1986 Ushers
Ushers: God's Hidden Helpers
Caroline Tan
I look at my watch. It's 9.08 a.m. Uh-oh, I'm late for the Sunday service, I'm not sure if there are any more seats left.
As I enter the Sanctuary, the responsive reading is in progress. A cheery smile greets me: "Hello Carol! It's good to see you. How have you been?" It's Seow Yoke, radiating her customary warmth. And not even a word about my tardiness!
She sees me comfortably ensconced in a vacant seat and moves off another late-comer under her wing, but first making sure that I knew the correct page of the reading.
Seow Yoke is a typical example of a group of highly dedicated individuals whose continued presence is essential to the smooth running of the church. Theirs is a service that is little known and all too often, taken for granted. I'm referring to the ushers of PLMC, without whom our Sunday services would be quite incomplete.
Imagine if there were no ushers on hand. We'd have to grope for our own seats. Visitors to the Church would be entirely in the dark. Communion would be in chaos! No one to guide the flow of human traffic to and from the altar. The result would be something akin to an Orchard Road traffic jam at rush-hour!
Yet there was a period of PLMC's history when there was no formal team of ushers. That was way back in 1970. Luckily, there were exceptional people such as Mrs. Catherine Chiang and Mrs. R.S. Rasiah who, on their own initiative, took up the task of ushering. Theirs was a pioneering effort that has evolved into a highly effective group of ushers.
You may also like
Ushering
1985 Floral Ministry
Ushers' Ministry
One protege of Mrs. Chiang's was Mrs. Iris Khoo who took over the ushering reins in 1970. Under her charge, four teams of ushers were formed (two for the 9 a.m. service and two for the 11 a.m. service).
What is a day in the life of an usher like? For one thing, few people realise that ushers perform a very important function in public relations. Consider this - who do you encounter when you first step into the Sanctuary for service? The usher, of course! Contrary to popular belief, first impressions do count a great deal. So when you're met with a joyous greeting first thing in church, chances are, you'll continue your day on a lighter step.
The usher's day begins in the morning before each service. They prepare the Sanctuary by laying out the offering bags for the collection of tithes and they cordon off the back row. This is not so much to restrict the congregation's choice of seating as to maintain a semblance of order during the service. As the attendance swells, the ropes are removed accordingly. During combined services when the entire congregation turns out in full force plus friends plus visitors, not a few ushers have been known to give up their seats to some of the elderly ones.
One little known fact about the ushers is their hidden talent at babysitting! I remember a service when one particularly active toddler insisted on doing his rounds during the sermon and making himself known to various members of the congregation. The quick-witted usher came to the rescue and took the youngster by the hand on a walk around the church garden to expend the little one's surplus energy.
As can be seen, an usher's life is not an uninteresting one. But the key issue here is: service, It's not just a matter of showing people to their seats. It is a very valid way of serving God, an expression of love.
I know of several ushers who have told me that ushering provides them with the wonderful opportunity of mixing around with other people. One said: “Ushering gave me my first chance to get involved in the whirl of church life. As a result, it opened the way to a greater commitment as a Christian. It's also a great way of saying: 'I care!".