THE PEACE OF CHRIST

Dr. Richard J. Henderson March 26, 2006

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II Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 5: 21-24

Introduction

Today we are adding a new element to our worship service - the Passing of the Peace. You have probably been in a church where this is done; most likely you have passed the peace before.

I have to confess that I haven't been really excited about this because so often it seems to be glad-handing in worship - a variation on the back-slapping "Howdy" we see so many other places.

It seemed like another, somewhat artificial, time of greeting each other. If we have talked with each other before church and we will have another chance after church, why do we need to set aside this brief time in the worship service to do more greeting?

I also wondered, does this indicate that we don't know ea other? Does this passing of the peace indicate that we are a room full of strangers who need to introduce ourselves to each other? Here we know one other; we are a family of faith.

I

At our Session retreat in February we spent a lot of time talking about worship. We talked about the meaning behind the different parts of the service, and why the order of the service moves the way it does. We discussed why each part of the service is important. It was in the context of that discussion that the session recommended adding the passing of the peace to our worship.

Shortly after that retreat I was reading a book about worship and found an interesting explanation of the real meaning behind passing the peace. It opened my eyes to the importance of this part of worship. I want to take an extended period of time to talk about this element of worship because it is so rarely explained and therefore little understood. So we end up wondering about this greeting time and why we have it in worship.

II

The Passing of the Peace isn't just a chummy greeting. We don't just say, "Hey, how you doing. What do you have planned for this afternoon?" Instead we pass the peace of Christ to each other. What we do in Passing the Peace is more than our chatter and talk before and after church. We are doing two things in passing the peace:

We are offering to each other the Peace of Christ. When we say, "The peace of Christ be with you," we wish the peace that Christ brings, to that person. It is like giving the other person a blessing. We are saying, "I wish the peace of Christ for you."

It is a kind of prayer on the other person's behalf. One of the great things about this greeting is that it gets us out of the "Me and Jesus" kind of thinking - where my faith is all about me, and my relationship with Jesus. Passing Peace asks us to bless others, and, just as importantly, to receive a blessing from them.

III

The second thing that the Passing of the Peace does is reunite us with each other. If there is any animosity, anger, ill-will between people, this is a gesture that you want to make things right.

The scripture from Matthew talked about that, this morning. If you are angry at someone, make things right between you before you take your gift to the altar. Or, if you come to offer your gift and you realize that someone has something against you, turn around and go to that person first and work out your relationship, and then come to offer your gift. It is clear that our gifts to God and our relationship with each other are tied together.

Since the Bible says be reconciled before you come to bring your offering or receive communion, the Passing of the Peace is in the service before the offering or the Lord's Supper.

IV

The Passing of the Peace goes back to the earliest worship in the Christian church. Again and again Paul says to his churches, "Greet one another with a holy kiss," (in Romans), "Beloved, pray for us. Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss." (I Thessalonians), and Peter writes, "Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ."

When they tell others to greet each other with a holy kiss, they don't mean to go plant a big, juicy smooch on each other, but offer a respectful greeting to each other. We have seen the greeting that people in the Middle East still give each other - it is a kiss on each cheek. That is the same kiss that Paul and Peter talk about in worship, except that it is a holy greeting - a blessing - given to each other. The equivalent for us today is a handshake, or if you are sure it's appropriate, an embrace. (There are some members of our church who don't want handshakes, they want hugs! They'll let you know who they are!).

We have the opportunity to share with each other the Passing of the Peace, and provide a prayer - a blessing - to the members of our church family. This is as old a part of worship as Christian worship itself.

In passing the peace we not only greet each other, we offer a blessing of Christ's peace to each other. And we reconcile with each other. When the time comes that anyone is not comfortable passing the peace to someone else, that is the sign that they need to work together to make things right.

Conclusion

Marva Dawn tells of being in worship in her home church. When the time came for the Passing of the Peace, a man who had been having a serious conflict with another member walked clear across the sanctuary to offer the Peace to the one he was angry at. He shook his hand and said, "The peace of Christ be with you."

The other person answered, "And also with you."

They looked at each other and then embraced. Their difficulties weren't instantly resolved, but from that time on they were able to talk with each other, and eventually work out their problems.

Marva Dawn said that watching the actions of those two Christians filled everyone with a profound sense of God's presence in that place.

Amen.

©Richard J. Henderson 2006