FINAL WEDDING VERAL BLAKE & PATRICIA ANN LEWIS
final Weddding Veral Blake • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Ceremony
Prelude-Music
Processional
Presentation of the bride
Welcome & Prayer – Pastor Al Blake
Declaration of intent
Reading – Colossians 3:12-17 Rhianna Blake
Song: Goodness of God (Walt Carter)
Reading – Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 Kamisha Craigg
Exhortation
Vows
Exchange of rings
Pronouncement of marriage
Signing of register –
Presentation of couple
Recessional
Prelude – Music, Ushers start seating guests, Family seating (parents, grandparents, immediate family and mothers)
Al and Veral up front
Processional (Bridal Party) (maid of honor, best man already up front)
Please stand
Music starts for the bride’s entrance
Bride walks in escorted by her Father
Presentation of the Bride
Who gives Patricia Ann to be married to Veral today? Dad: “I DO”
You may be seated
Call to Worship -- Welcome
On behalf of Veral and Patricia Ann, and their respective families, thank you for coming and being a part of this day. It’s a great day to rejoice and celebrate, and I know Veral and Patricia Ann have been anticipating this for many months!
It’s important to understand that we are gathered here in the presence of God to join Veral Blake and Patricia Ann Lewis in holy marriage, according to the plan of God and the laws of this state. And, to ask for God’s richest blessing on their marriage.
As you have been a special part of their lives up to this point, today you will be witnesses as they pledge their love and lives to each other.
Join us as we ask for that blessing:
Father in Heaven,
We praise You for giving us Your Son
To be our Saviour and Lord.
Bless us all as we gather here today
to honour we celebrate with Veral & Patricia Ann
a reflection of your love in marriage.
Hear our prayer, loving Father,
For we ask this in Jesus' Name.
Declaration of Intent
MARRIAGE was instituted by God and Jesus reiterated God’s command and blessing from the beginning that a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. And so he has instructed those who marry to cherish a mutual esteem and love; to bear with each other in difficulties and weaknesses; to comfort each other in sickness, trouble, and sorrow; to provide for each other’s needs; to encourage each other; and to live together in a way that honors God.
In light of that, Veral and Patricia Ann, I’d like for you to formally declare your intent to enter into that commitment.
Veral , will you have Patricia Ann to be your wife and will you pledge yourself to her in all love and honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with her and cherish her, according to God’s holy plan for marriage?
(I will)
Patricia Ann, will you have Veral to be your husband, and will you pledge yourself to him in all love and honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with him and cherish him, according to God’s holy plan for marriage?
(I will)
Reading – Colossians 3:12-17 Rhianna Blake
Song: Goodness of God (Walt Carter)
Reading – Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 Kamisha Craigg
Exhortation
Veral and Patricia Ann you may be seated
Exhortation
Exhortation
Foundations of Marriage – Hosea 2:14 -20
Hosea 2:14-20 is a great passage on how our love and lives in general, should imitate Christ’s love and Christ’s life. Hosea 2 describes God’s relationship with us, in marriage terms.
So we’re not only reminded of the foundations of our salvation relationship with God but we also discover the foundations of our marriagerelationships with one another.
Foundations that are critical to a God-honouring, joy-filled marriage
Foundations that if you leave out, you’re going to miss out
Foundations that if you neglect, you risk disaster in your marriage
The First of which is love
Your marriage relationship, just like your salvation relationship, should be based on:
1) Love, not performance (v14)
Despite the fact that the ancient Israelites flaked out on God, he says-
Behold, I will allure her [speaking of his people], and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her (v14)
I’m going to love you despite the fact that you haven’t performed
Despite the fact you haven’t lived up to your end of the barging
In the same way, you both should love each other not based on performance, but on self-sacrificing, self- giving love
Veral your love for Patricia Ann should not be based on how well she cooks, takes care of the home, or how hard of a worker she is --- Patricia Ann your love for Veral, shouldn’t be based on how much money he makes, how many flowers he buys, or how many notes he writes. Far from being unrelenting task-masters, and basing your love on performance, you should be unconditional lovers
Your marriage relationship, just like your salvation relationship, should be based on:
2) Commitment, not feeling (19a, 20a)
19- I will betroth you to me forever
I will promise to marry you forever
20- I will betroth you to me in faithfulness
When God saved each of you, he made a covenant with you to never leave you nor forsake you, that’s commitment to you, should never waver.
So too you’re making a covenant with one another today
That come rain or shine, good times or bad- it’s for life no matter how you feel
Your feelings will come and go, but your commitment, just like God’s commitment to you, should never waver.
A committed marriage says I’ll stick with you no matter who comes along, or what happens. A convenient marriage says I’ll stick with you until someone better comes along; or until I’m tired of you
Base your marriage on commitment, not on convince or feelings
Decide right now and renew that commitment every day
Be loyal even when you’re apart; have eyes only for the other
God will satisfy you with each other’s love more than you can ask or imagine
Your marriage relationship, just like your salvation relationship, should be based on:
3) Peace, not enmity (v18b)
18b – I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.
In a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, Not only are you at peace with God right now, But God ensures peace in the future.
I wish it were that easy in your marriage, but it’s not
You’ll have to work at cultivating peace in your home
Because if you are not careful, enmity and strive will rule the day- that’s what we naturally gravitate towards
Keep short accounts, break down barriers, and address problems head-on
Do whatever it takes to ensure your relationship is based on peace, not enmity
Your marriage relationship, just like your salvation relationship, should be based on:
4) Openness, not deception (v19b)
19b – I will betroth you to me [I will marry you] in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
In other words, God says – Here’s who I am and how I am
No secrets, no surprizes
He’s held nothing back from us, including the life of his Son
In the same way, you need to present yourselves to one another openly and truthfully and completely…
There should be no deceptions, no secrets, no facades – only complete openness, nothing will break a marriage down faster than secrets/ deception
Your marriage relationship, just like your salvation relationship, should be based on:
5) Tenderness, not punishment (19c)
14- I will speak tenderly to herGod says; 19c- I will betroth you to me in mercy
Despite what we deserve, God shows us mercy/ tenderness
Ps 103:10- He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
Veral, Patricia Ann - you will have opp upon opp to punish one another because you’ve been wronged or offended
You must decide ahead of time, what you will do when you’re wronged
Will you lash out in anger?
Or will tenderness and mercy rule the day?
Just as God withholds the punishment you deserve, so also should you
Just as god shows you tenderness, so should you show one another tenderness
Your marriage relationship, just like your salvation relationship, should be based on:
6) Intimacy, not co-existence (v20b)
20b- after saying all these things, God says, And you should know the LORD
Not just know about him, but know him, personally
That’s intimacy; the furthest thing from co- existence
A co-existent relationship is based on facts
An intimate relationship is based on the companionship
How unsatisfying would it be if you were to say ‘I do’, and then spend the rest of your lives learning the facts about each other?
Let me tell you- real unsatisfying
A co- existent marriage is a contradiction of terms- it’s not what God intends there’s no intimacy in that
God intends that your marriage be filled with…
Physical intimacy- where you unreservedly give yourself to one another in the safety, freedom, purity of your marriage bed
Emotional intimacy- where there’s a mutual sharing of hopes, dreams, fears
Spiritual intimacy- where there’s a mutual exchange of ministry and all that God is doing in your heart and soul
To the extent that your spiritual intimacy is white- hot with passion for God, your physical intimacy will be red hot with passion for each other.
Don’t settle for anything less- base your marriage on intimacy, not coexistence
Summary
Tenderness - not punishment; Openness - not Deception
Peace - not enmity; Commitment - not feeling; Love - not performance
I’m so excited for you
You have a rich life ahead of you, together, as you glorify God and him in all you do God Bless you
You have selected vows that express this type of love toward each other…
Veral & Patricia Ann- Stand facing each other
Exchange of Vows – Repeat after me
PATRICIA ANN (Speaks) –
Exchange of Vows – Repeat after me
Patricia Ann you will speak
– I, Patricia Ann, take you Veral - to be my husband - from this time onward - to join with you - and to share all that is to come - to be your faithful wife - to give and receive - to speak and listen - to inspire and respond - my commitment made in love - kept in faith - and eternally made new - Our love has given us wings - and our journey begins today.
Veral you will speak
– I Veral, take you Patricia Ann, to be my wife - from this time onward - to join with you - and to share all that is to come - to be your faithful husband - to give and receive - to speak and listen - to inspire and respond - my commitment made in love - kept in faith - and eternally made new - Our love has given us wings - and our journey begins today.
Exchange of Rings
Veral and Patricia Ann, you’ve chosen rings for one another as reminders of the commitments you have made before God and to each other today. Get Ring
Pray for rings: Father, bless these rings which Veral and Patricia Ann have set apart to be visible signs of the inward and spiritual bond which unites their hearts. As they give and receive these rings, may they testify to the world of the covenant made between them here.
Veral as an endless reminder of this hour and of the vow you have taken, place this ring, the symbol of your love, on the hand of Patricia Annand repeat after me:
Veral Speaks
I give you this ring – as the symbol and pledge -- of my love for you – and our covenant before God.
Patricia Ann, as an endless reminder of this hour and of the vow you have just taken, place this ring, the symbol of your love, on the hand of Veral and repeat after me:
Patricia Ann Speaks
I give you this ring – as the symbol and pledge -- of my love for you -- and our covenant before God.
Pronouncement of Marriage –
Since you, Veral and you Patricia Ann have agreed to marry each other and have declared your intention before God and in the presence of these witnesses, I pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate. Veral you can Kiss your bride.
Signing of the Register – Shanelle Nanton
Veral & Patricia Ann– Stand facing the audience
Presentation – It is my pleasure to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs Veral Blake
Recessional