WHEN I WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD, I decided to apply for church membership. I was so excited about doing something important! After I was accepted as a member, the people in charge (I learned later they were called "the board"), asked me what I would like to do for the church. Without a second thought, I said, "Ushering!"
Back then, my definition of an usher was pretty simple. It was someone who stood by the door of the church and said "hello" to everyone. I'm not sure why I wanted to be an usher, but I can remember imagining myself in a suit standing at the door welcoming members and visitors. It felt like such a noble job. At that time, I was more interested in how this job would make me look and feel rather than how this position would support the healing mission of Christian Science. Since then, my concept of ushering has radically changed.
I am beginning to see how important ushering is to the practice of Christian Science healing. I see it as something much more than just a job. Simply looking up usher in the dictionary started this shift in thought. I found words that shepherded my thought toward three different aspects of ushering. First, I realized the need for practical tenderness, love, and spiritual strength when ushering. Other words in the definition made me wrestle with what it means to truly introduce someone to Christian Science. Words such as gives indication of and harbinger pointed to something deeper than just simply voicing the theology of Christian Science. Finally, the words charged with maintaining silence and order helped me realize the necessity of alertness and active mental defense when ushering.
