Sharing The Peace - Why Anglicans Do This Thang. Series

This sermon was preached at St Jospeh the Worker Church Northolt 2nd Sunday f Easter 7th April 2024

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John 20.19–31

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ 28Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

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If I said to you a place was very peaceful - what would you imagine it was like?

{take people’s suggestions}

Quite early on in my time as vicar of Holy Trinity Barkingside, someone came up to me and said “how lovely and peaceful” they felt after coming to mass. They were the first person to say this - but they were not the last.

At first this rather surprised me - Because at Holy Trinity we were known for having quite a loud noisy service. There were drums and guitars. Tony was great at getting us clapping along to the songs. People sang with great gusto. It was joyful - it was joyfilled - but it wasn’t quiet - and yet this newcomer came up to me and said “how peaceful they felt” A sort of peace that is not about quiet but is about the inner renewal that God brings us through his “peace that passes all understanding” (Philipians 4:7) - the sort of peace that we hear Jesus talking about in the Gospel reading we have just heard.

Now if you are a regular at a Church of England church you will know that in a little while we get to the bit where we “share the peace”. Perhaps we don’t do it with as much gusto as we did before the Pandemic - though I hear that when Bishop Pete was here he got you doing it hardcore!

The Peace in the mass goes back to two things.

On the one hand the numerous occasions - Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; or 1 Peter 5:14

When the bible tells us to “greet one another with a Holy Kiss” - or “with a kiss of love”

And secondly to

Matthew 5:23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister* has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first make peace with your brother or sister,* and then come and offer your gift.

The things we do in the mass are meant to show us how to live our lives as Christians the rest of the time. (Pointing to the lectern) we read the bible in mass because we are meant to read the bible at home. We pray in mass (making hands together gesture) because we are meant to pray at home. We make an offertory - because in all our life we are meant to be generous like Jesus was generous. We share around the table of the Lord because we are meant to show hospitality around our tables at home. And we share God’s peace with each other - because being at peace with one another and with God - is a key to being a christian community.