(Note: I have placed an alternative sermon at the end of the wedding service. Hope it helps. May the Lord bless your ministry)
Processional
Motion to Stand
Please, be seated…..
Welcome
On behalf of B & G
I would like to welcome all of you this wedding service
One of the most important days of their life
We are gathered to witness,
To celebrate
And to acknowledge the love which brings B & G
Together on this joyous occasion
Marriage Collect
Let us pray….
Lord God,
So much has come before this moment;
The gift of commitment to each other,
The treasures of life, of love and of family
And the embodiment of hope which began to grow
In the lives of B & G
For all that has been in the lives of
B & G
For all that has made them the people they are
-we thank you Lord
So much has been invested here
And so much lies ahead,
So we pray now that the love these two share
Will grow richer and fuller with each passing year.
We place their relationship in your hands,
Knowing that you will watch and care for them.
We ask you to show them your grace
Your joy
And your peace.
Grant B & G a contentment and satisfaction
That they never thought possible.
And all of us here who love and support the, may it be our constant joy to watch their love grow and flourish,
Now and forevermore.
We pray all this
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen
Questions of Intent
Dearly beloved,
We are gathered here in the presence of God,
To join this man and this woman in holy matrimony
Which is instituted by God,
Regulated by the commandments
Blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ
And to be held in honor among all people
Let us therefore reverently remember
That God has established and sanctified marriage.
Our savior declared
That a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife.
By his apostles he has instructed those who enter into this relation to cherish a mutual esteem and love:
To bear each other’s burdens
To comfort each other in sickness, trouble and sorrow;
To provide for each other, and for their household;
To pray and encourage each other in things which pertain to God;
And to live together as heirs of the grace of life
G Do you have this woman to be your wife
And do you give your pledge to her
In all love and honor,
In all duty and service
In all faith and tenderness,
To live with her,
And cherish her,
According to the ordinances of God,
In the holy bond of marriage?
Do You?
(I DO)
B Do you have this man to be your husband
And do you give your pledge to him
In all love and honor,
In all duty and service
In all faith and tenderness,
To live with him,
And cherish him,
According to the ordinances of God,
In the holy bond of marriage?
Do You?
(I DO)
Giving of the Bride
Who gives this woman to this man?
(Her mother and I)
Scripture Readings
Mark 10:6-9
Our Lord Jesus Christ says,
“But at the beginning of creation God
‘made them male and female.’
7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
8 and the two will become one flesh.’
So they are no longer two, but one.
9 Therefore what God has joined together,
let man not separate.”
1Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love,
I am only a resounding gong
or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy
and can fathom all mysteries
and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains,
but have not love,
I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor
and surrender my body to the flames,
but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
5 It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies,
they will cease;
where there are tongues,
they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge,
it will pass away.
9 For we know in part
and we prophesy in part,
10 but when perfection comes,
the imperfect disappears.
11 When I was a child,
I talked like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
I put childish ways behind me.
12 Now we see but a poor reflection
as in a mirror;
then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
Homily
Our first Scripture emphasizes that in marriage to people become one.
That’s powerful – two are stronger than one.
How can this be, two becoming one – through love
Love will truly make this happen.
Jesus Christ tells us that in a marriage we need to leave our father and mother and be united as one.
B You are no longer only a daughter, but also a wife.
G You are no longer only a son, but also a husband.
This means leaving many things behind
Old habits, old visions of the future, old life expectations
Placing yourself first
And that includes the person you once were.
The Apostle Paul says,
When I was a child,
I talked like a child,
I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
I put childish ways behind me.
To have a marriage work well requires maturity,
A leaving behind of selfish childish ways
This maturity takes faith, hope and love.
Faith – involves confidence, trust and belief.
You believe in each other, and in Christ as well.
You wouldn’t be here today if you did not.
To be faithful to another
In to place your confidence, trust
Belief
In another.
Have faith in one another.
But do not rely on faith alone.
For even if your marriage has the faith to move mountains…
Without love – it is nothing, cold, sterile.
Hope – Over time you have come to know each other.
And this knowledge allows you to hope for a better future together. That whatever comes to pass, hope will see you through.
See hope is not a sign of good luck
Here’s hoping.
No, hope is based upon knowledge
The knowledge that the other will stand firm with you.
Allow hope to blossom in your marriage,
But don’t rely upon faith and hope alone.
For without love, we are nothing.
And now, only love remains.
To love is to be vulnerable.
To love is to humble yourself to another.
To love is to risk….
If you have love,
A love reinforced by the Grace of God
And the intimate knowledge of the Holy Spirit,
Your marriage will stand strong.
Love is not easy
Yet love
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.
Some would say
Communication, that’s the basis of a good marriage;
Others would say
Having faith in each other, that makes a good marriage
Still others,
Never abandoning hope.
But Scripture tells us
The basis is…Love.
Love adds a depth to a relationship
Not possible with only faith and hope.
Now have faith in each other
Have hope in each other
But always have love, for without love we are nothing.
And now these three remain
Faith, hope and love
But the greatest of these is love
The Wedding
(bride gives flowers to Bridesmaid)
B & G
Please step forward for the exchange of vows
Exchange of Vows
Take each other’s hands
G- Repeat after me
I G
Take you
To be my wife
Before God and these witnesses
To be your loving and faithful husband
For better or worse
For richer or poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and to cherish
Till death do us part.
According to God’s holy ordinance
I give you my pledge
B- Repeat after me
I B
Take you
To be my husband
Before God and these witnesses
To be your loving and faithful wife
For better or worse
For richer or poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and to cherish
Till death do us part.
According to God’s holy ordinance
I give you my pledge
Exchange of Rings
What tokens do you bring as evidence of the vows you have taken?
These Rings
Bless o Lord these rings
That he and she who wear them,
May abide in your grace
And be in your favor
Unto their life’s end;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
-Amen
G
Repeat after me as you place this ring on B finger
With this ring I thee wed
In the name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit
Amen
B
Repeat after me as you place this ring on G finger
With this ring I thee wed
In the name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit
Amen
Wedding Prayer
Merciful and gracious God
Unto whom all hearts are open
And to who all desires are known,
Bestow upon B & G
Your richest blessings and so follow them in the coming years
Grant them patience and kindness toward each other.
Grant them the power and strength to nurture their love.
And now may the almighty God,
With his word of blessing
Unite your hearts in the bonds of love.
-Amen
Declaration of Marriage
B & G
Because you are inspired by similar ideals
Animated by similar tasks;
Fully willing to share your joys and sorrows,
Willing to give your best to each other,
And desire to join your lives together in a common journey….
Therefore, by the authority vested in me
As a minister of the Presbyterian Church USA,
And the great state of Alaska
I declare that B & G
Are now husband and wife
G - You may kiss the bride
Whom therefore God has joined together
Let no one put asunder
Benediction
May you find the peace of Christ in your marriage;
May you always find contentment;
May your days be filled with joy,
And your nights be sweet;
May your faith be enduring,
Your hope never fade,
And your love grow ever stronger.
And now may the Lord bless you,
And give you his peace.
Presentation
I now present to you
For the first time
B & G
Husband and Wife
Recessional
ALTERATIVE WEDDING SERMON
When Paul speaks of love in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul speaks of a very specific kind of love. The love Paul speaks of is a love that takes courage, it is a love that takes commitment, it is a love not for the faint hearted. There are four types of love we see in the New Testament, here Paul describes the one love that will make your marriage strong, it is a love that will build each of you, creating a solid mature marriage.
First let’s look at the love that Paul is NOT speaking of.
When Paul speaks of love in this chapter, Paul isn’t speaking of Familial love, which is love of your family. Familial love isn’t really a love you choose, its just there. Aaron, you didn’t choose to be born into the family you were born into, and Leah you didn’t choose your family either. Yet, whatever your family is, whatever your family is not, when you move aside the this and the that - bottom line is you love your family. You love them, because they are family.
Familial love is strong. Familial love is powerful - but familial love and its strong family ties, is not what Paul is talking about here. Paul is speaking of a love that is stronger than familial love, more powerful than familial love and more enduring than familial love.
Paul isn’t speaking of Phileo love either, which is brotherly love. For men, this is the punch in the arm, I’ll be there for you, you can count on me no matter what. For women, this is the I’ll listen to you whenever you need me to, I’ll be by your side whatever the cost, your secret is safe with me kind of love. This is the love of good friends.
As powerful as this kind of love is, this is not the love Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
Paul isn’t speaking of eros love, which is physical love between a man and a woman. In a marriage eros love is a powerful and fulfilling love, eros love will bring you two together in a beautiful and sweet way. But, again, though eros love is powerful, eros love is not at all what Paul is speaking of here.
Familial, Phileo and Eros love are all powerful in their own way - but here in our scripture reading Paul speaks of a love that is self sacrificing, it is a love which always places the other first, it is the kind of love we all seek to have in our life.
What kind of love is Paul then speaking of.
Every single time Paul speaks of love in this passage Paul speaks of Agape love. Agape love is a love that is given without any conditions attached. There are no ifs, ands or buts, with agape love - Agape love is unconditional love.
I love you, because, I love you.
Aaron, you are called to love Leah without condition.
Aaron, you are to love Leah without stipulation.
Conditional love loves says, “I will love you as long as you are young and beautiful. I will love you as long as you are strong and healthy. I will love you as long as I am happy.”
Unconditional love says, “I love you more as you age, for who you are is not merely a physical body.” Unconditional love says, “I love you in your strength and I love you in your weakness - I place your needs first. I refuse to live a shallow life".
Leah, you too are called to love Aaron without condition; You too are called to love Aaron without stipulation.
Look, unconditional love is patient, unconditionally. It is kind, without prerequisite. There is no precondition, no proviso, no constraint.
I love you, because I love you.
See, here is the power in agape love, here is the power in unconditional love: Paul tells us that agape love, agape love never fails.
Leah, Aaron, today is the day you set aside any thoughts of stipulation and condition. Today is the day you set aside things like, “If you do this, then I will do that.” “If you are more of this, then I will be more of that” “If you give me more, I will give you more too.”
Paul says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
Today is the day you place immature love behind you. You place it behind you in confidence. You enter into this marriage with full faith, hope and love, because agape love, unconditional love, never fails.
Amen and Amen.
