During a sermon called Lose the Weight of Shame, local counselor Dr. John Mlinarcik took a live poll. Attendees were asked to indicate how shame shows up in their lives. The results populated a graph on the big screen right before our eyes – except at the 11:00 hour when we had a technology hiccup, for which I feel some shame.
The results from all three worship time slots appear below. Interestingly, the first place “emotional winner” is self-consciousness, and the last place (by far) is shyness. While this poll does not meet the standards for scientific study, the results are still telling. Shame affects us.
| Examples of Shame | 8 a.m. Service | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| A. Shyness | 11% | 4 |
| B. Discouragement | 21% | 3 |
| C. Embarassment | 7% | 5 |
| D. Self-consciousness | 32% | 1 |
| E. Inferiority | 29% | 2 |
| 100% |
| Examples of Shame | 9:30 a.m. Service | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| A. Shyness | 5% | 5 |
| B. Discouragement | 12% | 4 |
| C. Embarassment | 30% | 2 |
| D. Self-consciousness | 37% | 1 |
| E. Inferiority | 16% | 3 |
| 100% |
| Examples of Shame | 11 a.m. Services | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| A. Shyness | 14% | 5 |
| B. Discouragement | 24% | 2 |
| C. Embarassment | 19% | 3 |
| D. Self-consciousness | 27% | 1 |
| E. Inferiority | 16% | 4 |
| 100% |
| Examples of Shame | Combined Summary | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| A. Shyness | 8% | 5 |
| B. Discouragement | 15% | 4 |
| C. Embarassment | 25% | 2 |
| D. Self-consciousness | 35% | 1 |
| E. Inferiority | 17% | 3 |
| 100% |



