Curt and Sarah Vow Renewal

The New Revised Standard Version God Is Love

16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

Intro- One of the Harder Sermons I’ve had to write.

Dearly beloved...

We are gathered here today to renew the promises made 15 years ago by Curt and Sara.

We are gathered here today to be surrounded by the love of friends and family, some of whom we haven’t seen in quite a while.

We are gathered here today to strengthen our hope for the future, as well as honor the past.

And, at the moment, Curt and Sara are gathered here to be very worried about what this particular preacher could possibly say in this sermon...

We’ve known each other a long time, I have a lot of material to work with here!

Truth be told, I’ve lost track of how many sermons I’ve written in my life, but this has got to have been one of the hardest.

You two have known each other a VERY long time.

You’ve been married far longer than I have.

Heck, when I run in to trouble in my life I usually pick up the phone and call YOU!

What do I have to teach you, what wisdom could I possibly offer that you don’t already possess?

And that’s when it hit me: I don’t, and I can’t.

I don’t have anything to teach you today that you don’t already know.

I don’t have any wisdom that you haven’t come across in your journey.

I don’t have a pithy three point sermon that will mark out the future God has for you in a clear and unwavering way.

So, I decided it’s not my job to teach you anything today.

It’s my job to remind you of what you already know.

God is Love

The Greek work for Love used here in this text is agape

It’s a love that values the recipient more than the giver.

And it is worth remembering that God is this kind of love.

God doesn’t feed God’s ego with our attention and devotion.

God blesses us with love, and love perfected.

God doesn’t care how many times we fail, or we fall, or we stumble, or we lose sight, Grace lives on.

You know this, but it’s worth a reminder.

Abide in Love

Another word for abiding in love is to remain in love.

And I think that’s in there because can be super tempting to run after lesser loves, isn’t it?

I know I have the Agape love of God, but wouldn’t be great if I could feel recognition for my talents?

I know I have the Agape love of Christ, but wouldn’t it be great if I could buy one more gadget or trinket?

I know I have the Agape love of my spouse, but wouldn’t it be great if life were a little different?

Sometimes we need to be reminded to plant ourselves in love, to remain there.

In fact, in another part of the story Jesus says that those who abide are like the branches of a vine.

They get their nourishment from love.

They get their security from love.

They are able to…grow in love.

The temptations to leave this love that nourishes us are manifold, and they’re not limited to just the two of you.

We all want to run.

But we can remember that like the prodigal’s father, no matter how far we run the God of Love runs after us still.

Of course you know this. But we could all use a reminder of the grace of God, couldn’t we?

There is no fear in love.

Again, I’ve had a front row seat for this relationship you two share, and I’ve lost track of how frequently I have seen this play out between the two of you.

I have seen seasons of anxiety, of stress, of peril, and of fear.

And I have also seen words of comfort, an embrace of reassurance, a love that repels fear shared between the two of you.

Usually at this point when I’m officiating a wedding for a new couple, I have to remind them that not every day will be the fairy tale story with happy endings.

There will be difficulty, there will be sorrow, there will be pain.

There will be words you wish you hadn’t said, mistakes will be made, and there will be ample opportunity for apology.

And of course, you know that.

But you also know what love can do in those moments.

It’s not that love makes a turbulent world go away.

It’s that when you two have your love for each other, and you have your love for Christ, you can navigate the choppiest seas with poise and grace.

Of course you know that, but it’s worth remembering.

We love because he first loved us.

John reminds us at the end of this text perhaps the biggest truth:

We love, because he first loved us.

Were it left up to us alone, our own inclinations and desires, we’d probably mess this up pretty fast.

Were it left up to us, I don’t know that you’d have 15 years under your feet.

Were it left up to us, things would look pretty bleak.

Luckily it’s not left up to us.

We love because we have been given a constant example of love in the God of Grace.

We love because we have a relentless per-surer in the person of Jesus Christ.

We love because our hearts are full of the indwelling Spirit, breathing new life into our loves day after day after day after day.

But…of course…you know this.

Challenge

So if I might offer a word of challenge to you both today it would be this:

Be a living reminder to each other…a monument...an Ebenezer Stone if you will…(Sorry, couldn’t resist it)

Remind each other when times are good of all the love that you have poured in to each other to get you to those beautiful moments.

Remind each other when times are tough that you have made this far by faith, and have so so much farther to go.

Don’t forget to remind Caleb of the God who loved us first, and opens us up to love at all.

Remind everyone you meet that our view of the world is not based in fear, or anger, or aggression, or anxiety, but we view the world with love because that’s what God has offered the world.

What a beautiful story that God has told through you two these 15 years.

What a beautiful story that’s yet to come.