Did you ever think how natural it feels to welcome friends into our homes? It isn't an effort. We're spontaneously kind, thoughtful, and attentive. We wait eagerly for our guests' arrival, and we do all we can to make them feel welcome and comfortable. We want them to feel glad they came and expect that they would want to come again. When we're ushering in a Church of Christ, Scientist, couldn't one of our aims be to offer to all who attend the services the kind of welcome we'd give to guests in our own home?
Ushering, like any other church activity, requires unselfed love. Isn't this something we practice spontaneously when we have guests in our homes? Wasn't it expressed by Christ Jesus when he washed the feet of the disciples? See John 13:3-15. Unselfed love is a Christlike quality that has its source in divine Love, God, and evidences the fact that God made man in His likeness, to express His love. Placing love for God and for man in His likeness first in our affections guides and directs all that we do in performing our duties in church. This unselfed love actually nullifies any suggestion that ushering is merely a routine assignment someone has to do periodically.
Since our experience, including church work, is shaped by what we understand of God, divine Principle, as we actively strive to love more, serve more, and prepare ourselves to give as well as receive inspiration at the church services, we'll really help wonderful things to happen. When we strive in our daily rounds to live what we understand of our oneness with God, we won't have to try to turn warmth and hospitality on when we serve in church. Such daily demonstration helps us to arrive at church spiritually prepared to support steadfastly the true idea of Church, which Mrs. Eddy defines as "the structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle." Science and Health, p. 583.
