily oriented toward introversion or extroversion.
The pragmatism that we have inherited fosters an action oriented culture. Evangelicalism values the doer over the thinker. The evangelical God has a big agenda. It’s as if the moment we surrender our lives to Christ we are issued a flashing neon sign that says “GO!” There is a restless energy to evangelicalism that leads to a full schedule and a fast pace. Some have said that, in Christian culture, busyness is next to godliness. We are always in motion, constantly growing, ever expanding.
I’ll never forget the statements a senior pastor of a 300-member congregation uttered when I interviewed for an associate pastor position: “This is a really high-octane environment. We’re looking for someone who is excitable and high energy. You have to be totally sold out to work here. We work full throttle.”
I double-checked my surroundings to make certain I was at a church and hadn’t stumbled into an interview for the pit crew at the Indianapolis Speedway. I would have laughed at his statements if I wasn’t so mortified. I was reminded of Eugene Peterson’s indictment of our brand of Christianity: “American religion is conspicuous for its messianically pretentious energy, its embarrassingly banal prose, and its impatiently hustling ambition.” -- Chapter 1 can be found on-line here.
Note: You may remember my earlier post, For My Introverted AND Extroverted friends, in which I express enthusiasm for the book's release. Since my time at The Changing Face of Ministry: Engaging All Ages in the Mission of the Church and The Authority of Scripture in the Christian Life, it has only increased. More on that later, need time to get-away to read, process, and then chat before writing more.
