Wedding | Matthew Conway and Genesis Angulo

SERVICE OF MARRIAGE

Prior to Service:

Enter Notes Below:

(congregation seated)

Words of Welcome:

To congregation:

On behalf of Matthew and Genesis, I want to extend to you a very warm welcome.

We have gathered together in the presence of God to join Matthew Conway and Genesis Angulo in sacred marriage, an institution ordained by God, and to be honored by all people. It is the means through which God seeks to establish welfare and joy among the family.

Through the witness of Scripture, we have learned that God has instructed all of those who enter into this relationship to cherish one another with a mutual love; to share in the infirmities and weaknesses of one another; to comfort one another in sickness, trouble, and sorrow; to provide for one another; and, to partner with one another and the Holy Spirit to bless the world.

It is for this purpose today, Matthew and Genesis, that you are standing here today before God, one another, and these witnesses… to become united in sacred marriage and to celebrate the formation of a new family for the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

To the Bride and Groom:

To you, Matthew and Genesis, may I express on behalf of your family and friends gathered here that we feel such a deep sense of joy to celebrate this sacred union with you. As we witness both of you make this covenant to one another before God, know that we have have been praying for you and will continue to do so as you begin your new life together. You are not alone. We stand with you.

Let us stand now and pray together, and as we do, let us remember Genesis’ father who cannot be with us today due to illness.

Prayer:

Would you pray with me:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the real life and love that only you gave to us through the sacrifice of your son, Jesus Christ. We praise you, and we give you our gratitude, Lord, as we align our hearts and wills to you.

Lord, we are praying for Genesis’ father. May you continue to heal him from his illness and provide wisdom for his caretakers. Lord, please give him comfort and peace.

Thank you for Matthew and Genesis. Thank you for their friendship together. Lord, thank you for the company of these friends and family members gathered here today. Remain with us now and always. In you name we make this prayer, Amen.

Word of Explanation:

Today, in the company of those whom they love, Matthew and Genesis will declare their intent to marry, exchange vows, and give rings, all done in the full knowledge of what this sacred union means. This kind of union - truly, this kind of love - which initially drew them together years ago, now demands from them the highest form of human co-operation and sharing. The covenant of marriage is binding until the day that death shall separate them.

Declaration of Intent:

Matthew and Genesis, before God and this gathering of family and friends, I am going to ask you to declare your intent to enter into this marriage covenant:

Matthew, will you have Genesis to be your wife, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage; will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to her for so long as you both shall live? If so, then answer, “I do.”

Genesis, will you have Matthew to be your husband, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage; will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to him for so long as you both shall live? If so, then answer, “I do.”

Now, to your witnesses gathered with you today, do each one of you promise to stand with Matthew and Genesis in their marriage together, supporting them, honoring them, and praying for them? If so, then answer, “We do.”

Scripture Reading:

I would like to read a collection of short passages from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus chapters 4 and 5 that emphasize well the essential values of marriage. He wrote:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one Body. In your anger do not offend. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ, God forgave you.

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Wedding Homily:

Matthew and Genesis, I want to offer the two of you and your witnesses gathered here today a simple, yet profound charge: Serve one another.

In the passages that I just read, carefully hear these words: ‘be humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.’

This type of instruction demands the highest form of sacrifice from both of you equally on behalf of yourself for the other… rooted in faith… and draped in humility.

The true essence of humility means more than just merely thinking about yourself less, it actually means not thinking about yourself… at all. True humility means completely taking yourself out of the equation… for the sake of the other.

Marriage is a selfless relationship. Bearing one another in love means setting aside your wants and needs in order to shoulder the burdens - the cares - the joys - the successes - the losses - the “everything” of the other.

Humility is the solid bedrock on which to build a life long sustaining marriage. Even Jesus, the very Son of God, who alone deserves all of our praise and glory, did not hold onto his rights and privileges as the Son of God, but instead, he made himself… a servant.

Jesus gave up his ‘everything’ - his prestige, his wants, and his desires - for the sake the world whom he loved… for the sake of his bride, the church, and for the sake of each one of you… Matthew, Genesis, and your witnesses gathered here today… and he calls all of those who enter into this sacred marriage covenant to do the same.

Matthew and Genesis, you are to love one another with that same kind of humility and sacrifice, which, ultimately, calls both of you to set aside your rights as individuals for the benefit and blessing of the other.

In fact, if you want to know the secret sauce to every successful marriage… it’s not money… or time… or even good communication… it’s humble servanthood.

That’s it. Good old fashioned humble servanthood.

Everything good in marriage flows from serving the other. If you consistently set aside yourself and make your mission in marriage to serve the other, then ironically - and truly, this is the great secret of marriage - your needs will always be met. And you will discover a rare kind of joy in marriage that only a few ever find.

Therefore, I implore both of you to make your “marriage mission” about serving the another.

Matthew, your marriage mission is to serve Genesis. Genesis, your marriage mission is to serve Matthew.

In doing so, nearly every other aspect of your marriage will work itself out - conflict, mis-communication, different ideas about raising children, who does what household chore - if you consistently and faithfully seek to serve and want the best for the other, then these other issues become less of a life tidal wave and more of a light ripple.

Only the two of you know what serving the other really means.

We go back a few years. In fact, both of you were among the first young adults that I met at our church. From the first time we met, one thing clearly struck me about both of you: your friendship together. Both of you really like each other. You like being together. You enjoy sharing life together, and both of you really know one another well. Your interests and strengths compliment each other.

I am continually impressed by how well both of you love one another! Your history and shared affections toward one another have built a lasting bond between the two of you that today becomes solidified in the Spirit.

I have learned that Matthew adores Genesis above all others. And likewise, Genesis, your love and respect for Matthew shines through every time you mention his name.

Genesis, you are a special young lady with a generous heart. Matthew, you have a strong spirit.

Both of you have learned how to serve one another well for the adventure ahead of you, together. Keep after it, and let these experiences continue to shape your life together in Christ.

Always choose your spouse - always choose your spouse - ahead of yourself, no matter what person or thing, attempts to drive a wedge between the unity of your marriage.

This here [point to the two of them] is now priority one.

Bearing one another in love means remaining by one another through every argument, every illness, and every joy.

Hold onto those unique qualities that make up the foundation of your friendship, for God graciously formed those distinct qualities within you so that you may serve one another throughout the awesome adventure of your marriage.

I want to highlight three key components in particular from the passage that I read a few moments ago that make up a healthy marriage:

First is ‘hope.’ Our hope is rooted in the love of Jesus, which ushers us into a reality beyond ourselves.

One well known theologian once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

I think every married couple would agree that finite disappointments, grudges, and conflicts can feel like an eternity in the moment. But in reality, they only last as long as you let them. You decide when conflicts and grudges end. Cherish the kind of hope that’s infinite, and let that become your perspective.

Another key component is ‘unity.’ Remain together no matter what the challenge.

During our time together, we talked quite a bit about challenges that both of you have overcome… together.

At the time, challenges in your marriage can seem daunting, tiring, and even threatening to your marriage and family.

But over time, challenges can become the very bricks that build your foundation for a healthy, long-term marriage. See those bricks as opportunities for growth. As you lay them down, remember each brick and learn from its lesson.

Furthermore, remain united to your community - your family, friends, and your church. See these people gathered here. These are your people… who support you… care for you… and love you. Some of them have traveled long distances to be here with you. Hold onto them. Fight for them… in the same way that all of you [[[look at the witnesses]]] must fight for Matthew and Genesis.

And finally… Forgive one another, just as in Christ, God has forgiven you. Forgiveness requires full commit to humble servanthood, forsaking your desires for the benefit of the other. Forgiveness is the key that releases the other from whatever prison into which you want to lock them. Forgiveness is freedom, and freedom is joy!

Matthew you are to forgive Genesis just as in Christ, God has forgiven you.

Genesis you are to forgive Matthew just as in Christ, God has forgiven you.

Family and Friends, you are to forgive one another just as in Christ, God has forgiven each one of you.

Forgiveness is the fullest expression of humility. I hope both of you come to realize that as you offer forgiveness to the other, you not only set them free from carrying the rocks of grudges and hurt, but in so doing, you are setting yourself free to live into the very real and satisfying life that Jesus has promised to you.

Genesis, submit to Matthew, respect him and honor him in all that you do. Humbly serve him, cherish the source of your hope, maintain your bond of unity, and always forgive him when he falls short.

Matthew, love Genesis and sacrifice for her in the same way that Christ sacrificed himself for the church. The full charge and responsibility of marriage goes to you, my friend. Feel it. Maintain Genesis’s purity, and keep your marriage holy, set apart, and engaged on mission for the glory of Christ in the world!

Let’s pray together…

Exchanging of Vows:

We have now come to the moment when Matthew and Genesis will exchange their vows to one another. They first will exchange the traditional Christian vows spoken by other couples throughout the centuries, and then they will both share their personal vows written to the other. Would you please face each other and join hands:

Matthew, please repeat after me:

I, Matthew,... take you Genesis,... to be my lawfully wedded wife,... to have and to hold... from this day forward,... for better or for worse,... for richer, for poorer,... in sickness and in health,... to love and to cherish,… from this day forward... until death do us part.

And now Matthew would like to share his personal vows that he wrote for Genesis…

Genesis, please repeat after me:

I, Genesis,... take you Matthew,... to be my lawfully wedded husband,... to have and to hold... from this day forward,... for better or for worse,... for richer, for poorer,... in sickness and in health,... to love and to cherish,… from this day forward... until death do us part.

And now Genesis would like to share her personal vows that she wrote for Matthew…

Exchanging of Rings:

The wedding ring symbolizes both the unending love and commitment made to one another, as well as the unending love and commitment made by God to us.

Matthew, please repeat after me: With this ring,... I pledge my life... and my love to you.

Genesis, please repeat after me: With this ring,... I pledge my life... and my love to you.

Communion:

As their first act as a married couple, Matthew and Genesis want to share in the Lord’s Supper and invite you to do the same.

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

***Give bread to Matthew and wine to Genesis to serve their guests.

Matthew and Genesis invite those who wish to come to the front so they may serve you communion.

Prayer of Blessing

Please pray with me:

Heavenly Father, who created love and is defined by love, thank you for establishing marriage for the welfare and joy of humanity. You have said, "it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helpmate for him." Now our joys are doubled since the happiness of one is now shared with another. Likewise, our burdens now have been halved since the troubles of one is now shared with another. Lord, bless Matthew as he becomes Genesis’s husband. May his strength be Genesis’s protection; his character be her boast and pride. May Genesis find in Matthew her haven and security so that her heart may continue to grow toward your grace and peace.

Lord, bless Genesis as she becomes Matthew’s wife. May her tenderness be Matthew’s honor; her love be his boast and pride. May Matthew find in Genesis his respect and care so that his heart may continue to grow toward your grace and peace.

May you teach them humility and softness of heart and mind toward one another. Lord, unite their hands to serve you. As they seek your kingdom and righteousness, may all other things be added to them. May they come to know that perfection alone belongs to you. Give them wisdom to minimize each other’s weaknesses, boldness to praise each other’s strength, and clarity to see each other through your kind and patient eyes. May they never take one another for granted, but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, "out of all this world, you chose me." And Lord, when life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found as now, hand in hand, still thanking you for each other, until at last one shall lay the other into your arms. This we ask in the name of your son Jesus Christ, the great lover of our souls, Amen.

Ruth 1 Prayer

Matthew and Genesis, I want to invite you to look at each other in the eyes, and repeat after me these words together at the same time:

“Don’t ask me... to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go... I will go; wherever you live... I will live. Your people will be my people... and your God will be my God.” Ruth 1:16 NLT

Pronouncement:

Matthew and Genesis, today before one another, your family, friends, community, and your Heavenly Father, you made a sacred covenant together, pledging and committing your lives to one another and committing your joint relationship to God. As your community, we have witnessed both of you exchange your solemn vows, give rings, and join hands.

By the privilege vested upon me by God, I now pronounce you, husband and wife.

Kiss :

Matthew, you may know kiss your bride.

Benediction:

As we depart, I would like to invite all of us to stand and join hands together as we pray a final ancient blessing over Matthew and Genesis.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, Matthew and Genesis.

May the Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.

Amen

Presentation:

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you for the very first time,

Mr. and Mrs. Conway.