by 
As Americans, it’s very natural for us to be on time for something and to leave as soon as it’s over. It’s practically ingrained in us to watch the clock and be punctual. However, because we no longer attend church at a place where we can walk to– some of us drive up to an hour to get to church!– we need to make sure that we take the time on both sides of the service to build our one-anothering that is encouraged in the Scripture.
In Jacob Crouch’s Four Reasons to Be Early to the Sunday Gathering, the one that sticks with me the most is this one:
It’s a way to fellowship with the church
One very big reason we “meet together” is to “stir up one another to love and good works… encouraging each other” (Heb 10:24-25). Our pastors have always encouraged us to consider that even before we start the official liturgy, the time of fellowship is a crucial piece to the Sunday gathering. That’s honestly why we never started on time, because we wanted to see the people of God encouraging one another and stirring one another up. If you only show up once the service starts, you miss out on a really important reason for assembling in the first place.
The whole point is for us to be together. Sure, you should invite people into your home, and fellowship with them everywhere, but is is all that hard to be a little early or stay a little late to welcome visitors and fellowship with your brothers and sisters? What are you rushing to/for anyway?
