Over at Evangelical Outpost, Rachel Motte reviews a book called Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture. Looks fascinating, and (in my humble opinion) it’s long overdue.
I probably don’t need to mention that this is an issue of considerable interest to me (though to call myself an introvert is a gross understatement). I’ve heard of churches where every single member is required, as a condition of membership, to do house-to-house visitation. It seems to me that that kind of one-size-fits-all Christianity is entirely false to the true nature of the church. As the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:14-20, “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body…. But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
A church, as I understand it, isn’t meant to look at its membership and say, “Where can we find people to do this and this and this?” It shouldn’t try to shoehorn members into pre-defined roles. Instead, the leadership ought to understand that God has already given them the parts He intends, for the sort of ministry He has in mind. They should get to know their fellow members, and prayerfully try to set each one to work doing what God has gifted him (or her) to do.
That’s not to say that a certain amount of personal growth isn’t necessary, or that people can’t learn to do things they’ve never thought of before. But I think many churches are in the position of the man who looks at himself in a mirror, decides he’s too short, and resolutely sets about finding a way to be taller. God (one assumes) made him the height he is for a reason.
As I mention in my comment to Rachel’s review, I attended a church years back (in Florida) whose pastor was also an introvert. He preached extremely well, and many people came to listen to him. But he himself admitted that he was poor at the one-on-one aspects of the ministry. He was blessed with an understanding board of elders, who were willing to back him up by finding others, both assistant pastors and laity, to take much of that burden off him. That church was dynamic and growing, one of the most exciting churches I’ve ever been involved in.
I heard of this book. It’s easy from my perspective to believe that being a really good Christian is to be an outgoing, gathering type. Maybe that’s because I work with evangelists. But looking for discipling relationships is what all Christians–well, mature Christians–should do, isn’t it? That can be done in an introverted way, like service or literature.
I’m going to have to get this book.
I remember a story that stuck with me, from Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. Corrie and her sister helped their father run the watch repair shop. He’d arbitrarily decided that the sister should help him with actual repairs, and Corrie should deal with customers. Both of them hated the work. One day their father realized the problem, and switched their jobs. From then on everyone was happy.
…Introverts in Church…. I was going to ask our church librarian if we had that book on our shelves…but I was too shy really to ask…..
Our pastor has been doing his thing here for 30 years now… plans on 25 more.
Until last year, he NEVER talked to anyone in the membership, especially if they told him they liked his sermon. He never visited a sick person. He told us if they saw him in a hospital room praying for someone, they must assume that person was dead or dying.
Most people wondered if he was angry at them… but one Sunday he finally confessed and said he was sorry for just being so shy. He had grown up on a tiny farm and never really wanted to leave his cows.
One day his cows all died. After that he went out on the beach for a 4 day Christian seminar on praying…(He just wanted a 4 day break all by himself for a stress release), but instead prayed half the time with many others and half the time prayed with just the Lord.
Prayed for a full 4 days. Came back and decided he would become our pastor.
Since then, 30 years ago, he and the Lord have built up our church from 6 people to about 1800 in a small country town of 3000. We have no debt.
We always pray for a week or two before we do something big or if we need something. (The Lord seems to have always answered our needs. (His idea.)
Goal making/keeping, praying and Bible reading are the center pieces of our church. (That’s in reverse order for some reason..) (These three things are of course his idea too.)
For over 20 years, the pastor has been giving seminars for pastors of all faiths. We’ve had pastors attend from England and Japan. The pastor travels the world now giving his seminar in many many different churches. He is a fantastic teacher/preacher. We know he loves us…now….
If the Lord can use such a guy as this, well, you know…….
Praise the Lord for using such a man. Thanks, John.
I think it was C. S. Lewis who observed that God has a good sense of humor. He won’t use a proper sword if the jawbone of an ass would do.
Oddly enough, that wasn’t Lewis, it was me, in Wolf Time. Thanks for boosting my ego.
Oops, but not a particularly big oops. Most people have overlarge egos for the job they should be doing in life. I think your problem is the reverse.
Speaking of which, have you contacted the publisher about the sequel to West Oversea? It’s been long enough to quantify return on investment in dollars, even if it hasn’t been long enough for the real ROI in souls.
I’ve heard or read somewhere that introverts gain energy from solitude, whereas extraverts gain energy from being with people. It’s a mistake to equate introversion with a lack of people skills.
Gotta pick on Lars again…….
Since a new book was mentioned… I still believe you should write a “saga” about Norway, her sons and why they left her in the 1800s.
You have a lot of material just in your family letters and with a little research, you could come up with info on the boat trip over here and what the newbies had to see in settling in Minn. or Iowa or etc….
Look at dreams lost and dreams fulfilled. This could be quite an accomplishment… a life’s work…
Hollywood could come tromping to your door and offer you inducements beyond your wildest dreams. There could be an even bigger Lars fan club than there is now! Just think of all the girls who would come to see you there in the book-store and seek your “autograph”…
Then there are the little Lars action figures that you could get royalties on. The Lars comic books. Interviews on FOX and those kind of networks… Why, even parents would point to you or your photo and tell their kids that they all hope the kids would become like the Great Lars!
Soon you would have trouble going to your reenactments.
Just think of all the new or re-emerged industries you would bring about!
A new clothing style would emerge.
All the teens would be wearing chain mail. (BTW
chain mail here, hand made without rivets costs about $700 to $800!) AND the chain mail jewelry!
That stuff sells, let me tell you!
Viking helmet sales would go through the roof!!! (‘Course think of all those cows we’d have to knock off for their horns for the helmets…)
Then there are the Viking swords! Well!, Viking swords..that alone would stimulate the national economy just by itself!!!
From all the dead cows, you’d be getting a new interest in beef meat! And leather goods would sky-rocket as the kids then their parents decided the “Lars Look” was the only IN way to dress!!!
I can just see it now; You, shining in all your finest Viking hardware, strutting down the red-carpet with some slinky babe on your arm as you come to accept ALL the Academy Awards for all the great things your saga/movie accomplished.
To maintain your humble image, you would have had to let Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks play the lead in this first of many more movies to come…. So, one of them would have had the best actor award… It happens…
So, old fellow, no excuses! You owe it to the nation, to us, to the children, to yourself!
Take that first giant step and start on your next wonderful word-mobile.
ps: when do i start getting paid by the word?
Ori, I’ve decided I’m going to hold off on submitting another book to this publisher until I learn from experience how he does business on the payout end. I should learn the answer to that soon.
John, the epic has already been written, by Johan Bojer and Ole Rolvaag, plus a Swedish version by Wilhelm Moberg (which was made into two movies with Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman).
Ah! Well, Lars, There you have it! A book written long ago and two movies made long ago with over-acting actors. I haven’t read the book but I have seen parts of the movies. As much as I enjoy Max, I thought the whole thing was a bit on the dark side.
Your new version, your new saga could be the Christian triumph of these Norway/American trekkers… NOT dark, brooding, sex-starved/longers of previous times.
AND, if all else fails… you can always revert to the true American standard; Plagiarize!
Remember, you are living in the times of the Obamas. Everything is ok. If caught in your plagiarism, you just say you mis-wrote, and you were mis-quoted and then pretend that you are a victim of discrimination!
If still pressed, you go on radio or TV and say how much you love Mao or Stalin, you are anti-capitalism and someday you hope Obama’s grandchildren are still on the Sou/Nor American throne.
So, Lars, you gotta keep those little action figures in mind and how a generation of little kids need to know the true Viking story of our grandparents…or great grandparents.