19 May, 2009 by thevicarswife
My friend DoctorMum is a curate’s wife, shortly to be a Vicar’s wife. She posted this video clip on her Facebook profile. It illustrates perfectly how we all feel about change in church.
This one’s expecially for my dad, who is at one with Mrs B on the peace.
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The Vicar's Wife 
Absolutely brilliant!! Made me and Uncle Trainspotter really giggle!!! Definitely Dad’s way of thinking!!
My wife who is in a lot of pain waiting for an operation to repair a vertebra in her spine laughed herself silly watching this.
Thanks!
I think your blog is brilliant.
Thank you Iconoclast. Praying that the Lord would give skill to the doctors treating your wife.
Why should those who object to forced unwelcome change by tiresome trendies be a subject of satire (though it’s a good song – and it shows how much we need another Richard Stilgoe – what would he have made of Speaker Martin’s defenestration, and the fatuous comment of the Bishop of Glasgow that followed….?).
Two serious points. If you assume, as I do, that “at peace with your neighbours” is the default position on almost everyone, I cannot see why “the sign of peace” is much more than ritualistic self indulgence. Meeting and greeting, American style hugging, or shaking hands at every opportunity like the French or an over-eager shifty saleman, can be left until after the service with the tea and biscuits. Now I come to think of it, I didn’t shake hands for the first forty years of my life much at all, and never ever with friends old and new, family, bosses, subordinates, acquaintances or those I’ve just played a game of snooker with. Now it’s all over English culture like a plague of verrucas. Away with it!
Very pleased to have you commenting Grandpa. Don’t keep it bottled all up now, just get it off your chest 🙂
Broadly speaking I am in agreement. I can only see two purposes for the exchange of a sign of peace.
The first is if there is someone within the congregation with whom you are not at peace. Ideally, of course, this ought to be resolved before ever the service begins. But if it has not been, then it must be before you share communion. And so this time in the service provides an opportunity for you both to admit fault, express sorrow and acknowledge Christian love. I don’t see this happening very often.
The other is as a mere token of the unity of the whole congregation. Which I suppose is okay but can, as you say, be taken as read.
My main problem is that all too often, what ought to be an expression of unity, becomes an opportunity to exclude the outsider (consciously or not) and to reinforce cliques. I don’t think there’s ever a need for people to be climbing over pews and running around the church to kiss and hug their friends.