It is once again my privilege today to officiate for the wedding of two of God’s saints! There is much that goes into making a wedding day memorable and enjoyable. Large parts of this preparation often cause anxiety!
In the midst of all the excitement and preparation, it is good to take a moment and remember exactly what happens on this day. God joins a man and a woman in an inseparable bond that only He can break.
On this beautiful day, we see a picture of Jesus and His bride the Church, presented to Himself as “a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). The love that Christ has for His bride is displayed by His sacrifice on the cross where He “gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:26).
May our marriages be so adorned each day with this love and forgiveness of Christ. If you are married, pause for a moment and reflect of your wedding vow: “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, until death parts us, and I pledge you my faithfulness.”
Prayer (The Wedding Collect): O God, our dwelling place in all generations, look with favor upon the homes of our land. Embrace husbands and wives, parents and children, in the arms of your love. Bless our homes that they may ever be a shelter for the defenseless, a bulwark for the tempted, a resting place for the weary, and a foretaste of our eternal home with you; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
God’s richest blessings in Christ,
Pastor Philip Quardokus
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