(The marriage procession enters.)
(All facing the audience – pair’s hands not joined)
Today, we come to together join together in marriage Her Full Name to His Full Name.
Who gives away the bride?
(Father and mother say they do; father prays and they seat themselves)
(Personal comments)
There are two kinds of marriage: matrimony – without God, and Holy Matrimony – under God.
The Holy part in marriage makes a special event, even more special. Scripture says, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ ” ( 1 Peter 1:15-17).
Holy matrimony is for peculiar people; it is reserved for children of God. I have counseled with Her Name and His Name, and it is their decision, not only to be married, but joined together in Holy Matrimony.
“Holy” is being worthy of complete devotion. As you both enter into this union, enter it as worthy of your complete devotion to each other… and to God. Marriage under God is a holy triangulation – two dependent people under One Almighty God.
Holy matrimony is intended to be an everlasting union. Jesus told the people: “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-5).
Part of the ceremony of marriage is the separation from the parents. His Name and Her Name, your gain is their loss. Let us take a moment to honor the parents: (Mention them by name.) In a way, we join together two families here today, and as they multiply you two families will become more and more one!
(Face me)
Please join hands. (Holding hands)
Each of you were separate yesterday, but with this bond, you become one today. You are no longer to think as two because shortly you will be in unity.
Remember from scripture: “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:21-22).
Woman was taken from the side of man, and Holy Matrimony returns her to his side. You, Her Name, belong at the side of your own Adam. Holy matrimony is taking two people which God created, and making them one again. His Name, you are her Adam. Always be there for her. Her Name, you are his Eve. Be at his side.
The purpose of marriage is three-fold. Let us examine them:
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ ” (Gen 2:18).
Remember His Name, she is for you; to be your companion, not your servant. Her Name, you are to honor him.
You are to be friends, and friends are forever! Companionship, love, and multiplication is oneness:
Also, be one in your love for God: Be faithful to Him and God will be faithful to you.
Be one in your time: Do things together, and your love will grow.
Spend your time wisely: in devotion to God, to each other, and no other. Marriage is a partnership of two. Let no third person share the unity reserved for the two.
Pray together: Pray that your worlds won’t collide, and they won’t. You each bring a world into this marriage. You have individual interests, beliefs, hobbies, skills, doctrines, families, likes and dislikes. Pray that your differences are never a source of contention, but that where you are alike will overcome the differences.
Marriage is much like a rose bush. What you see now are the roses. (Hold up roses). Someday, although the roses are still there, the thorns will reveal themselves. Good marriages avoid the thorns but some will still prick both of you as the roses become less obvious (Hold up rose bush). Marriage vows are for your protection; as you view and smell the aroma of the roses, the wedding vows – promises – are like gloves which make the thorns less thorny. Never let the roses fade, and never handle the thorns without remembering the vows. (Hold up the roses again.)
Love together: Love each other and God. Do you Her Name profess your love for His Name? (wait for affirmation). His Name, do you profess your love for Her Name? (wait for affirmation)
Love God by respecting Him for your life, your happiness, and your salvation. Marriage becomes your life, your joy, and in those elderly years – your salvation.
At this moment, you both testify to your love. What you are experiencing is emotional love. In times of conflict, those emotions will change in the heat of the moment. During those trying times, always remember – love is also a command. Work hard to maintain your love, and you will endure. Scripture speaks of love:
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
That’s how we are to love God, and how you are to love each other.
You see, Holy Matrimony is a picture of our marriage to God. When you joined together with Jesus, you both – Her Name and His Name - are the bride, and Jesus is the bridegroom. As brides to Jesus, He expects two things: love and fidelity. God is a jealous God. Those who fornicate with other gods hurt Him deeply. Jesus expects fidelity when Christians unite with Him. Likewise, because marriage is a picture of our relationship with Christ, each of you must remain true to each other. When Jesus was taken to the cross by the unfaithful, He collided with the world, and it darkened. Never let your worlds collide!
As Jesus desires our time with Him, honor each other with your time. Treat each other as if each day is your last. Marriage is a commitment to work hard because marriage is indeed hard work. Love hard in good times, and work hard in tough times.
Be one together: Play together, fellowship together, go to church together, take care of you finances together, and even vote together. Being one requires sacrifice. Sacrifice together!
Marriage is a combination of erotic love, brotherly love, familial love and the love of God. Your love will be easier when there is love for God. Love of the flesh is for the special moments. The others are to endure forever.
When Jesus was born, wise men from
the East brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. They were gifts the Father sent
to the Church to present His bride – Jesus Christ. Long before, ancient writings tell us the
story of the first wedding:
… God sent His angel who had brought gold,
and the angel who had brought incense, and the angel who had brought myrrh to
Adam, that they should inform him respecting his wedding to Eve. 4 Then those
angels said to Adam, "Take the gold and give it to Eve as a wedding gift,
and betroth her; then give her some incense and myrrh as a present; and be ye,
thou and she, one flesh." Adam
hearkened to the angels, and took the gold and put it into Eve's bosom in her
garment; and betrothed her with his hand. (1Bk
of Adam & Eve: 73:3-50).
What did
the three gifts mean?
AFTER these things God said unto Adam, "Thou didst ask of Me something from the garden, to be comforted therewith, and I have given thee these three tokens as a consolation to thee; that thou trust in Me and in My covenant with thee. "For I will come and save thee; and kings shall bring me when in the flesh, gold, incense and myrrh; gold as a token of My kingdom; incense as a token of My divinity; and myrrh as a token of My suffering and of My death. "But, O Adam, put these by thee in the cave; the gold that it may shed light over thee by night; the incense, that thou smell its sweet savour; and the myrrh, to comfort thee in thy sorrow." (1 Adam & Eve 31:1-3)
These are God’s gift for your own marriage – a marriage as in the image of God to the Church.
Firstly, we present the gold. As gold represents God’s Kingdom, let it also represent your marriage in His Kingdom. The wedding ring is a symbol of enduring love. Marriage is meant forever. Today, you pledge with the rings to be eternally joined.
The wedding ring is an emblem of love through time, a symbol of devotion, and an agreement between two parties to love and cherish each other for the rest of their days. Wedding rings are circular in shape, and this in itself carries a symbolic meaning for the couple getting married. A circle has no beginning or end, and is therefore a symbol of infinity. It is endless and eternal - just the way love should be. For many, the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. This is because the vein in this finger was believed to lead directly to the wearer's heart. When these rings are placed on your fingers, Her Name and His Name, it is a symbol of your endless, heartfelt love.
Who bears these rings?
(The rings are presented - groom’s to bride and brides to groom).
(Bride places the ring on the groom’s finger).
His Name; Repeat after me (one phrase at a time):
"I, His Full Name, take you, Her Full Name, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth."
Her Name, repeat after me (one phrase at a time):
(Groom places the ring on the bride's finger).
"I, Her Full Name, take you, , His Full Name, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth."
Let us anoint this marriage. First, I take this frankincense. It represents Jesus’s Divinity. Let this marriage have divine protection (apply oil to the palm below the ring finger on first the groom, then the bride).
Now I take this myrrh in hand. It represents God’s suffering and death. Let this marriage endure unto death for that is God’s joy. (apply the myrrh in the same manner to the groom then the bride).
(face the audience)
His Name’s help-mate is now at his side. They are in unity. The thoughts, emotions, and ambitions of each are to be one. They have pledged themselves to each other until death. They have been anointed so God can Comfort them in their trying times. Reilly and Jesse, I now pronounce you man and wife.
His name, you may kiss the bride.
Let me present to you Mr. and Mrs. His Full Name.
(Bride and groom hold hands and march out followed by the bridesmaids and grooms as before.)
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