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?

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

It’s not wrong at all. Your point is semantics. Whether people ‘seek out’ faith or are born into it, it doesn’t matter. If they have faith, and many people do, it isn’t likely that they are going to want to reform that faith on account of science. Faith requires people to believe what they do in spite of science, most of the time.

Yes, because Jesus never went near anybody who was sick

I love sharing the peace (vicar in large busy traditional CofE church) but as I said in another thread at this time of year I shake hands with over 1500 people in 24 hours not even including the peace! I use a lot of hand gel!!

Whether people ‘seek out’ faith or are born into it, it doesn’t matter.

You're the one who brought it up

If they have faith, and many people do, it isn’t likely that they are going to want to reform that faith on account of science.

It's not about faith though, is it? It's about the practices of a religion. Totally different thing. I'm not saying people should need to change what they believe, just the order of events in an order of worship which was devised by people anyway.

“ I hate it and wish they didn't enforce it to be honest.”

I have never known it to be “enforced”! How exactly does that happen?

TheClausSeason

Either way, people still choose faith (as adults) and many of them don’t want to drop important aspects of it (like shaking hands to demonstrate the togetherness of faith) in response to science. If someone thinks science is so obviously more important than faith, there are other places for them to go. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This reminds me of my otherwise germphobic mother merrily kissing the same icons and sipping communion wine from the same cup as a hundred other people but it’s not unhygienic as it’s “holy”.

I'm not worried about germs but I can't bear touching other people. I'm asexual and have no desire to kiss, hug or shake hands even when I feel warmth and friendship with others. As far as I am aware nothing made me this way I was born like it.
I also feel it's very rude to refuse an offered hand. This would mean I'd just not go to church. Some people dislike physical contact with others.

important aspects of it (like shaking hands to demonstrate the togetherness of faith

Given that OP has only just encountered this it's clearly not an intrinsically important part- some clerical leaders aren't doing it. It's simply a tradition, like male clergy, which needs to change as knowledge moves on. You can be just as together shaking hands after communion as before. It's not a defining feature of Christianity or of faith to always shake hands before communion.

It's simply a tradition, like male clergy, which needs to change as knowledge moves on.

It doesn’t need to change at all.

It doesn’t need to change at all.

In your opinion.

TheClausSeason

Yup.

many of them don’t want to drop important aspects of it (like shaking hands to demonstrate the togetherness of faith)

That's quite a sweeping statement. Do you have any evidence for it?

I'm old enough to remember when the touchy feely stuff wasn't any kind of aspect of faith let alone an important one. If the faithful want it they are free to indulge with like minded others after the service. They shouldn't have the expectation imposed on them.

I think it’s a nice tradition if you’re happy with it, it does make me cringe slightly as I don’t like touching strangers (personal quirk).
I generally do it if it’s too awkward to avoid, I don’t think YABU to say that some people may dislike it but not sure how we could observe traditions and also please everyone

As a Catholic 99.99% of Masses I've been to in my life have involved Communion in one kind only - taking the host. Communion in both kinds for the general congregation has been only for special occasions and taking the blood as well a matter of personal choice. I've also attended a lot of C of E services and found Anglicans tend to try and shake hands with everyone else in the congregation while Catholics go for the few people nearest

@Ironoaks YANBU to not want to shake hands with everyone, and I don't think it's OTT or xenophobic at ALL. Some people will make something out it is.

I know a couple of people who have very painful joints and when people shake hands they squeeze hard, and there is the issue of germs. Yeah YANBU.

That's quite a sweeping statement. Do you have any evidence for it?

No, it’s my impression of the matter.

YANBU to not want shake hands or touch strangers, YABU to expect the rest of the church to stop doing it as well. As others have suggested, just incline head or wear gloves. (And be glad it's not a kiss any more... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_of_peace )

I'm old enough to remember when the touchy feely stuff wasn't any kind of aspect of faith let alone an important one.

Unless you are somewhere over two thousand years old, this isn't the case. The early Christian church was touchy-feely to a level that would have many of us introverts these days sprinting for the hills.

Just use some of that antibac hand gel before and/or after if you want?

you fear getting ill from shaking hands.

Do you think noone uses money anymore? Being in pockets, purses, the ground. Its never washed. Door handles, trolleys, baskets, your own home. There are germs everywhere. Even in the air.

OP: You might enjoy this:

but our congregation on Christmas day included people who had recently travelled from Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sri Lanka and Nepal

Do you generally avoid touching people outside the U.K. in case you catch something?

Haven't rtft but my first thought is get over yourself. The peace is specifically to make contact with others in the congregation to share His love.

Anyway we need to spread germs to build up our immunity.

I don't like the peace either.

But when I first started to go to church I felt very uncomfortable with it; now I have more friends at church I just go for them and then hide back in my pew!