Ever since I came to SCPC, there has been a conspiracy to get me to hug more. First there was the big lovable elder who used to lead a group hug he called the “Orange Crush” (we live in Orange County, CA. for those of you who are not from these parts.) Then to make matters worse, I went out and hired an associate pastor with the spiritual gift of hugs. She hugs everybody, which, of course puts the pressure on me to at least hug someone.
Not that I am against hugs. I hug my kids, I hug my wife. I even hug a few of my friends. When the spirit moves, I can even get carried away and hug that big lovable elder. When people in my congregation hug me, I always hug them back, (even another big lovable guy well-known on this blog named Derek), I just tend to feel a bit awkward doing it. I am a pretty good hand-shaker and semi decent back-slapper and really I’d like to be better at hugging. But it’s just not natural to me. Odd, I know, because I was a wrestler in high school, which is really a lot like hugging.
All this is to say that when I read the biblical passages about greeting each other with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16, 1 Cor 16:20, 2 Cor 13:12, 1 Thes 5:26) I can get a bit wierded out. So, I don’t kiss, and I am not that good at hugging, but I am challenged by what appears to be something pretty important about the actual tangible expressions of care and welcome offered—even physically—between Christians.
And what do we make of the fact that Paul stressed it four times? Are the greetings he is encouraging fake, forced or manipulated? I realize that a common thread on this blog has been an attempt to find more “authentic” expressions of our Christian faith. Which I applaud wholeheartedly!
But let's consider whether or not the reminder by Paul to greet each other warmly is any less authentic because he had to encourage it. Maybe it was just the reminder they needed to genuinely care for each other they way they should. I know I have needed it. When something is in the Bible four times, it makes me think twice about neglecting it.
I write this as a way to set up the rest of the discussion I want to lead next about a few of the good issues raised in a number of comments on the recent stream about “greetings”, “passing the peace” and the different rituals that churches use as part of the worship service. (I will return to my Lenten series of communal spiritual disciplines also, but because of the comments, I should probably focus here first for a bit.)
And I just want you all to know that I am not into all this greeting stuff because it’s natural for me. Just the opposite.
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