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?

Cross post Francie Nolan - a couple of dozen people does sound excessive

Always did this in Catholic mass. If you don't want to offer peace, then don't. You won't receive it from them. Or buy some hand gel.

“ I'm Catholic though, do Anglicans really spend 3 or 4 times (or more) longer on this part of the service?”

In my experience it depends on the church and the priest. Some (most, probably) places do it as you describe, a brief handshake with the two or three people closest to you. Some places, however, it goes on for ages and involves everyone getting to have a good chat and catch up on the gossip with everyone else.

Wear gloves. Cross one hand across your chest and bow. Nip out for a wee.

The point of the peace is that we put behind us our quarrels with our fellow parishioners before taking communion. If you can't do this for germ based reasons find a compromise that works for you. See above.

You have more to worry about from people dipping their wafer in the chalice. I've seen fingers up to the knuckles in there. Yuk. We have a separate dipping chalice with very little wine so that fingers can't contaminate it. I've had people leave the church over this but as an ex hospital Chaplin there are infection control issues. I use hand sanitiser before communion.

For many lonely people the peace is the only time they might have any human contact. I'm happy to hug.

We did some swabbing and bacteria growing at school. Money was by far the dirtiest thing we tested, so really, I'd be more concerned at taking coins out of a purse for the collection than shaking hands

@PhoneLock are you trying to be funny? Because you’re not. OCD is an actual illness, and thankfully it doesn’t need to be diagnosed by idiots on the internet.

I generally wave two fingers in a peace symbol and say "peace brother"

But I've never known the least touchy feelie person doesn't mind hand shakes.

And traditionally it should be done before communion which if you are sharing the chalice then surely that's far more risky for infection control.

I get where you're coming from. However, if we're talking about infection control, surely everyone drinking the wine from the same cup with only a perfunctory wipe is more of an issue? A church I attended as a child had tiny individual glasses which were handed round and everyone drank at the same time, which seemed sensible

Perhaps try a different church? When I was small we went to a Methodist church where the peace wasn't done. A little later we moved and attended Baptist church where it was done. Maybe another free church wouldn't do this part because they use a different service?

Anglicans really spend 3 or 4 times (or more) longer on this part of the service?

In my church yes. It's a village so you tend to shake hands with everybody you know and visitors. That's everybody in the church.

I'm away from home at the moment and went to midnight mass at the local Cathedral on Christmas Eve and only shook hands with people in the same row and the one in front and behind... otherwise I would probably still be there now.

At the Methodist church they also had tiny individual glasses for the wine.

Shake hands with right hand bread/wafer goes in left hand...

What the heck do you do about the communion wine though all sharing one cup? Is the wiping sufficient for you?

@FriedasCarLoad

Either way, it would be better to pray for wisdom and then speak to a church leader than to potentially involve unbelievers in a church matter.

😂

Are you worried the unbelievers might apply their heathen logic to the situation?

We couldn’t have secularists having an opinion on Christian-related topics, could we? That would never, ever happen the other way round.

Oh dear god. Yes, the Church should completely change their traditions because of your germophobia and other notions. Sure. 👍

At the Methodist church they also had tiny individual glasses for the wine.

Yes, I had a chapel upbringing and this was how it was done with us. The servers would bring the glasses round in special trays,

@gingersausage

Not at all. My post was prompted by genuine concern for the OP.

Surely, only an complete and utter idiot would have assumed otherwise?

Some people really will find a problem just about anywhere.

If you don't like it, don't do it. Allow those for whom it is important to carry on.

Just put your hand on your heart and say ‘peace’ or whatever with a big smile on your face.

I do ‘get’ the bit wanting to make contact with people who have jetted in from all over - first couple of weeks back at school are a germ fest with all the families returning to London after their far flung holidays! Just keep your hand gel to hand - people do understand ‘cold and flu season’.

I had to go to a church service through work and they hugged!

I once offended a work colleague when he visited the office and went in for a hello hug - I have the mother of all cold sores (which of course I was trying to hide under a tonne of makeup) and stepped back and stuck out my hand. I think he thought I was offended or upset by the hug and I kept apologising while I was pointing at my lip saying ‘cold sore! Massive cold sore! You really don’t want this!’. Subtle...

Oh dear god. Yes, the Church should completely change their traditions because of your germophobia and other notions.

It's not germaphobia though, is it? It's a genuine concern, and it has a scientific basis. Religions should change in response to things like this, or they risk becoming irrelevant.

Wow you’d hate our little Anglican village church then.
A new couple joined and started helping on the welcoming team (standing at the door saying hello to people as they come in).
This guy started hugging and kissing on the cheek all the women as they came in, and shaking the hands of the men.
Now that I think is inappropriate!
I also observed him kiss a woman on the cheek and then go to shake her husbands hand who came in behind her, and he said no thanks, I don’t want to shake your hand, don’t kiss my wife again’. Awkward!!

As for the peace I never thought about it but I’d hope it didn’t make anyone feel uncomfortable, there’s definitely people that stay in their pew so don’t shake the hands of more than a couple of people.
If you find that uncomfortable - what about communion? (I always hang onto my bread and dip it into the wine rather than sipping from the cup if I’ve got a cold or am feeling my immune system is low). And then there’s shaking the vicars hand on the way out of course!

TheClausSeason

The whole point of religion is that it’s an alternative worldview to the ultra-rationalist, individualist perspective you just advocated. Religious people don’t want religion to change in response to science.

Just pondering communion wine and cold sores...

When you nip out to wash your hands between Peace and Communion, do you touch any door handles? Do you touch your purse during the service? Fomites.

Put your hand in a carrier bag then shake hands
Or you could wear an unclean badge so they avoid you

I always hang onto my bread and dip it into the wine rather than sipping from the cup if I’ve got a cold or am feeling my immune system is low

I've seen people do that. I usually abstain from communion and just ask for a blessing in the same circumstances.