Wedding Ceremony

Noah and Reagan Ellingburg

Greeting and Prayer

We have come together in the presence of God to witness the joining together of this man and this woman in the bond of marriage. The sacred relationship of marriage was established by God in creation, and it is commanded in the Scripture to be held in honor by all people. It is at once one of man’s greatest blessings and also one of his most awesome responsibilities. Marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but soberly and deliberately and in reverent fear of God. [Groom] and [Bride] thank you for joining them and sharing in this very special day.

Let commit this time to the Lord in prayer:

Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, we give You thanks for the gift of life and the gift of love. You have made marriage to be a holy covenant, a reflection of Christ’s love for His Church.

Today we ask Your blessing upon Noah and Reagan as they stand before You. Prepare their hearts for this sacred vow, and let Your Spirit guide them into a life of faithfulness and joy. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Giving away

Family’s Blessing (optional)

A marriage is not only the joining together of two individuals, it is also a joining together of two families. The care, support, and nurture which have been extended to Noah and Reagan by their families is as important now as it has ever been. In fact, it needs to be extended now to include another person. Both families need to be committed to support both partners in this marriage.

Family, today you are not losing a son/daughter but rather you are gaining a son/daughter. Do you promise to love and encourage ___________ as you would your own? If so, answer,"We will."

sermon

Today is a day of great meaning. In the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 2 God instituted marriage:.

Genesis 2:14–25 ESV

And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Marriage was created to be a symbol of God’s love and watch-care over us. But when sin entered the world marriage, like all else in creation, was marred.

Therefore we need a better more perfect example of marriage, one that is more true and pure than even that of our first parents. In Jesus, we find the best and greatest example of what marriage is to be. Ephesians 5:25, Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

So how did Jesus love the Church? Well, the answer to that can be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He loved Us despite our sin.

Romans 3:23 - All have sinned – we are all sinful

a. If you have ever lied you are a liar...

b. Like Christ we must realize that our spouse is not perfect. We have all been marred by sin, all been helplessly broken.

c. As Marc Driscoll said, “the only problems with this marriage are the bride and the groom.”

d. We must live life with a constant realization that no matter how wonderful our spouse may seem, they are broken and prone to fail.

Marriage is Two People Dying to self

Romans 5:8 – but God loved us so much that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

a. Jesus came to the earth and lived as a man for 33 years and died on a sinner’s cross to become my representative substitute. He represented my sin and substituted his life for my life. He became my ransom, my high price that was pain.

b. In the same way, we are called to be the first to forgive our spouse. You will be hurt by thoughtless words. You will be scared by painful circumstances, but as you love as Christ did, you must seek to forgive and encourage one another through those hard times.

Marriage is a Daily Dying to self

Romans 6:23 – Death is the price that must be paid for our sins

a. Like a roses given on a birthday or anniversary, the beauty of these mortal bodies will fail.

b. When Christ came, he came to an old, tired world. For the 1,500 years Israel had sought to please God with their religiosity and by observing the Law.

c. But Christ showed great love and compassion for his bride.

d. In the same way, you must choose to love one another, even as your belly bulge and your skin droops.

e. All of us will die, all of us will face God (Hebrews 9:27) – Marriage is a symbol of the fact that Christ will never let us go, he will never forget us.

Christ must be the blazing center of your lives.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

i. Christ’s desire is not to be in first place in your life, he wishes to be your life!

ii. The desire of God is that you would become “more and more in every way like Christ who is the head of the body, the church.” Ephesians 4:15”

5. Romans 10:13 - God’s desire is that none should perish, therefore God calls you to a life of service and sharing your faith with the world around you. As the old hymn says, “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying...”

6. My Charge to you is that you cherish each other as Christ loved and cherished the church

Statement of intention

PLEASE JOIN HANDS

---------------, Do you intend to take this woman whose hand you hold to be your lawful wedded wife; and do you pledge before God and man to love, honor, and protect her through sunshine and shadow alike; keeping yourself unto her alone until death shall separate you? If so, answer “I Do”?

------------- Do you intend to take this man, whose hand you hold, to be your lawful wedded husband; and do you pledge before God and man to be to him a loving and true wife, through sunshine and shadow alike, keeping yourself unto him alone, until death shall separate you? If so, answer “I Do”

Vows

Each says: "I,_________, take you,_________, to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live. To this I pledge myself truly with all my heart.

Rings

You have chosen to seal you vows by the giving and receiving of rings. The ring forms a perfect circle, without a beginning or an end, and is thereby a symbol of eternity and signifies the duration of the commitment you are making. The gold of which the rings are made signify the purity and value of the relationship into which you enter. Let us now exchange these rings.

[Groom] /[Bride] You have the privilege of placing this ring on [Bride]/[Groom] finger in virtue of the exclusive covenant relationship into which you now enter. Repeat after me: I give you this ring, as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and with all that I have, I will honor you.

Sand Ceremony(optional)

Prayer of Blessing

Heavenly Father, our Creator and Redeemer, we bless Your holy name.

From the very beginning, You made us male and female, and in Your kindness You gave marriage as a gift. At its best, marriage reflects Your great love for us and teaches us how to love each other faithfully.

Today, we thank You for bringing Noah and Reagan together. You have blessed their love, and now You join them as one so that their marriage may mirror Christ’s love for His Church.

O Father, who calls us Your beloved sons and daughters, be kind and gracious to Noah and Reagan. Pour out Your goodness upon their home. Help them to listen carefully, to think wisely, and to serve one another with joy. Renew their love daily, strengthen their bond of peace, and let their life together be filled with joy in You.

Lord Jesus, Noah and Reagan do not yet know every turn of the road ahead. They do not fully know themselves, and they cannot yet fully know each other. But they do know You. Keep their desire strong to honor You and to bless one another. Guard them from walking apart from You, and remind them always that they are never alone. Even in times of uncertainty or trial, let them rest in Your presence and trust in Your promises.

Holy Spirit, You are the Giver of life and the One who shapes us for God’s glory. Take the talents and gifts You’ve placed in Noah and Reagan and use them for Your Kingdom. Teach them each day to ask how they may serve You best. Guide their minds, shape their hearts, and stir their hands to action. Let their marriage proclaim the gospel, serve the Church, and bring hope, comfort, and joy to others in Jesus’ name.

Triune God, You are able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. So we ask: fill Noah and Reagan with the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love. Root them and ground them in that love, and strengthen them so that Christ may dwell richly in their hearts by faith.

And in the end, Lord, keep them faithful to the covenant they make today. Bring them, with all Your saints, into everlasting glory, through the blood of Christ who redeemed them.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Pronouncement

And now, by the authority invested in me as a minister of the Gospel, and in accordance with the laws of the State of Mississippi, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.

Introduction

It is my pleasure to introduce to you, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Edward Ellingburg

Recessional

Noah and Reagan invite you to a reception…

Pray for meal