I do. I admit it. I love it when the rest of the staff are here, because this is really a great place to work. But I also love it when it's quiet, and I can sit at my desk and read, write, explore the Internet...
I'm an extrovert at heart. At least, so says the last MBTI. And I'm married to an off-the-charts introvert. He likes to spend his Saturdays in relative quiet, storing up his energy for the week to come. Me? I'm looking for something to do, even if it's just go to the local coffeehouse and read in the presence of people. That's how I get energized, at least some of the time: by being around people.
I had a major epiphany this week: I like going to conferences and seminars. Ben does not, even a little. They are like introvert hell to him. All the people, the noise, the displays, the schedule oppress him, while I'm trying to figure out how to leave with 5 or 6 workshops' worth of content when there are only 4 workshops scheduled. I take notes (yes, I'm one of those) and come home and type them up and visit all the recommended websites and look at the books. I'm excited about sharing some of this past week with some of the church folk. I did have a clever notion this week: some of us who seem to turn up at the same events ought to plan ahead a little and share notes...that way I could squeeze more learning out of it than time usually permits mere mortals.
This week I'm researching emergent church online and reading about contemporary worship services. The fun part of all this is taking it back to my own context: this great church in this wonderful community--and figuring out what works for us here in the larger context of what seems to be working for others and what my United Methodist heritage has to offer.
It's all convert's zeal, no doubt. Next week I may be chasing something else. But I've got this sense that God's put me in this place and at this time for a purpose...to learn, to have experiences I couldn't where I was, to develop a sense of who I am in Christ, who I am called to be, and how I can help others find their own way to Christ--how I can help others connect to a community that spans time and space, that lives here and now and is profoundly counter-cultural, even as it speaks to and operates within different cultures.
Ah, who knows...but that's where I am today: somewhere between "what's Sunday's MYF program?" and "what's the meaning of life?"
Maybe I've had a little too much quiet time...I'm outta here!
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