Article October 6, 1951 Issue

USHERING AT OUR CHURCH SERVICES

MARTHA HEIDRICH

One of the important offices in a Church of Christ, Scientist, or a Christian Science Society is that of usher. When one has the privilege of serving as an usher, it may be helpful for him to realize that the services are a spiritual feast to which all men are being invited by the local branch church or society. Hence the chief duty of an usher lies in the prayerful work he does for the church services, work which is reflected in the way he carries out his duties.

An usher is, as it were, a representative of the host, receiving and welcoming the guests. Let him, then, do all in his power to make guests comfortable and welcome. Just as a host or hostess sees that everything is ready for a friendly reception by having everything clean and orderly, and as attractive as possible with the means available, so the usher will give attention to what might be thought of as technical duties.

The first representative of the church a visitor usually meets is the usher. It behooves the usher, therefore, to be conscious of his privilege and responsibility, for according to the way he gives a welcome will the guest feel either a sense of warmth and well-being, the source of which he cannot perhaps explain, or stiff formality and coolness, which do not make for the joyous expectation that is a prerequisite to the entertainment of divine thoughts. In proportion to his understanding of his true nature as God's reflection will the usher express kindness, joyousness, and helpfulness, which will cause visitors to feel welcome and make them want to come again. Other important qualities for the usher to express are love, humility, friendliness, obedience, faithfulness to duty, punctuality, and order.

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