Before services and between services there are always joyful noises in the foyer of the church. That’s awesome. Lots of chatter. People grabbing the opportunity to catch up with each other. A happy, hopeful scene!
In the sanctuary, however, worship starts promptly at 9 or 11. Why? We want to honour your time, and, more importantly, we want to honour the Lord with meaningful words and songs that bring us into His presence.
For our ushers, the joyful noises in the foyer and the worshipful sounds in the sanctuary present a conflict. Without quenching the excited spirits of those who are just plain happy to see each other again, how do you protect the start of worship? It’s not fun to shush folks with a stern look and a finger pressed against pursed, disapproving lips. And yet, it’s very disturbing for worshipers when the opening words of welcome and the pastor’s greeting are lost in the din of constant traffic streaming in.
The solution? The GUS team (greeters, ushers and security), and the ushers in particular, have been instructed to close the doors at the moment worship begins and to keep them closed until people have been invited to shake hands and share hugs or share hands or shake hugs or whatever it is we’re invited to do with each other after the pastor gives the official greeting, you know, the words that go, “Grace to you and peace, etc.”
What this means, of course, is that those who are late will be held back in the foyer for several minutes at the start of each service.
Now before you conclude that we’re being rude, ask yourself about your experience at a place like Massey Hall or the Shaw Festival. At these venues, concerts and plays start on time and doors are kept closed until an appropriate moment. After the first song, for example. Or during a particular scene in the play, approved by the director of the play.
We love happy sounds in the foyer and know that they can not be contained. But by closing the doors when worship starts, those who seated themselves on time can prepare their hearts for worship and then shake some hands and share some hugs with those who are fashionably late.
If you’re a latecomer, please understand and be kind to the ushers until they open the doors so that you can continue making a joyful noise inside the sanctuary.
- Pastor Peter
In the sanctuary, however, worship starts promptly at 9 or 11. Why? We want to honour your time, and, more importantly, we want to honour the Lord with meaningful words and songs that bring us into His presence.
For our ushers, the joyful noises in the foyer and the worshipful sounds in the sanctuary present a conflict. Without quenching the excited spirits of those who are just plain happy to see each other again, how do you protect the start of worship? It’s not fun to shush folks with a stern look and a finger pressed against pursed, disapproving lips. And yet, it’s very disturbing for worshipers when the opening words of welcome and the pastor’s greeting are lost in the din of constant traffic streaming in.
The solution? The GUS team (greeters, ushers and security), and the ushers in particular, have been instructed to close the doors at the moment worship begins and to keep them closed until people have been invited to shake hands and share hugs or share hands or shake hugs or whatever it is we’re invited to do with each other after the pastor gives the official greeting, you know, the words that go, “Grace to you and peace, etc.”
What this means, of course, is that those who are late will be held back in the foyer for several minutes at the start of each service.
Now before you conclude that we’re being rude, ask yourself about your experience at a place like Massey Hall or the Shaw Festival. At these venues, concerts and plays start on time and doors are kept closed until an appropriate moment. After the first song, for example. Or during a particular scene in the play, approved by the director of the play.
We love happy sounds in the foyer and know that they can not be contained. But by closing the doors when worship starts, those who seated themselves on time can prepare their hearts for worship and then shake some hands and share some hugs with those who are fashionably late.
If you’re a latecomer, please understand and be kind to the ushers until they open the doors so that you can continue making a joyful noise inside the sanctuary.
- Pastor Peter
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