"Introverts in the Church"

Written primarily for introverted ministers or ministers seek to not ostracize introverts, this book aims to show that (a) introverts are gifted by God and (b) have useful places in the church, not least in leadership. He begins with an analysis of introversion and extroversion, and he traces the evangelical bias towards extroversion back through the centuries to religious revivals in the colonial era. 

McHugh argues that introverts are gifted by God and have roles to play; introversion isn't an accident, and it isn't something to be ashamed of. He examines how evangelical spirituality is focused on DOING, DOING, DOING, and spiritual prowess is measured by how much you're involved in social events in the church and how charismatic you are in your devotion. Introverts are often seen as aloof, disconnected, not a part of the community, and are often told they need to grow in their faith to become "more like Christ" (that is, extroverted). He looks at how introverts are wired to live differently, and how spiritual practices such as lectio divina, the Examen, and various monastic habits are suited for introverts and have been bedrock practices in the life of christendom (although they have been largely forgotten in extroverted Western churches).

A considerable bulk of the book is written for introverted ministers, of whom there are quite a few. He lists prominent ministers throughout America who identify as introverts, and the names would shock you, as would their confessions about what ministry can be like for them: exhausting and draining. My favorite quip is one who said that he HATED the hour after church because he was expected to converse with everyone. Really, it does sound a lot like hell. McHugh shows how the most recent paradigms for leadership with charismatic, outgoing leaders at the top of the food chain is slowly being disassembled for a paradigm making more than enough room for introverted leaders. Introverts have countless gifts and talents to bring to the table, and as Western bias is shifting away from extroversion, the common sense of these assets are coming to light. 

He rounds out the book with a chapter on introverted evangelism and another on introverts in the church: "How can churches not ostracize introverts? By what criteria should an introvert choose a church?" A quote caught my eye: "[When] introverts enter into worship, we are apt to come trembling before a God whose mysterious otherness often reduces us to silent awe. For us, quite is often the context for heartfelt worship. For centuries a 'sanctuary' was not only a holy place for worship but also a safe harbor for refugees. When introverts go to church, we crave sanctuary in every sense of the word, as we flee from the disorienting distractions of twenty-first-century life. We desire to escape from superficial relationships, trivial communications and the constant noise that pervade our world, and find rest in the probing depths of God's love. We want to hear God's voice, which comes to us more often in whispers than in triumphant shouts." (191) I identify with all that, and I wonder if my love for old-fashioned, traditional services comes from that. My favorite church gathering took place in a decrepit wooden church in the backwoods of the Appalachian mountains in Tennessee; we lit candles, gathered in the pews, took time to sit quiet and still in prayer and awe before God. My second favorite was somewhere near New Carlisle, a small and whitewashed country church, where they sang hymns and various people read scripture or gave thoughts, very simple and quiet. Perhaps this is the reason I envy the churchgoers of colonial America. 

I really liked the chapter on evangelism, or at least part of it (I generally don't like it when evangelism is boiled down to Tips & Techniques, if only because my brain doesn't work on what some would call a "pragmatic" level). McHughemphasizes that while evangelism has been tailored towards extroverts by evangelical Christianity, this doesn't give introverted Christians a free pass: evangelism and discipleship are integral to the Christian life. He argues that the "sales pitch" style of Western evangelism is skewed towards extroverts, but introverts evangelize through their compassion, their listening, their ability to be a companion to another in times of trial and hurt. I'll be honest: I don't get pumped about evangelism. It's not that I'm afraid of conflict, it's that I just love harmony. Besides, the "dark nature of epistemology"--the fact that none of us can ever really KNOW anything--makes evangelism as a sales pitch revolting. Who am I to tell someone that my beliefs are absolutely true and they should conform to them when (a) if I'm honest with myself, I can't be one hundred percent that my beliefs are true, and (b) humility demands that we confess that there's no way we're right about everything we believe. At the least, I'd say, twenty percent of what I believe about the world is wrong--and those can be big things or little things. 

McHugh's advocacy of dialogue as evangelism brings me a sort of comfort. Let's admit that (a) we all have metanarrative, ways that we see the world, and that (b) our worldviews are the lens through which we interpret what we experience. Let's also admit that the nature of epistemology means we should be humble, but not the sort of humility where you claim to believe nothing. We all believe things to be true in the absence of definitive proof. We have assumptions and presuppositions, frameworks for sizing up and interpreting the data that comes at us, and we all have more than a little bit of bias in the things we believe. Let's admit that there are multiple ways of interpreting reality that are justifiable, though some are more justifiable than others. I think that if we can respect one another's views, even when we disagree with their conclusions or arguments, and if we can be civil human beings, good talks will be had and both of us may learn something (after all, everyone's right about some things and wrong about others). We're all trying to make sense of reality, reshaping our worldviews in tweaks and leaps, in the interplay of experience and interpretation. We're all pilgrims in the Unknown, on the road to Somewhere; a little bit of camaraderie would be nice, and beneficial.