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December 23, 2011  David Murray   2 comments

Controversy
How to disagree the right way
Stephen Altrogge supplies three questions to help us say “You’re wrong” in the right way.

Polemic Theology
And Roger Nicole adds three more. By the time you’ve asked all six questions, the disagreement may well have passed.

Introverts
True Confession: Life as an introvert
It’s weird but I can 100% identify with everything in Ron Edmondson’s confession!

For shy worshippers, church can be overwhelming
The Huffington Post interviews Adam McHugh, author of Introverts in the Church. I’ve given this book to two people recently, and both found it liberating.

Preaching
Block diagramming
Found this excellent step-by-step guide to block diagramming the other day.

Practical Tips for Expository Preachers
Five tips Alistair Begg learned from an older pastor when he was a student.

  • http://www.poffclan.blogspot.com Trisha

    Have you read McHugh’s book? I’m almost done and was quite surprised that this one has been recommended by so many. While he definitely doesn’t encourage introverts to withdraw, and he does make some good points encouraging community, he also doesn’t seem to hold the Word and hearing of the Word in it’s proper view. Our experiences and contemplations seem quite elevated, dangerously so over the Word. Here are some examples…

    “Experiment with lectio divina and other contemplative forms of prayer and Scripture reading during church services. Find creative opportunities for wordless communication. Make symbols central. Appeal to the imagination. Create experiences that address senses other than hearing, such as the visual and the tactile. Incorporate art and prayer stations and acoustic music into worship. Give open-ended questions that leave introverts with things to chew on after they leave. Have components in worship that might make extroverts feel uncomfortable.”

    “The goal of solitude is encounter with God,and the outworking of that encounter is transformation.”

    “Although we possess God’s self-revelation in the Bible, God can never be encapsulated by words on a page or confined by precise doctrines.” “if we wish to have a more profound experience with God….(it’s) a matter of sensing God on a different level that transcends words and rational thought.”

    There are definitely strong postmodern leanings and heavy reliance on mysticism throughout the book. McHugh even supports a church’s embracing a man as one of their elders even though the man doesn’t even agree with their doctrine.

    Overall, I would not recommend this book, and I’d love to hear more thoughts from you as to why you would. I’ve appreciated so much of your writings here.

    Thank you!

  • http://headhearthand.org/blog/ David Murray

    Yes, Trisha, these are good points that you make. I certainly don’t hand out this book without caveats. I should have made that clear. The strength of the book is really more in raising awareness for a much neglected and maginalized (though common) personality type in the Western Church. I don’t agree with all of Adam’s prescriptions/remedies, but I think he’s done valuable work in raising the issue and starting an important discussion about how to minister to them and involve them in ministry.