Welcome: We are gathered here in the sight of God to celebrate and give witness to the joining of Heather Martin & Joey Lopez in a Holy Union. This is a special moment in the development of their love and life together. Through their love for one another, their lives have become richer and fuller and they are both made stronger. Having found one another and established their relationship, they have come here to sanctify it and give it special significance by celebrating it here in front of their friends and family. It is a time for tying the knot in the rope of days and saying “we will not slip backwards from here, but will go forward together.” It is a time of declaring vows and intentions and for facing life’s uncertainties with the one thing of which they are certain: their love for one another and their desire for that love to last for eternity.
Prayer: Gracious God, We give thanks for bringing these two together. We thank you for all of our relationships, both past and present, for they give our life depth and meaning. Remind us again as we watch these two make promises to each other, that it is our caring and commitments that define us. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Art Of A Good Marriage - Wilferd Arlan Peterson
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In marriage the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
Pastoral Support and Encouragement
A service of love and commitment is a wonderful time where two individuals come together with all their different experiences and backgrounds and create a new life and a new space.
Your calling is to share a space well by the way you complement the other. You have an incredible opportunity to be open to the complexities of another human being, and to learn by that openness what true intimacy means. It’s a journey that you are on together, a journey of discovery into the heart of another, and if you seriously commit yourselves to that journey, you will also discover your own true self in a deeper way. May your partnership be a source of continued strength as you bring your lives together in a new and powerful way
Vows
Pastor: Joey repeat after me: I, Joey, choose you, Heather, to be my wife. I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.
Pastor: Heather repeat after me: I, Heather, choose you, Joey, to be my husband. I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.
Pastor: Today you pledge yourselves to a lifetime commitment in love. Your dedication to each other comes from a belief that God is with you, upholding and sustaining you. In your union you seek to offer companionship to each other in every area of your life together. Your relationship will also make a difference in the lives of others. . .in the way your relationship touches your family, your friends, and your Church community.
Vow of Support From Friends and Family
Pastor: A wedding is not only a private event, but is also a public event. We are here to give witness to the commitment made here today and to offer our support to this relationship. I ask for to stand as we affirm them with our blessing. Please repeat after me:
“Heather & Joey, you have our support. We will pray for you often. We will include you in our lives. We stand together. . . in the circle of love. As we share ourselves. . .we are all made stronger.”
Ring Ceremony
Pastor: Please present the rings you bring as the sign of your promise.
Bless, O Lord, these rings as they are given and as they are worn, may they serve to remind us of the vows by which Heather & Joey have bound themselves to each other. Amen.
Pastor: A circle is a symbol of the Sun, the Earth, and the universe. It is also a symbol of the eternity of spiritual truth, love, and life - that which has no beginning and no end. As you wear these rings may they testify to you and the world of the great strength and eternal power of your promises today.
Joey as you put the ring on Heather’s finger repeat after me: Heather, I give this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.
Heather as you put the ring on Joey’s finger repeat after me: Joey, I give this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.
Unity Candle Ceremony
The Lord’s Prayer
Now let us join our voices together reciting the prayer that Jesus taught us…
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever.” Amen
Prayer of Dedication
Pastor: I pray O God that your love will shine upon Heather & Joey. Strengthen their communication, increase their passion, hold them tightly in Your arms even as they hold each other in the arms of eternal love. May their family and friends always support them and offer them a place where their love for you and their love for each other may grow. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Pronouncement
Heather & Joey, you have proclaimed your commitment in this place before God and in the presence of your family and friends. You have confirmed your promises by the joining of hand and the giving of rings.
Therefore, In the presence of God and this community
By the power of your love and faith,
as ordained by God,
and because you have exchanged vows of commitment,
We recognize you as together as one.”
Pastor: Joey & Heather, with joy I invite you to celebrate your holy union with a kiss.
Benediction
Pastor: I now introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Joey Lopez
Lovely! And romantic. My partner and I just decided to get married in a couple of years after me hesitating a lot and I'm secretly looking forward to it! :)
ReplyDeleteWe just picked the reading we are going to include in our wedding. It's The Art of a Good Marriage!! :) The second we read it, we knew it was what we wanted to include.
ReplyDelete