I’m not a shy introvert—I’m a social introvert.
I used to come to church right on time as a single, and I had my reasons. As an introvert and Enneagram 5 (if Enneagram speaks to you), I am always finding ways to conserve my energy. That initial social interaction before Sunday worship is a lot for me. I want to pour out my all during worship, and then whatever was left of me would be reserved for the fellowship that took place after service (at least, that was my train of thought).
However, after I got married and my husband became a pastor, coming to church right on time was no longer an option, especially with our one-car life. After four years of marriage and navigating life with our baby, I’m beginning to see why coming to church early—not five minutes early, but early enough to catch a few good conversations—actually makes sense.
Ease Into Socialization
You walk in less overwhelmed, with less pressure to say hi to everyone you walk by. You have more time to get situated and find meaningful interactions. You notice that there are far fewer people when you arrive thirty minutes early, and there’s this sweet margin of time just to be.
Catch Conversations You Would Never Catch
As soon as service ends, some dash out the door to avoid the many potential awkward greetings. Others head to the bathrooms, pick up their kids, or have somewhere else to be—whatever it may be, the pace after service moves fast.
The pace before service is slow and gentle, and it allows you to connect with people you will likely miss post-service. And why do I feel like the breeding ground for good conversations is not in the hustle and bustle, but in the quiet, slower settings?
Unite With Your Community
As the countdown to worship continues, you spend several moments in the presence of your brothers and sisters. We give ourselves this dedicated time to intentionally step outside of our own inward thoughts (it requires conscious effort for me to be present in large settings) and focus on the interests of others. When we do this, it won’t be long before we find ourselves being filled with gratitude and warmth in our hearts, slowly preparing ourselves to receive what God has for us.
What started off as an obligatory act—coming early with my pastor husband—led to realizations about the benefits of arriving early as an introvert, which then led to a deeper spiritual understanding: Oh, it’s not about arriving early. It’s not really about easing into conversations as an introvert either. It’s about preparing our hearts to worship alongside others.
I’m still an introvert. I still find ways to conserve my energy. I still don’t crave walking into large rooms filled with people.
But I’m realizing that I don’t want my desire to conserve my energy to dictate my presence within my community. Continuously showing up early has become a small act of surrender and my personal way of preparing to worship alongside my brothers and sisters.
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