Article November 19, 1938 Issue

Ushering

WYLIE H. FORBES

Our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, in reply to greetings sent to her on one occasion by the ushers of The Mother Church, thanked them for "ushering into our church the hearers and the doers of God's Word" (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 352). One dictionary definition of the verb "usher" is "to introduce." An usher might therefore be properly characterized as one who introduces or ushers in the strangers and attendants at our church services, so that they may hear the truth, and, in due course, become active doers of God's Word. What a glorious opportunity is thus presented to our ushers to show forth such qualities as sincerity, joy, inspiration, law, order, and universal love!

Sincerity is of great importance in the work of an usher. Like the tone of a perfectly cast bell, sincerity rings true and is harmonious. It denotes strict honesty in thought and deed, believing what we say and doing what we know accords with Principle.

Christ Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." The Master is our Way-shower, and if we follow his guidance and use his instructions, our ushering will necessarily be joyous. Whence came our Master's joy? Was it not from his realization of his at-one-ment with the Father? Mrs. Eddy writes (Miscellany, p. 242), "Unless you fully perceive that you are the child of God, hence perfect, you have no Principle to demonstrate and no rule for its demonstration." In the degree that each usher realizes that, in reality, he is now and forever the perfect child of God, of Love, and that the same is true of all, will joy be reflected in his ushering.

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