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CHAPTER 9
The
Peace
The
people and presiding priest exchange the
Peace
The Peace forms the hinge between the Ministry of the Word
and Prayer (which we have inherited from the Synagogue),
and the Ministry of the Sacrament (which we have inherited
from Jesus and through him from the meals celebrated in
Jewish homes). It is found at this point of the service in
the earliest liturgies.
A sign of peace can act out our love for our brother and
sister (1 John 4:20) and the peace we wish to make before
we present our gift at the altar (Matthew 5:2324). It is
especially a sharing of the peace given by the risen Christ
(John 20:19,21,26).
With hands extended wide the presider says, "The peace of
Christ be always with you." On occasion an introductory
sentence might link the Peace to the celebration of the
day. Another option is to slightly adapt the words to the
occasion. For example, during the Easter Season, the
greeting could be, "The Peace of the Risen Christ be always
with you."
The people's response can be followed by "Let us offer one
another a sign of (this/Christ's) Peace." Giving specific
instructions on what form this "sign" should take is best
avoided. For some this is an important moment of human
contact in the midst of a lonely week. For others physical
contact may be threatening rather than speaking of Christ's
peace.
Teaching which encourages sensitivity is appropriate. The
Peace is part of worship, it is a liturgical action. To
seek out our friends and ignore the stranger or visitor or
the one with whom we really need to seek reconciliation is
to miss the point of the Peace. The Peace anticipates the
coming kingdom, it is not a foretaste of the morning tea
after church! To put this in another way, it is the Peace
which should shape the atmosphere of morning tea after
church, rather than the atmosphere of an ordinary New
Zealand morning tea being that which shapes the way we
relate at the Peace.
The period of the Peace can be ended either by using the
sentences "E te whanau, we are the body of Christ ..."
(page 419), or by beginning a hymn, or by beginning to
prepare the table.
Some
Questions
In what ways is the sense of community in your church
different from the community life at the time of "the Book
of Common Prayer"?
How might the sign of peace help create community?
Where are the weaknessess in this area in your context?
How do you respond to the author's highlighting that for
some the sign of peace is an "important moment of human
contact" while for others "physical contact may be
threatening"?
