crlsweetie912 said:
RR:
I just didn't want to jump froggy off the bat and kind of see what other people were saying but here goes.
1. If you come into the sanctuary, it's OUR JOB to Help you find a seat. 9 times out of 10, I could care less where you sit unless it's reserved or a closed area. So it doesn't bother me if you don't want to sit where I suggest.
2. We seat people to be orderly. Wandering around the sanctuary for 15 minutes looking for a seat is a distraction and not very polite.
3. Our services are recorded for sale and for broadcast. So we have directives to seat at the front of the church first, so the back part of the sanctuary is closed until we fill up the front. But we have every Tom Dick and Mary, wanting to sit in the back row. My pastor says time and time again about filling up from the front, but people are always so disobedient!
4. Coming in 15 minutes before service ends and wanting your usual seat up towards the front of the sanctuary?
erplexed
5. Trying to enter/exit the sanctuary during prayer/scripture readings. This burns me to no end. And getting angry when an usher won't let you into the sanctuary. Just disrespectful.
Being an usher is an EXTREMELY difficult and challenging postion. It's not an easy thing to do to stand on your feet for most of the service, count the attendees, check to see if visitors are seen to their seats, monitor for crying babies, carry 50-11 people who are "in the spirit" EVERY service to their seats, etc. I LOVE BEING AN USHER. I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing in my church. Please realize that we are people too! And we have an important job to do!
Like klb120475, I hope you feel better now, crlsweetie912!
(((HUG))) You alright! Basically all of what you shared happens in some form or fashion at every church and you're right: ushering AIN'T NO JOKE! It takes MUCH GRACE and PATIENCE....
And before I begin, let me say that I know that every church has it's own "culture", way of doing things, if you will, so my responses are based on that....
Agree with what you said re. the role and purpose of the usher. And I understand about the need for order, esp. for audio/video recording purposes (our church does, too) And plus it's distracting for the service as well when people are walking aimlessly. I mean, where are you going?
That's funny about coming into church late and still wanting the (usual) seat for service. My pastor has put enough folk ON BLAST for that so that has basically stopped occurring.... What's that scripture? Rebuke them openly so others may fear? Whooooo!
Again, totally with you about the walking during prayer and scripture readings. Those are sacred moments (the whole service is supposed to be sacred but you follow my point)....
Here's what I'm getting: One thing we have to realize is that (some of) today's church visitors/members are not "churched", if you will. They may have not had exposure to church-going and simply may not be aware of the sacredness of the service and what things are acceptable or not. So patience is definitely needed.
Do the ushers pray together before the service starts?
Do you all have any type of training or rehearsal or regular meeting schedule to discuss issues and concerns that you can share with the pastor so the pastor can tell, admonish, chastise, and correct the flock about disrespecting the ushers?
Oh! About having to carry the people who are "supposedly in the spirit" back to their seat? That's funny to me because at my church, esp. the "regulars", have gotten left on the floor a time or two until they figure it out.... or you catch them before they get all the way wound up.... you just start guiding them to their seat while rubbing their back saying "Amen; Hallelujah...yes, yes, yes, Lord"
... and when they try to run, you just grab 'em real quick!
I'm not talking about a person who is "for real" with theirs, but sometimes you can just look like "you know what, you need to go sit down!"
