Vow Renewal: Allen and Cheryl Adams

GRAND MARCH –

Grooms men and Brides Maids

Flower girl

(Minister – Will you all stand).

Cheryl and Travis - Travis hug mom and dad and go be seated.

(Minister- you may all be seated)

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ADDRESS THE CONGREGATION

We have gathered together this evening in the sight of God and in the presence of these family members and friends to witness the renewal of the wedding vows of Allen and Cheryl Adams. They come to renew that covenant taken December 19th 1974. They are honored that you are here to share this special day with them.

Prayer:

God of all grace and goodness, accept our thanks for the ordinance of marriage which You created and ordained. You who set us into families, and You who have promised Your blessing to all who call upon You. Bless these, Your servants, who are now about to renew their marriage vows. Guide them and sanctify them by Your Spirit and fill them anew with a deep sense of the obligation of the vows they took and which they renew today. Help them to look to You today for Your assistance and to renew these sacred obligations in humble dependence upon Your enabling grace. In the name of Jesus the Christ, we pray. Amen.

HOMILY

Joshua 4:1–7 NASB95

Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.’ ” So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; and Joshua said to them, “Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

Today, your children, grandchildren, family, and friends are here, as you create a pillar to remind yourselves and all who are here, God’s covenant of love.

Today when your grandchildren ask you, why you are getting married again, you like Joshua can point to this ceremony as a renewal of those vows you made so long ago. You can tell your grandchildren of the importance of covenant, love, and keeping the promises of vows.

THE FACT THAT YOU STAND HERE TODAY AFTER SO MANY YEARS REMAINING FAITHFUL PROVES WHAT SOLOMON WROTE.

Song of Solomon 8:6–7 The Message

Hang my locket around your neck, wear my ring on your finger. Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing— it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can’t drown love, torrents of rain can’t put it out. Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold— it’s not to be found in the marketplace.

You see, Love is the power of creation, love is the voice calling light out of darkness.

Love was the force that calmed the storm, that raised the dead, and willingly died in our place.

As the Apostle John so aptly put it. - God is Love.

When a man and a woman share in the powerful force of love, they are in fact sharing in the Divine nature of God.

As love overtakes you, you’ll find -

That the other becomes more important than yourself.

That the treasures of this world pale in comparison to the company of your love.

That pain, sorrow, and poverty become bearable in the presence of one another.

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Yet there is more to love than simple feelings.

The Apostle John also wrote;

1 John 3:18 NLT

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

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The reality is, you do not fall into love, you commit to it.

If you place the tender plant of marriage in a cupboard and close the door, forgetting the cultivating work it will need, you will discover it cannot survive without your faithful and careful attention.

Love, is saying I will be there no matter what!

Love is a covenant

A covenant of promises between a man and woman and God.

A time will come when youthful passions will fade - but love will STAND.

Times of sorrow will surely come - but love will remain.

Times of doubt will fill your minds but - love will stand fast.

Love is not simply an emotion - it is a bond built by God that can withstand the powers of Hell, and the floods of life.

ALLEN AND CHERYL, YOU STANDING HERE TODAY TO RENEW YOUR VOWS IS EVIDENCE OF GOD’S GOODNESS TO HUMANITY THROUGH THE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE.

Your youthful passions have gone - here you stand side by side in love today.

You have experienced times of sorrow and pain - and your love has remained and strengthened.

Times of doubt filled both of your minds in the early days - But again after 50 years, here you stand.

YOU STAND AS PILLARS TO REMIND ALL OF US OF THE COVENANT OF LOVE AND ITS POWER.

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ADDRESS TO THE CONGREGATION:

I challenge all of us to renew our commitment to marriage today. May we take this time to renew our determination to stay in our marriages and let God work through us to His glory and for our deepening love for Him and for each other. I challenge us to be committed to communication and to cooperation.

I challenge us all to let our marriages be pillars of God’s covenant faithfulness for the world to see and be in wonder.

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Renewing the Wedding Pledge:

Will you, Allen, recommit yourself to this holy relationship of marriage and to the solemn obligations and responsibilities of a husband? Will you continue to be Cheryl’s loving, faithful and helpful husband, in sickness or in health, in prosperity or in adversity? Are you willing to renew your love and commitment to her as your wife and to promise to be faithful unto her, so long as you both shall live? If so, answer: I WILL

Will you, Cheryl, recommit yourself to this holy relationship of marriage and to the solemn obligations and responsibilities of a wife? Will you continue to be Allen’s loving, faithful and helpful husband, in sickness or in health, in prosperity or in adversity? Are you

willing to renew your love and commitment to him as your husband and to promise to be faithful unto him, so long as you both shall live?

If so, answer: I WILL

Renewing the Wedding Vows:

(Allen repeat after me.)

I, Allen, receive you, Cheryl, /as a gift from the hand of God /and now reaffirm my choice for you /as my lifelong spouse in marriage for the rest of my life. /I promise to love and honor you /as a fellow-heir of God’s grace./ By God’s help, I will support and defend you/ as my wife until the day we are separated by death.

(Cheryl Repeat after me.)

I, Cheryl, receive you, Allen, /as a gift from the hand of God /and now reaffirm my choice for you /as my lifelong spouse in marriage /for the rest of my life. /I promise to love and honor you/ as a fellow-heir of God’s grace. /By God’s help, I will support and defend you /as my husband until the day we are separated by death.

Blessings of the Wedding Rings:

In the Old Testament, when God made a covenant with Noah, He sent a rainbow in the clouds as a token of remembrance concerning that covenant. From this we learn that it is well for us, when we enter into solemn agreements with one another, to set apart a reminder of the vows we have made.

(Dec 17th 1974), You selected rings to represent and to symbolize your covenant to God and one another.

Today as believers in Christ Jesus as Lord and King your those rings take on even more significance.

The gold represents the precious nature of God’s love flowing through you both towards one another through out all these years.

The circle of the rings represents the eternal nature of God’s love for both of you.

As well as the life long commitment and covenant you both made to one another and kept.

TODAY, INSTEAD OF EXCHANGE OF RINGS, I INVITE YOU TO THE TABLE OF THE LORD NOT AS AN INDIVIDUALS BUT AS HUSBAND AND WIFE, TO PARTICIPATE TOGETHER IN THE BREAD AND JUICE WHICH REMINDS US ALL OF GOD’S ETERNAL COVENANT HE MADE WITH US THROUGH JESUS.

(Music - )

Steven will pray over Allen and Cheryl and then they will take communion together.

Pronouncement of Reaffirmation:

WILL YOU TWO HOLD ONE ANOTHERS RIGHT HAND.

Allen and Cheryl

By the power vested in me by God, and the authority given to me by this church and congregation as a Christian pastor, I now declare your original wedding vows to be renewed. May this fresh, new start reaffirm your love, commitment and devotion to each other.

Allen you may kiss your bride, AGAIN.

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Processional

Ladies and Gentle will you please stand.

In the sight of God, family, and friends, allow me to reintroduce you all to Allen and Cheryl Adams.

(Music - )

Allen and Cheryl will exit together.

Groom and Bridesmaid exit as they entered.

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Allen and Cheryl would like to invite you all to join them downstairs to continue the celebration with food and drinks.

You are all dismissed.