God's Doorkeepers

God’s Doorkeepers

Scripture: Psalms 84:10; First Chronicles 9:19-29

Good morning Strangers Rest. Today we are celebrating Stranger’s Rest 99th Usher’s Day. Before I say anything else, I want to ask all current and former ushers of Strangers Rest to stand. On behalf of this Church, thank you for your service!

If you have been in another Church at any time, an usher probably greeted you. An usher is a minister of hospitality and caring in the church. They are generally the first person who greets a visitor, so it is especially important that the right person is appointed to function in this role. From a biblical viewpoint, ushers are considered Levites and therefore the gatekeepers of God’s sanctuary. I will explain this in more detail shortly. Ushers, as the ones who stand at the door, greet, and distribute Church information (programs, offering envelope, etc.), are the ambassadors for the church, and a key part in the Body of Christ. Ushering is a wonderful opportunity to minister to Church members and visitors by way of their attitude towards Jesus and people which is why some people are not equipped to serve in this role. A smile and a gracious greeting are a very warm welcome to church and by giving everyone a heartfelt welcome, ushers help set a welcoming tone for a visitor’s interaction with the congregation, but also with the church service.

Also, ushers know and understand the congregation the best because they assist them and serve them on a regular basis. This intimate knowledge of the congregation enables them to be able to anticipate the individual needs of the members. The ministry of ushering is crucial because it is one of the most visible ministries in the church. When people come to church, they are sometimes burdened, sad or discouraged. Each person, member, or newcomer comes with the hope of having an uplifting experience, a time of renewal and celebration, and to be inspired. A skillful usher helps to make this a reality for those in attendance. The purpose of the usher’s ministry is to assist the pastoral staff and meet, greet, and assist visitors and members, to help maintain order and reverence, and to lead by example. I will not walk you through all the duties an usher has for there are many, but I wanted you to know that this role has a biblical history and should not be taken for granted or entered into lightly.

When you research the role of ushering in the Bible, you will find that the term “usher” is not used. However, biblically, the role is referred to as “doorkeeper or gatekeeper” and the terms were sometimes used interchangeably. Our ushers play a vital role in our worship experience. There are some people who come to Church on Sundays and see their role as being able to worship freely without being responsible for any additional job requirements. That is not so for the usher. They come to Church on Sundays expecting to serve and to make sure everyone has an opportunity to enter the worship experience with minimal distraction. And often they do their jobs without recognition or receiving thanks for what do. So, again, I want to take this time and say “thank you” to our ushers.

Psalms 84:10 says the following, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” This psalm was written by the sons of Korah who were actually gatekeepers. They were identified in First Chronicles 9:19 which says, “Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, from his father's house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the LORD.” Now, to understand this verse, we need to know the duties of the doorkeepers. Based on what is written, they were not referencing watching over their own door assignment for which they had responsibility for but being a doorkeeper for someone else’s door. You see, the doorkeepers normally dwelled in or near the door they were responsible for. They could enter at will. However, others needed permission to enter. Therefore, what they were referencing in the psalm was someone who was able to stand at the doorsill, was able to look in, but could not actually enter. The person could stand at the threshold of God’s house but was not permitted to enter. The sons of Korah said that being able to stand at the doorsill of God’s house without being able to enter it was still better than dwelling in the tents of the wicked. They said it was better to stand outside on the doorsill of God’s house looking in than on the inside of the tents of the wicked. If you imagine being outside in extremely severe weather versus the safe and warm inside of a tent, then this will make a little more sense to you. This is why some scholars said this verse pertains to the meanest place to be – standing on the doorsill and not being able to enter. This “meanest” place was still preferred over the comfortable tents of wicked.