Why and How We Pass the Peace

One of the elements of our corporate worship service at Christ the Redeemer that was less familiar to me when I arrived was the ‘Passing of the Peace’. And if you are new to the liturgy here at CtR, it may seem odd to you, especially if you are a little bit introverted. Why do we do it? And what are we supposed to do during that time? Perhaps some consideration of what it is not—and then what it is—will be helpful. After that, we will look briefly at how to do it well.
What Passing of the Peace IS NOT
It is not half-time. It is not a ‘break’ in our worship service. I know our worship service may be longer than what some may consider typical. And perhaps we may think that we need a break to move around a bit. This is not the reason we have this in our worship. There is Scriptural and historical precedent for it, so it is an element of our worship. There is a spiritual component to it. More on that in a moment.
It is not just a casual greeting time. While it is natural and right to ask how someone else is doing, this is not that time. It is much more than a time to say, “How’s it going?” or “How was your week?”. And it is certainly not a time to ask others if they saw yesterday’s college football or baseball game. These are things that will take our hearts and minds away from the worship of the living God. It is not even a time to welcome visitors—although if it is kept brief, this could be incorporated. Since it is part of worship, our hearts should maintain the focus on God and His work among us.
If it’s not an intermission in worship, and if it’s not a casual greeting time, then what is it?
What Passing of the Peace IS
As already stated, Passing of the Peace is a part of our worship. We gather each week to worship the living and true God. Our worship is always directed at Him. We sing praise to God as the only one who is truly worthy of our praise. We offer our prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and supplication to Him, recognizing that His power has no limit, and He truly is a God who answers prayer. We confess our sins to Him, knowing that He is both the God who is infinitely holy, yet also rich in mercy. And He has promised forgiveness to those who confess and seek Him.
After we confess our sins, we receive God’s mercy and pardon in the words of Scripture. We then sing a song of praise, rejoicing that we have been made right with God. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1) Then—because we have been reconciled with God—we greet one another with a ‘sign of peace’ which reminds us that because we have been reconciled to God, we also have been called into unity and fellowship with one another (Eph. 2:13-14). This is not to turn our attention away from God, but to rejoice in what God has done in us, both individually and corporately.
A formal familial greeting has roots in the early church, as they sought to fulfill the often-repeated command to ‘greet one another with a holy kiss’ (Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14).[1] The comment in the ESV Study Bible on 1 Cor. 16:20 states, “Like some other practices with symbolic meanings that change from culture to culture… a ‘holy kiss’ would not convey the same meaning today that it did in the first century, and in most cultures, it would be seriously misunderstood. Such commands are best obeyed by substituting an action (such as a handshake or hug or bow, varying by culture) that would convey the same meaning in a modern culture.”[2]
We greet one another as members of the family of God. As we do, we are fulfilling the (culturally-adjusted) Biblical command to greet one another affectionately. Paul issued the command for the greeting of a ‘holy kiss’ because they were members of God’s family, ones whom God had called out of darkness. Our passing of the peace reminds us of this.
The Passing of the Peace is also a time to be reminded of any reconciliation that may
need done. Granted, relationship work takes time, and the limited time in a worship
service is not the time for this deep work. However, if you’ve had a fight within your
family, you may need to give your spouse a hug and let them know that you are sorry
for the angry words that were spoken and the desire for full reconciliation later. This
time is a weekly reminder that we live in community, and we are called to “…rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Cor. 13:11) This verse immediately precedes one of the commands to “greet one another with a holy kiss.”
It also helps to prepare us to receive the Lord’s Supper. We come to the table as the
body of Christ, His Church. Our worship is corporate—and we are called to live in
harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16). This means we deal with our differences
promptly (see Mt. 5:21-24) and not allow grievances to grow into long-held grudges.
And finally, our passing of the peace is a reminder of the common greeting that Jesus
gave to His followers following His resurrection, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19,21,26 and Luke 24:36). He had said that He would leave them, but that He would leave His peace with them (John 14:27). They were troubled at this thought, just as we often are. But He reminded His anxious disciples that His peace was with them until the end of the age (Mt. 28:20). Following His example, we remind one another that Christ’s peace is with us amid our often-uneasy circumstances.
How to Do It Well
Keep it short. I am grateful that the saints of CtR are eager to visit and express love for one another, but passing of the peace time is a reminder of what God has done for us in Christ and that His presence and peace is with us. The visiting can wait. This should provide some relief for all the introverts—you don’t have to make small talk! You just say, “The peace of Christ be with you.” and respond with, “And also with you.” And as you do, look them in the eye and be reminded that if they are in Christ, they are your brother or sister!
Focus on the people in close proximity to you and greet those whom God has providentially placed near you.
Focus on what it is. You are speaking peace to others. It is a reminder of what Christ has done and is doing in His Church. Perhaps those whom you are greeting came to church that day disheartened, distracted, and even dirty from sin in their life and heart (as we all often do). But because of Christ’s work on the cross, believers have been reconciled to God. They need to be reminded of this and to hear Christ’s words spoken to them again, “Peace be with you!”
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[1] For more information, see William Maxwell’s book, A History of Christian Worship: An Outline of Its Development and Forms
[2] ESV Study Bible, published by Crossway, 2008, pg. 2217
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