✝ Daily Encouragement (2/3/25) "On Being A Doorkeeper"

Published: Mon, 02/03/25

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Monday, February 3, 2025

Kraybill Church Road horse and buggy
We always get a warning with our barking dogs when a horse and buggy passes our house. You'd think they would get used to it by now, but I'm not sure that we are after living here 24 years now! I always stop and look!
Ester took this photo.

"On Being A Doorkeeper"

Message summary: If you are a doorkeeper (greeter) realize the value in your service for Christ.

Listen to our message on your audio player.

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Psalm 84:10).

Church greeter

Yesterday I (Stephen) served as a "door opener" at an entrance to our church. My assignment was to greet people as they entered as well as open and close the outer door to keep the cold air out of the foyer. I enjoy this type of service being a slightly outgoing person and most would say I have a loud voice. I greeted people as they entered with, "Welcome to the house of the Lord , we are so pleased to see you".

It's interesting to watch the variety of people coming to church. Older folks slowly approaching with the help of their walkers, young families with children, people with a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. My favorite was the young couples walking in holding hands with the man carrying a Bible. I would greet them by reminding them to build their relationship on God's foundation. It wasn't that many Methuselah years ago that we were that young couple.

Wilfred Nelson During my time of service yesterday greeters from our years in pastoral ministry came to mind. I think of Wilfred, a simple man, who faithfully greeted folks and handed them a bulletin at the entrance door for many years at the church we served in northern PA. It meant so much to him and to this day I am sure people who attended that church remember him.

Then I remember Fred, who probably still greets at the door of the country church we attended for many years here in Lancaster County. He's my age and has had the same job at the same company since high school. I called him Steady Freddy!

Greeters have an important role. Brooksyne remembers an article she read when we were very young in ministry which she has never forgotten.

An elderly woman was home bound for many months and the thing she missed most was attending church on Sundays and being with her brothers and sisters in Christ. Day after day she looked eagerly in the mail for a card and hoped for a phone call from a church member letting her know she was missed, but none came.

Finally she mustered enough strength to attend church on a Sunday morning. She called a church friend to pick her up since she was no longer able to drive and he agreed to drive her there. She had pictured in her mind those who would be there to greet her and looked forward to shaking hands with the pastor but, sad to say, she was not even noticed. The church folks were busy with various duties or visiting with their friends and completely overlooked the woman who had longed for fellowship but found none that morning.

That story has stayed with me now for probably 45 years and keeps me on the lookout for anyone who may just need a handshake, a friendly greeting, or a word of encouragement. It's a bit harder in a really large church such as we attend currently. But I still often walk up to someone sitting alone in a pew and greet them before or after church. I find them warmly receiving my greeting, sometimes with a look of surprise, and on occasion they even thank me for stopping to say "hi", when in reality it is I who receives the blessing. 

Prior to my service yesterday I had considered our daily text and wondered to what extent I was like a doorkeeper. "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Psalm 84:10).

It's an interesting text from a brief Psalm written not by David, but the sons of Korah, who wrote eleven of the Psalms. They were essentially the worship leaders at the time of King David.

The Doorkeeper was responsible for opening the gate of the Temple so people could come into the presence of the Lord. We, too, have the awesome call to usher people into the presence of God. A greeter can help to set the tone of one's first impression of a church body.

The verse contrasts the setting of those being outside at the entrance of God's house to those being inside the dwelling of the wicked. Also perhaps the doorkeeper was considered a lowly position and that we are to prefer to be small in the house of God than to be prominent or feel "at home" in the ways of the wicked.

Another sense should be that our love for God should be so strong that no matter the circumstances or where we serve we should just want to be with God, and be a part of whatever God is doing.

So, today, if you are a doorkeeper (greeter) realize the value in your service for Christ.


Be encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying manDaily prayer: Father, we're admonished by Paul to think of others before we think of ourselves, to look out not only for our own interests but also to take an interest in others as well. In our "Me first" society that often promotes thinking such as "do whatever makes you happy" we instead look to Scripture as our highest authority which shows us ways to help lighten another's load as we help to bear another's burdens in our sojourn here below. Amen.


Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Better is One Day"   Watch on YouTube  Matt Redman  A song based on our daily text

"House Of The Lord"   Watch on YouTube   Phil Wickham   A great song to begin a worship service with!

Psalm 84 (I'm Home)  Watch on YouTube  Shane & Shane


Brave The Dark

"Brave The Dark" This last weekend we saw a movie that is set right here in Lancaster County. We saw several landmarks we recognized like a scene at the Shady Maple. It's about a teacher's impact on a troubled student.

"When Mr. Deen discovers one of his students has been living out of his car and thrown into jail, he decides to bail him out. Determined to curb Nate’s self-destructive behavior, Mr. Deen quickly discovers a host of dark secrets that are slowly tearing Nate apart. What started as a good deed becomes a desperate fight to save Nate from his own demons. As Nate spirals deeper into despair, Mr. Deen must decide how far he’s willing to go to save a kid on the brink of losing everything—even himself."

It would be a good movie, especially for teachers, reminding them of the impact they can have on their students.

We have talked to several who had connections with the real characters in the movie. A couple weeks ago Brooksyne visited with Cary, a member of the orchestra, as they were serving together in the music department. He was excited to see the movie because his father was the principal of Garden Sport High School in New Holland during Mr. Deen's years of teaching there. In fact, Cary is a primary care physician and, he mentioned that Mr. Deen was his patient for several years before his death.

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