Our Bishop

The exchange of peace reminds us of the peace we receive from Christ which “enables people to live in unity and in the spirit of mutual forgiveness…. Without the intention to live in such unity, participation in the sacramental celebration is a mockery and, as St. Paul warns, is dangerous.” (Manual on the Liturgy, Lutheran Book of Worship, p. 227)

I still remember the reintroduction of the sharing of the peace as part of the liturgical reforms of the late 1960s. I can recall the awkwardness and reluctance of some people to reach out and shake hands with strangers or even with family members.

We’ve come a long way since then. Now, in some locales, like the recent National Convention, the sharing of the peace can be an extended time of not just hand- shakes but hugging and kissing and greeting. I’ve been in groups where you can see people doing a checklist to make sure they have shared the peace with everyone.

Personally, I’m comfortable with this. I’m a “hugger” from way back. But I have recently had occasion to think about the evolution of our current practices. Let me give you a few examples.

I am an extrovert by nature but I have become much more aware and respectful of the introverts around me. There are many people who have a much larger need for personal space than I do. I’ve watched friends and colleagues push themselves outside their comfort zones to engage in our practices of sharing the peace.

But I’ve been wondering, should we really expect people to participate in practices they find uncomfortable so that they conform to what is meant to be a symbolic exchange?

I travel a lot and have the opportunity to worship in a variety of settings. In some of them I am an “insider,” reconnecting with people I know. In some of them I am a “newcomer,” turning in my seat to shake hands with my neighbour and watching those that know each other exchange in a lengthy period of crossing the aisles and sharing hugs.

If we are serious about wanting to welcome newcomers into our community of faith, perhaps we should make sure our practices, including sharing the peace, are spaces of welcome and inclusion.

I recently conducted a workshop on boundaries where we spent some time doing an exercise about good, bad and confusing touch. We had a very good discussion about what makes an experience of touch good or bad or confusing and realized it is how the person receiving the touch feels about touch in general or about the person who is giving the touch in particular.

We talked about how a person’s history might influence their experience of touch, things that even other congregational members might not know such as: family violence, a history of sexual abuse, rape.

The reality is even with the best intentions, we don’t really know how people will receive our touch. Isn’t this enough for us to rethink how we approach the sharing of the peace?

With this in mind, for the next few months I’m going to practice staying in place and shaking hands with those I am near. I am still open for hugs but I would like to receive them after the worship service.

I would like to invite you to have some conversation in the places you worship. Maybe we can try some experiments, put some instructions in the bulletin, and see what feels the most welcoming, comfortable and respectful.

National Bishop Susan Johnson
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada