To suggest that the tradition of sharing the peace needs to change?

[Ironoaks]

Anglican church. New vicar who has reintroduced the tradition of sharing the peace by shaking hands. I've attended this church for nearly ten years and we hadn't observed this tradition before.

For those unfamiliar with the practice, this involves shaking hands with a couple of dozen different people.

I have two issues with this:

1. Infection control. It's cold & flu season. Our congregation includes the elderly and frail. In times past, people tended to mostly stay within their own parish, but our congregation on Christmas day included people who had recently travelled from Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Immediately after sharing the peace, the service moves into communion, which involves eating bread from your hand. I've started nipping out to wash my hands between the peace and communion, but it's not feasible for everyone to do this. I've seen a couple of people discreetly using hand sanitiser, but that's a lot less effective that hand washing, especially for viruses.

2. Some people don't feel comfortable having physical contact with people they don't know. I know of two young people who now avoid attending church because the sharing of the peace makes them feel so uncomfortable.

Should the sharing of the peace by shaking hands be re-evaluated?

Are you for real?

You sound xenophobic and racist.

Very very weird of you to mention that your congregation now includes people from other countries.

Could it be amended rather than scrapped to take account of the congregation's needs - e.g. could they have it after Communion, to reduce infection risk? Could people who don't want to take part for personal reasons maybe sit in a particular area of the church with a tacit agreement that they won't shake hands?

I’m a Catholic and we have been shaking hands at the sign of peace since time immemorial.

I think that churches rowed back on it during the swine flu outbreak.

You can always wash your hand when you get home.

What a weird reaction everything!

OP - I go to church with my mum sometimes and dread this part of the ceremony as I genuinely do not like making physical contact with people that I don't know well. It is my issue I realise but I do dread it.

I think this post sounds ridiculous. OP, just don't shake if you don't want to.

Also, it’s always been perfectly acceptable in any church I’ve been in for people to incline their head and say “peace be with you” rather than shaking hands if they’re uncomfortable with shaking hands with strsngers.

strangers

Our congregation has always been multicultural and that's one of the things I like about the church.

The tradition of shaking hands with everyone started when the same group of people attended the same church every week, so they would become immune to the pathogens circulating within that small population.

I love the fact that we have frequent visitors from all around the world, but they have been exposed
to a different set of pathogens. Ones which the frailer members of the congregation are not yet immune to.

Not sure why everythingthelighttouches is bringing race into it. The visitor from Nepal was white British. Many members of the "home" congregation aren't.

Gosh, I grew up Catholic and this has been done since time inmemorial, guess I've seen it so often I don't even notice. Apart from this, some people would benefit with sorting their obsessions and issues, sure they would feel freer with no so many dreads and fears.

I've never attended a CofE church where it wasn't done.
At mine some shake hands, some people put a hand on the shoulder and some just do a little nod.

We get a few homeless/down and out people attended every now and then, I feel it's important to shake their hands as a way of showing they're loved and welcomed by us, doesn't matter if anyone's hands are dirty as I always wash hands after service anyway.

Why don't you wear gloves

Eagle I think that would be seen as very rude indeed in our little village congregation. I just suck it up like I do whenever I have to shake hands but I really don't like doing it.

Married to a (by now non Practising) Catholic. I used to like that part of the service and never gave the hygiene aspect a thought tbh. I would But you may have a point.

How strange - my local CofE church has had shaking hands as the peace for at least 30 years.

You are perfectly reasonable. Enforced contact is just that. If it makes you feel uncomfortable it is not a good thing. Like making children sao sorry to each other, just doesnt work. And the hand touch contact is a very real way of spreading infections at htis time of the year. It should be binned along wiht group hugs. We aren't all touchy people. It doesnt help me feel warmer to strangers, rather makes an awkwardness

Apart from this, some people would benefit with sorting their obsessions and issues, sure they would feel freer with no so many dreads and fears.

I’ve never been in a church where they have got rid of shaking hands - it’s been a thing in every church I’ve ever attended. Some people choose not to move from their spot and incline head etc and that’s fine. You’re being pretty ridiculous tbh, there are ways to avoid it if you’re uncomfortable and the infection control thing is just daft unless you’re not using basic hygiene practices yourself

We aren't all touchy people. It doesnt help me feel warmer to strangers, rather makes an awkwardness

Exactly the same for me.

But any place with a crowd is a hotbed of germs. Coughing/sneezing plus touching door handles etc.

What about the holy water to dip your finger into? I definitely don't do that.

And I wish they'd ban communion on the tongue. Yuck.

Shake hands with your right hand, handle the bread with your left hand.

I don't see a problem with hand shaking but why don't you just not do it? I'm not religious so I've never been to church or temple or anything but can't you just sit that bit out or something?

I love the sign of peace because it was a lovely way to share prayer with my family, particularly my grandparents who we regularly joined for Sunday Mass.

Now I live in a tiny village also and no-one would be offended if I didn’t shake their hand but rather said “peace be with you”. Or if they were offended then I wouldn’t really care about it! If you don’t want to shake hands then don’t do it but some people want to share that moment so let them off.

There is a risk. I have ASD and had to learn. As someone who is also lonely it can offer human contact.

YABU for not wearing gloves to church - you’ll be saying you don’t wear a hat next 😮

Seriously my fave bit is shaking hands - always done that in church it’s not new - it’s lovely