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During the time of our sojourn at Marvin Memorial we have intentionally been observing the Christian custom called "The Passing of the Peace." It is believed that this tradition dates from the earliest days of the Christian Church. Most churches that are new to the practice experience a certain amount of ambivalence and uneasiness. As a young upstart pastor in Vermont, I pressed my congregation into Passing the Peace at least once a month. It was politely received, but there was a substantial minority of these New Englanders who just couldn’t quite abide all the hugging. Too physical. We eventually made special provision for them by arranging that on Sundays when the Peace was to be passed, those who did not wish to be hugged, we were welcome to sit up front on the left. This we called the "Reserved Section." That worked pretty well. But I often wonder what would happen to some of those "reserved" folks if they wandered haplessly into the orbit of a Bob Perry or another world-class hugger.

But, of course, the Passing of the Peace is more than shaking hands or hugging or even the friendly acknowledgement of one another in worship. What does it mean?

The scripture from the Gospel of John is a familiar one, about doubting Thomas, the question of faith, and seeing and believing. But I think I won’t go there this afternoon. Instead I want to note that in the space of 32 verses Jesus says "Peace be with you" a total of three times. He greets his disciples with these words and he repeats them for emphasis. Let me make some brief points about this.

First, this is how the Risen Christ greeted the disciples. But it is also how the Risen Christ greets us now. "Peace be with you." This is not a simple greeting like "How are you, how you doing?" It harks back to Jesus’ farewell words to the disciples at the Last Supper. There he said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." This is not a conventional, worldly greeting. Jesus’ words carry the full potency of his spiritual message. What Jesus bestows is what Jesus embodies: a peace (of mind and soul) that cannot come from this world; a peace that heals fear. It is a sacred address. In some ways it is like those Asian greetings which say, "The god in me salutes the god in you." Jesus’ greeting bestows spiritual peace. And when we greet one another in the same manner, we have the opportunity of bestowing such peace upon one another.

Secondly, to greet one another in this way is to experience the divine presence of the Christ. The opening of the Second Epistle of Peter says that God’s "divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.." and that in receiving that divine power we have literally "become partakers of the divine nature." To become partakers of the divine nature means that who we are is recognized as divine. Our very nature has been sanctified. This is what passing the peace affirms. God in you.

Third, to become partakers of the divine nature affects the very way we live. I really love verses 5 through 8. Self-help books are popular in and out of season. Spiritual "how to" books never grow out of fashion. But here in a few short verses we find the complete New Testament spiritual self-help plan better living. It goes like this:

For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

Do you want to be effective and fruitful in your life? Then here is the way - not the way as a technique, but the way as path – the path to an effective and fruitful life. Begin by letting Christ’s peace come upon you and thereby partaking of the divine nature. Or perhaps better put: letting Christ’s peace mobilize the divine nature in you. Then follow the path where it leads. And note that with each step, something new is demanded of you. Faith, to be full, requires goodness. Goodness needs knowledge. Knowledge reveals the importance of self-control. Self-control acquaints us with endurance. Through endurance we discover a deeper kind of godliness. Godliness arouses our desire for mutual affection. Mutual affection leads to love – of God and one another. It begins with the peace of Christ and ends, having come full circle, with the love of God. Follow that way, that path, and you will grow in the Spirit. And you will be effective and fruitful.

We will shortly ask you to join us in the Passing of the Peace. As you do so this afternoon – whether it be with a handshake or a hug or a wave of the hand, I encourage you to say "The Peace of Christ be with you," and for the other to respond. With "And with your Spirit," or "And with you," or something like that. And it is a joyful encounter, not a solemn one. My further hope is that you say this like you mean it. Try believing it. You can believe it wholeheartedly, because you do have that power. You, even now, have the Peace of Christ; you possess the divine power; and you are a partaker of the divine nature. Live in peace and share that peace because even now, in this very moment, Christ is greeting us again. "Peace be with you!" AMEN.

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