s/o physical greetings etc. in church

[Scarlett]

I believe fellowship is part of our worship. Hebrews 10:24, 25. I think fellowship does not have to include unwanted touching.  

[Murphy101]

I’m just returning to this thread bc last week I had a weird moment at the sign of the peace.

usually I hug all my people in my pew and by the time I’m done doing that there’s no time to exchange more than the universal polite smile and nod to whoever is in front of or behind us.

anyways. I do that and turn forward and the older couple in front of us is still facing us with hands out, so I do the whole palm up near me (NOT OUT TO SHAKE), smile and say “peace” thing - 

and that dude reached up to my hand at my shoulder and takes it to shake it. Uh. Awkward but okaaay except he squeezed so hard that my ring bit into the finger next to it. Ouch!

and his wife reaches to get my 6 yr old’s hand that isn’t up or anything and my very shy and was apparently born with trust issues in her DNA bc despite her spoiled rotten almost 7 years of living she does not like interacting with strangers - well she skittered away like a terrified monkey over the pew behind us and just left. the poor old lady was horrified.  😂

That’s my new and unexpected tale of a not so peaceful exchange of peace.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Murphy101

[scholastica]

5 hours ago, Murphy101 said:

I’m just returning to this thread bc last week I had a weird moment at the sign of the peace.

usually I hug all my people in my pew and by the time I’m done doing that there’s no time to exchange more than the universal polite smile and nod to whoever is in front of or behind us.

anyways. I do that and turn forward and the older couple in front of us is still facing us with hands out, so I do the whole palm up near me (NOT OUT TO SHAKE), smile and say “peace” thing - 

and that dude reached up to my hand at my shoulder and takes it to shake it. Uh. Awkward but okaaay except he squeezed so hard that my ring bit into the finger next to it. Ouch!

and his wife reaches to get my 6 yr old’s hand that isn’t up or anything and my very shy and was apparently born with trust issues in her DNA bc despite her spoiled rotten almost 7 years of living she does not like interacting with strangers - well she skittered away like a terrified monkey over the pew behind us and just left. the poor old lady was horrified.  😂

That’s my new and unexpected tale of a not so peaceful exchange of peace.

That’s some really aggressive passing of the peace that couple was engaging in! They were going to make you do it their way! I cannot fathom what they were thinking. In what universe are either of those behaviors socially acceptable?

[Murphy101]

10 minutes ago, scholastica said:

That’s some really aggressive passing of the peace that couple was engaging in! They were going to make you do it their way! I cannot fathom what they were thinking. In what universe are either of those behaviors socially acceptable?

Right? In my whole life that’s never happened to me before. I really envied my daughters hasty exit. She was not having any of that crazy. 

[Monroe]

Hi, Everyone

During the service of greet someone at church. I decided to sit thinking that this would have an effect of no one approaching me. I was so wrong ( mainly it the men that makes me uncomfortable or as I feel shouldn't be approaching me anyway. 

How would I go about declining there hand shake politely? They just come right up to me. Omg