#107 – Church Greeting Time

I’ve grown up in church and there’s a lot that I like about church.

I like my friends.

I like the opportunity to serve.

I like worshipping together with a community larger than myself.

Church is a huge part of my life and, even if I didn’t work at a church, some of the most important parts of my life would still revolve around church. That being said, there is one part of a worship service that I cannot stand.

The church greeting time. 

I’ve already discussed what it’s like to be an introvert in church. Most of my disdain for church greeting time springs from my introversion. I am very shy around people I don’t know and that includes the very nice people who sit near me in a worship service. They are very nice people with great smiles and firm handshakes. Unfortunately, our short, weekly, 10-second interactions cause me an inordinate amount of anxiety.

I don’t know why church greeting time causes such an extreme reaction. All I know is that I’ve never liked it and always hoped that the pastor or worship leader would forget to tell the congregation to turn and greet each other.

Maybe I’m scared that the person whose hand I shake will have one of those hand buzzers.

Maybe I’m scared that instead of saying “Good morning” I’ll accidentally let out a string of sailor-approved profanities.

Maybe I’m scared that that the person whose hand I shake will see my strained attempt at a smile and decide to leave the church and abandon God.

Those fears are a little extreme but they would explain my aversion to church greeting time. I don’t know anyone else who is as scared of warmly greeting a smiling face and shaking someone’s hand.

This is one of the struggles for introverts in the church. Every fiber of my being tells me to turn inward and enjoy the quiet solace of my own company. Unfortunately for me and other introverts, God calls us to something much greater than our own thoughts and curling up with a good book.

He calls us to community.

He calls us to be the body of Christ.

He calls us to be his church, working to reveal the kingdom of God wherever we go.

It’s difficult to be in community, it’s difficult to be the body of Christ and it’s difficult to be the church alone. God called us to be together and that voice needs to be louder than all the fibers in my being. That voice needs to push me out of my chair on a Sunday morning to take the hand of another member of Christ’s body.

It may be just a handshake, but it’s also a small expression of the community that God envisioned.

How do you respond to church greeting time?