Ashen Montgomery and Aarin Phillips Wedding Ceremony

Processional:

Aarin and David Up front

Best man and maid of honor up front

Ringbearer walks up and hands David the ring box

Flower Girls do their flower girl thing

Ashen Up front Escorted by Father of the Bride

Ashen hugs dad and Aarin walks forward and grabs her hand, both face the front.

Preface:

Dearly Beloved we are gathered here today in the Sight of God and before you all as witnesses to join together in Holy Matrimony this man and this woman. Marriage is an honorable and praiseworthy state of life, having been instituted by God in the time of our innocence, even then intended to be for us a sign and picture of Christ’s love for the church. Therefore The state of marriage had been blessed and sealed by God himself and further given value and worth by being the sight of the first miracle of Jesus when he came to this earth. This institution is one to be entered into with open eyes and a clear conscious, not for selfish or earthly reasons, but ultimately for the Glory of God and for the building and lifting up of you both, these children and the church. Therefore Aarin and Ashen , having weighed these things in your heart mind and soul I ask you today:

Consent:

First you Aarin:

Aarin will you have Ashen to be your wife, to live together as God has ordained in the state of holy Matrimony? Will you love her, cherish her, honor and protect her, in sickness and in health? And, forsaking all others, be faithful to her, as long as you both shall live? If So Answer “I WILL”

Now Ashen:

Ashen will you have Aarin to be your husband, to live together as God ordained in the state of holy Matrimony? Will you love him, cherish him, honor and protect him, in sickness and in health? And, forsaking all others, be faithful to him, as long as you both shall live? Is so answer “I WILL”

Invocation:

Lets pray:

God of all comfort, strength, peace, hope and goodness. You are holy and righteous and worthy of all glory honor and praise. You are the God who is seated on the throne, the high king of heaven and the one who created all of us. We praise you for you have been so good to us. You have blessed us and kept us, you sent your son to us that while we ere dead in sins and trespasses that we could be made alive together with Christ, so first we thank you for the precious gift of salvation. But that goodness was not all, for you who gave us his son will you not with him graciously give us all things? You have given us life and joy and peace and in particular today you have given us the precious gift of marriage. When you created man you declared that “It is not good that man should be alone” and made for him the perfect helpmate, the one who would uphold him and care for him and enable him to do all you had called hi to. and you then said “It is good”. So we pray that goodness on the life and marriage of Aarin and Ashen. Bless them and keep them, bind them together that they may experience in their marriage your goodness and grace. We ask this in the name above all other names, the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Scripture reading:

At this time we would ask some members of the family to read some passages of Scripture:

Old Testament:

Psalm 67 ESV

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

New Testament:

1 John 4:7–12 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Homily:

Well, it is at this point in the service that we move to what is traditionally called the homily. My favorite part of any wedding ceremony, biased as I am as the pastor who gets to give the homily... Truly, this is a sermon, but not like a normal sermon.

We are all gathered, and you here are Witnesses. But this part, This ultimately is to Ashen, and to Aarin. Though I pray all who hear it, find some form of blessing.

As we prepared this service, and we went through and organized, I asked: Do you have a passage you would like me to preach on, or can I just surprise you with what I'll preach on? and you both graciously said I could surprise you.

And then I went from confidence and thinking I knew what I wanted to preach straight to trepidation because it's scary. And so I went to my list of thing I had been thinking of. I thought, you know, I could do. The traditional Marriage passage. “Wives submit to your husbands and Husbands love your wives as Christ has loved the Church.” or “man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife...” but I don't think that's what you guys need.

So then I thought I could do an off-the-beaten path sort of marriage passage. The great marriage supper of the Lamb or a passage from the Song of Solomon… but I found no peace there.

So then as I thought and prayed about you both - Aaron and Ashen - and what my hope and more to the point what my prayer for you both in this marriage and in your lives to come. This is where I've landed:

Second Corinthians chapter five. Here Paul is writing to the church in Corinth. In truth He's already written them One letter... they took some of his advice They didn't accept others. Paul knew what it meant to be a pastor, and what that looked like. But here in second Corinthians chapter 5. Paul begins to talk about what we are all— all believers — Everyone who claims the name of Christ — what we are called to.

And here he uses language that's unique to second Corinthians and I think beautiful and wonderfully appropriate to the marriage of you, Aaron, and you, Ashen.

In Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 16, Paul says this.

2 Corinthians 5:16 “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.”

But then he goes from this thought, that Christ is our high king in heaven, he has ascended and is now seated on the throne, he has purchased for us salvation and is now seated in the HEAVELY realms and so we passion and conviction Paul can write this:

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Here, Paul cuts to the heart of the Gospel. In Christ We are made new. We carry no longer the burdens, guilt, or even shame for Christ washes us, cleanses us and He allows us to stand and live in his righteousness.

All this, Paul writes. In Second Corinthians 5, 18,

2 Corinthians 5:18 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself

Here is the hope of the Gospel as plainly as I can say it. We, who were once enemies to God, have been made United with God through the power and the work of Jesus Christ. But Paul does not end there. The ending of this is not “okay. We're United to God. Great.”

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Your marriage, Aaron and Ashen. Is a beautiful. And wonderful. And Splendid opportunity to live — in action — This ministry of reconciliation that we have all been given in Jesus Christ. As you care for each other's burdens as you lift one another up as you, together, move forward in life, seeking to bring glory and honor and praise to God, but also seeking to honor and love and cherish and nurture and care for and hope and help each other. You will be living out this same Ministry of reconciliation that we have all been given. And your marriage will become a beautiful testimony of what it looks like when we are reconciled to God.

Aaron, as you love your wife as Christ loved the church as you seek to wash her and cleanse her in the word as you seek to protect her and guard her and be all that you are called to be you will take Part in reconciling in helping to reconcile her back to God through your testimony and through your life.

Ashen as you care for. Love submit to, honor, And seek to help and hold up Aarin you too are working a Ministry of reconciliation.

The truth is this: That we were once strangers and Aliens Not just to one another, but to God. BUT He has reconciled us, and in his perfect beautiful, wonderful Grace as a gift, he has drawn you two together. And so, as you seek to love and care and minister to one another. Remember this call. Seek to Proclaim this ministry of reconciliation. With love and grace and determination. Honor one another care for one another and push each other. To rest in the precious gift of Salvation available to us in Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

In doing so You'll bring glory To each other. Glory To the church. And Glory to God! Honor one another. And your marriage will be a beautiful, wonderful testimony of the hope and truth of the new life of the Gospel.

Amen.

Vows

And so now as you seek to love and care for and work in each others lives I will ask that you give to each other solemn vows.

Aarin, you first, please repeat after me:

I Aarin take thee Ashen,

To be my wedded wife,

And I do promise and covenant,

before both God and these witnesses,

To be thy loving and faithful husband,

In plenty and in want,

In joy and in sorrow,

in sickness and in health,

as Long as we both shall live.

Now you Ashen, repeat after me:

I Ashen take thee Aarin,

To be my wedded husband,

And I do promise and covenant,

before both God and these witnessess,

To be your loving and faithful wife,

in plenty and in want,

in Joy and in sorrow,

in sickness and in health,

as long as we both shall live.

and now, If i could have EJ and Enid come up we have a portion of this that is for them as well.

AARIN vows to the kiddos

Rings

It is at this time that we will exchange rings. Like a ring is here an unbroken circle, so these rigs should represent the unbreaking bond that you both are making to one another.

Aarin you first, please repeat after me:

With this ring, I thee wed,

In the name of the Father,

and of the son,

and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen

now you Ashen:

With this ring, I thee wed,

In the name of the Father,

and of the son,

and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen

Prayer

And Amen

I would ask that you join me in praying over these two the Lords Prayer:

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

for yours is the kingdom, and the glory, and the power forever

Amen

Pronouncement:

Since now Aarin and Ashen have made these commitments before God, this assembly, and to each other, by the authority of God and according to the laws of this state, I now declare that Aarin and Ashen are husband and wife. No longer two, but one. “What, therefor God has joined together let no man separate”.

You may now Kiss the Bride (DSVID STEPS OUT TO NOT BE IN PICTURES)

Well now it is my joy and privilege to present to you, for the very first time: MR and MRS Aarin Phillips!

Recessional

Aarin and Ashen

best man and maid of Honor

WE ask that everyone remain here for all the pictures and then we will have the reception here in a little bit!

Amen