"Passing the Peace" in the COVID-19 Era

By Robin G. Jordan

During Thursday’s Church Answers webinar, “Critical Questions as Members Return: The Final COVID-19 Check Up,” the practice of “passing the Peace” came up during the part of the webinar that addressed the question, “How do we do our greeting time?” Thom Rainer who was the presenter at the webinar is known for his criticism of what is known as the “meet and greet time” in the worship services and gatherings of a number of churches. Rainer’s criticism is based upon research which shows that first time guests do not respond positively to this practice and in some instances have not returned for a second visit because of the practice. Regular attendees also have difficulty with the practice. Typically those attending a worship service or gathering are asked to stand and greet their neighbors. First time guests and regular attendees report varying degrees of discomfort with these actions. Some report that it is the most uncomfortable part of the service or gathering for them.

The practice of exchanging the greeting of the Peace, as it is officially called in a number of liturgies, is a practice that is found mostly in liturgical churches albeit some churches that use a localized liturgy have also adopted the practice. Its origin can be traced to the New Testament practice of exchanging a “holy kiss” when greeting fellow believers. It became ritualized and formed a part of the early liturgies. During Medieval times it was confined to the liturgical ministers—the president, any assisting priests and deacons, and any servers. Instead of kissing each other, the liturgical ministers took turns kissing a wooden board.

By the early sixteenth century the practice had been reduced to a versicle and response in the liturgy of the Western Church. While the 1549 Book of Common Prayer retained the exchange of the greeting of the Peace in this form as a part of the communion rite, it was dropped from the 1552 Book of Common Prayer and subsequent revisions of the Book of Common Prayer.

Due to the influence of the liturgical movement and the ecumenical movement the second half of the twentieth century would see a revival of what was described as an early form of the practice in then newer Anglican, Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran liturgies. Immediately before the presentation of the gifts or, in the Catholic liturgy, immediately before the distribution of the communion, the president and the people formally greet each other with the words, “The Peace of the Lord be with you” or similar words and may exchange a physical gesture like a handclasp.

Congregations that were accustomed to the older liturgies and which did not welcome the changes to their worship resisted the introduction of the practice. However, congregations that embraced the newer liturgies took to the practice like a duck takes to water. In charismatic Anglican and Episcopal churches the passing of the Peace was a quite exuberant part of celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. The clergy and the people would leave their seats and greet each other with hugs as well as handshakes and other more subdued forms of greeting. It was reported that in some English churches they brewed tea at this point in the liturgy. It became the practice in a number of churches for the music ensemble to begin a song or instrumental piece to signal the end of the passing of the Peace.

As I noted above, the response to the exchange of the greeting of the Peace was a mixed one. Congregations composed of people who belonged to a culture that did not encourage physical contact and public expressions of feelings experienced more discomfort with the practice than those composed of people who belonged to a culture that took a more relaxed attitude toward touching and public displays of emotions.

How first-time guests experience the passing of the Peace varies from congregation to congregation. Some report that it was the warmest and most welcoming part of the service. Others report a quite different experience. Here I am going to share with you one of my own experiences. I forget the name of the church that I was visiting. When I turned to greet those around me, I was ignored. If I moved toward one of my neighbors, their bodies stiffened and I received a stare warning me away. One or two people actually shrank from me. The hands of the one or two people whose hands I was able to clasp were limp. The non-verbal cues that I received was that my presence was not particularly welcome. The members of the congregation, when they greeted each other, showed little enthusiasm for what they were doing.

Assuming an Anglican, Catholic, Episcopal or Lutheran church has regathered to the point that it is once more celebrating the Holy Eucharist, how then should it do the “passing of the Peace?” The liturgies with which I am familiar and I am familiar with a large number of them do not require any kind of gesture such as a handclasp or a hug at the exchange of the greeting of the Peace. It is optional. For the most part it is dictated by local custom.

In the place of a handclasp or a hug, I recommend a simple bow, the kind of bow that liturgical ministers will often make as a part of the ceremonial of the liturgy. For instance, the priest and the server will bow toward each other when the server hands the flasks of wine and water to the priest and the priest receives them from the server. One might clasp one’s hands in front of one’s chest, palms together, as people do in India when greeting each other. Or one might place a hand on one’s heart as people used to do in Turkey when they greeted each other. The Turks have revived this practice since the COVID-19 pandemic has spread to their country. Or one might simply bow as the Japanese do when they greet each other.

Bowing has a long tradition in liturgical churches. It was also a common practice in the British Isles and Europe at one time but fell into desuetude. While backslapping, bear-hugging extroverts and touchy-feely people may grumble, introverts and reserved people will sigh with relief. A graceful bow is a gesture far more in keeping with the liturgy than elbow-bumps, foot-shakes, and hand waves. I definitely recommend it.