The members of the 9am service returned to church in September 2020 and then shivered throughout that cold winter with all the windows open.
We developed our own St John’s way of doing communion, and have safely shared bread and wine throughout the pandemic.
When the 11am re-opened in July 2021, numbers slowly increased as people returned. Today, we are much fuller and much more Covid-aware. No one who is feeling unwell should think of attending a service without first taking a Covid test.
The amount of risk that people are prepared to accept differs from person to person. There is now a strong desire among members of the 9am service to return to a physical Peace instead of merely sharing the Wave of Peace as we have done for the last 21 months. It feels right.
Not everyone will be comfortable with that, so we have to find a way to ensure that people can share the Peace as they wish while respecting other people’s boundaries. Some will want to hug; some will just want a hand shake and some will want to opt right out of any physical contact whatever.
If you are in the third group, then please feel free to remain seated. That will be a sign that you prefer to continue to maintain a physical distance.
You may even be one of those people who has been glad that since March 2020 you have not had to share in a general church hug-athon. Not everyone enjoys The Peace and we should be aware of that. So if you are happy with a handshake and not a hug then please extend your hand. We will all try to read the signals.
However, those who live alone—and many others—find that a warm hug means a great deal. So we are all different.
Do not assume everyone wants a hug in the Peace.
Do not assume everyone wants even a handshake.
Don’t forget those who have missed sharing the physical peace.