Introverts and Church

[newmom2008]

Ive never liked regular church attendance, because I don't like being in large groups of people. Mega-churches make my skin crawl. I now attend a very small church and I feel comfortable there.

[radames]

That was well said radames!

 It's nice to know that there are some people who call themselves christians , who still remember the basic meaning behind the word...and not just getting caught up in the hype of it all!

 I watched this fascinating show once about people in the Andalusion mountains (did I spell that right?)
 These were the original "hillbilly's" with the grandma on the rocking chair , on the porch, with her shotgun lying over her lap.
 They believe that Jesus is represented by the serpent, and actually IS the serpent...and so the head church guy , without a second thought, places himself in the snake pits with hundreds of snakes writhing around him, and proceeds to drink the snakes venom from a jar...as do all the congregation. 
 This shows their faith in jesus and they have built up such a tolerance of the poison that noone hardly ever gets sick from it. This reverend did get bitten though and was very close to deaths door...but made a comeback and couldn't wait to jump back in the pit again! So extreme!

This sounds like an extreme version of a snake handler's holiness church where they dance around with poisonous snakes in order to prove their faith.  I never really got on board with that approach.    Maybe they think my faith is too weak?

[radames]

Radames.  I relate.  Perhaps you are a type of Jesus and your wife is your church.

The Good Book does say that husbands are supposed to love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for the church.  So, I think that the result of this love I have for my wife is from God and looks a lot like what church is supposed to look like without a lot of control and "expertise" from us lowly humans. 

[flame]

 I just find it funny that there is a scientific reason as to why they all don't die from the poison...I'm sure they did once initially get sick from it though and built up their immunity (but don't want to mention that part as it takes away from the "miracle"of it all! It's kind of like a big fat lie they all told themselves at some point, that "their jesus" loves them so much that they can drink him and be immortal or invulnerable or something...which is so like a teenage and early twenties mentality! It's like a party trick that got out of hand and evolved into an act of "faith"or something?

[Introvert Zone]

I have heard more than one minister say that you can't really be a Christian the way Jesus wanted us to if you do not worship WITH other people.  That is a big problem for me too.  I am a Christian but I just have to drag myself to church for two reasons.  The first is that awful time when I first get there.   I'm divorced so I have to go alone and sit near other people I don't know or hardly know.  Then to add insult to injury  the minister always asks us to "take a minute and greet those around you."    If I could just go into a place, sit down quietly and hear a good, well-researched Bible lesson, that is what I'd like to do! 

[Jose]

I find church attendance to be tough too.  Sometimes after a long work week I don't have the energy to attend to others.  I need some alone time. I did not go today.  Today was the first of the month when we have an agape meal together.  And that would add another hour or two to today's service, making it over 3 1/2 hours long.   I just finished working 6 days straight, will get only today off, before going back to work tomorrow. So time is a very big issue with me.  I do not like missing service as it is mandated to worship with others in the Bible.  I take the Bible at its Word.

The reason we are mandated to worship in groups is because it helps us to become more Christ-like.  As we learn to deal with others in a Christian way, we become more Chris-like.  Our rough edges get smoothed, usually not a pleasant process, and we help to serve others.  Again I don't like missing service, but today would have been to rough and left me with little time to energize before going back to work.

[Charlie]

In an attempt to satiate my wife I attended church this past Sunday. 

The preacher revealed that he was an actor who decided to attend seminary instead.

He implored us to become involved with church and warned that

"analysis is paralysis"

Oh how I wish I had been paralysed by my gift of analysis instead of being coerced into failed attempts to be an extrovert by so many preachers in the past.

[stromssa]

I was generally comfortable in my home church, a small, friendly congregation (United Methodist). I was confirmed there and joined the choir.
My husband is Catholic and since we married 3 years ago I have been attending Mass with him. At first, it was like stepping into a different country (though, ironically, my mother's family had been Catholic for years before having a falling-out with the church back in the early 20th century over a baby dying and being buried in 'hell's corner' of a cemetery (the "limbo" thing). Long story. Anyway, I appreciate the formality and sacramental nature of the Mass...at my home church, my pastor is into congregation-participation rituals and exercises...kind of "new-agey" stuff that makes me at times uncomfortable, like I'm making a spectacle of myself...it's the sort of stuff that belongs to spiritual retreats but not necessarily in actual church services, in my opinion.

[Charlie]

Stromssa,

I've attended Catholic mass several times and I have the  same issue there as I do at the Protestant church where my wife attends. 

When the speaker makes statements which I think are debatable there is no good forum to resolve my conflict without appearing to be opposed to Christ, who I believe is God.

In fact I think Judas error was that he didn't take his conflict regarding Christ directly to Him but instead conspired behind His back.

We treat preachers and priests much the same way as Christ was treated by Judas. 

I detest this approach for both deeply held spiritual beliefs that oppose not speaking the truth, privately and in love with those who we disagree with and because it goes against my introverted nature to keep deeply personal issues to myself.

I can think of nothing more personal than my beliefs about how God will deal with my inadequacy whether accidental, purposeful or because of designs that I had no choice in making.

If church was a center for the arts and a place of healing for widows and orphans I would like that.

[INTROSPECTIVE]

I have gotten a lot out of the Unitarian Universalist church - a lot of innies tend to join this church

[Boroos]

As one I am who attends Church regulaly I am not too surprised by what I am reading although it does distress me somewhat. Because I am an introvert I am most comfortable and respond better in services that are more quiet and orderly than extroverts seem to like. I do not like situations where new people are singled out for attention and will not return to a Church where this happens. The main thing that I look for in a service is to feel that Jesus is made known and exalted. This can be done without a lot of noise and shouting etc. Some denominations tend to be more comfortable for introverts than others.

[psappington82]

There's a great book about the subject that was released in November 2009 simply titled Introverts in the Church by Adam S. McHugh, an introverted Presbyterian minister who strspamled with his own introversion.  I am an introverted Pentecostal (how's THAT for an oxymoron!) who has found life-changing validation for my temperament.  McHugh includes Marti Laney's book for source material.  His website is www.introvertedchurch.com if you are interested.

[radames]

It's funny how much can change in a year.  I did a little bit of research and realized that common sense and evidential truth is so much more important to me than feeling emotional highs.  It makes me feel less judged and condemned for things that are manipulated to control others.