Many churches, as part of their routine of worship, engage in the "passing of the peace." The practice has been a part of reformed worship since the days of John Calvin following the Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon; it is a visible acknowledgment of the fact that, as we have been forgiven, we also forgive. "The peace of Christ bewith you ... and also with you."

How about this scenario? Stand, turn to your neighbor, grasp hands firmly, look each other in the eye, and say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, go to hell!" What? Wilfred Bailey and William McElvaney have offered this rude-sounding remedy for any mumbled, meaningless "The peace of Christ be with you's" in their book, Christ's Suburban Body (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1970). But Bailey and McElvaney are not just prescribi…