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?

I’ve never been to a church where anyone was forced to take part. At our church people share a kiss or hug (married couples) and handshake or a wave/nod of the head in acknowledgment of sharing peace together. All are seen as acceptable.

Religious people don’t want religion to change in response to science.

This religious person does and many others too- look at the presence of female vicars in the Church of England. That represents a far greater policy change than doing the peace after communion would do. Many realise that the Church risks dying off as its members do because some of the teachings and practices are so archaic that they are too far removed from the pressures of modern life. Some changes are being made but they need to go further.

TheClausSeason

I’m not sure I would agree that that change is ‘in response to science’, but I accept I don’t speak for anybody other than myself. The suggestion that religion should always change in response to science sounds daft to me, anyway, in and of itself. There are things that do have to change, of course.

@churchandstate

What a sweeping statement! All religious people think like this? Some of them have moved on a little since the times of Galileo...

I’m not sure I would agree that that change is ‘in response to science’

Of course it is. We now know that women are not some subset of humanity incapable of independent thought and thoroughly inferior to men. Knowledge and education bring about social change.

ItsGoingTibiaK

As you can see, I modified the statement in my next post. But there is some general truth in it; the more value you place on science, the less likely you are to seek out faith, in my opinion.

In 2003 in Toronto, the Catholic church had to stop practices of shaking hands and taking wine as part of Communion after the outbreak of SARS hit one of their communities.

SARS was obviously a new virus, so there was no immunity from previous infections, but it did give a really interesting insight into how viruses are spread.

I guess it depends how risk averse people are to viruses. Coughs and colds mix into the community internationally very quickly. That's part of living as a global community.

Surely you should be alright if you don't stick your hands in your mouth afterwards and wash them when you get home?

I'll add that I don't take wine from a shared cup and do struggle a bit with shaking hands. I don't really like it for multiple reasons.

TheClausSeason

We’ve known that for quite a bit longer than the last couple of decades. This is a response to social change, not really science per se. Anyway, that’s an aside for me. This is a daft idea.

But there is some general truth in it; the more value you place on science, the less likely you are to seek out faith, in my opinion

Generally people don't seek out faith. Most are born into it.

Ffs, really?

Our new vicar asks people to turn to the person next to them and say "god loves you and you're wonderful" rather than sharing the peace.

Some of the ladies in my church still wear gloves. I might start actually, my hands are always freezing at this time of year.

Making bread for communion is a monthly thing in the toddler group here. I cross my fingers that the oven was hot enough to kill off anything from them! You can have the communal cup or an individual one depending on where you sit, so there is a choice.

Actually, the first time I went there I said I couldn't take communion because I wasn't confirmed, and they said it didn't matter, so that was my excuse ruined!

From the infection control point of view - as you say, the peace leads straight into communion. Which is also drinking wine that everyone has had a swig of first. Sure the servers wipe the side of the glass but it’s not really preventing infection is it?

Every church I’ve visited has done this, so I don’t think the vicar is the odd one. In most churches it is acceptable to nod your head at someone and say ‘peace be with you’, as PP have said.

Our new vicar asks people to turn to the person next to them and say "god loves you and you're wonderful" rather than sharing the peace.

That’s just about the cringiest thing I’ve heard. I’d run out rather than be forced to spout that crap.

YANBU at all, OP.

Hated this back in the day when I did go to church but worse than that was the practice of passing hunks of bread round for the congregation to paw and maul tear their own communion piece.

Fair turned my stomach that one did.

I’d much rather shake hands then tell a stranger god loves you and you’re wonderful! How awkward! X

Accidental kiss, sorry!

Generally people don't seek out faith. Most are born into it.

You can be born into religion but not faith.

You can be born into religion but not faith.

Disagree. Kids believe what their parents tell them in the early days- hence Santa. Imagine that everyone you encountered daily- parents, teachers, friends etc- all wholeheartedly believed in Santa. You'd believe too, because you were born into a community that does- there'd be no need to 'seek out' faith. As you got older and saw evidence that flew in the face of this belief, you might find it hard to maintain, however. Science and modern life is often a challenge to reconcile with faith as you grow in age and experience, but you can be (and most are) born into faith.

TheClausSeason

That isn’t being born into it. But either way, we’re talking about adults, who have every opportunity to recant the beliefs of their childhoods if they wish to.

I hate it, and I’m thankful I don’t have to go anymore. Three years of church just to get my daughter into a good high school.

That isn’t being born into it. But either way, we’re talking about adults, who have every opportunity to recant the beliefs of their childhoods if they wish to

In the sense that you don't remember a time when you didn't have the belief, yes it is. And you were making the argument that most religious people don't want religion to change in response to science, because people who are swayed by science don't generally seek out belief (or religion, for that matter). My point was that usually religion/faith isn't something that people seek out, hence you'd be wrong to make the assumption you did about religious people and their response to science. HTH

Either way, it would be better to pray for wisdom

Better to pray for temporary immunity from infection for the whole congregation for the next twenty minutes.