Dylan and Mia

Invocation and Opening

Who gives this woman away to be married?

****** Have Everyone Be Seated ********

Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to witness, in the presence of God almighty, the wedding of Dylan and Mia. Let us pray

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, we thank you for the many gifts that you give to us. We thank you especially today for the gift of marriage. We pray that you would witness, recognize, and bless the sanctity of this union that we are about to behold. May we all see more of your glory revealed through the blessing of marriage. Amen.

I will now invite up Dylan’s father Joe to read a passage of scripture for us

Introduction and Relationship

My name is Dom, I am Dylan’s brother in law, married to his sister Morgan. I am also a pastor at a church in Dearborn. As a pastor, one of my favorite privileges is the opportunity to officiate weddings. There is something beautiful about the union of husband and wife, and this is always true, but this wedding is a little extra special.

To be able to officiate for my brother Dylan, and especially considering he has found a wife for himself as wonderful as Mia, well this is a special gift. Ever since Dylan brought Mia around our family for the first time, I have been waiting for this day to come.

And I am excited, because marriage is a beautiful gift to us from God.

Marriage Is A Gift

instituted by God (Gen 2)

God instituted marriage at creation, and we read about it in Genesis chapter 2. After God created Adam from the dust of the world that he made, he gave him the task of ruling over everything that was made, but Adam became lonely. Noticing this, God took one of Adam’s ribs and from it, he formed the first woman, Eve.

When Adam first set eyes on this woman he burst into excited poetry,

Genesis 2:23 ESV

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.”

Then we are told

Genesis 2:24 ESV

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

So it was with the first man and woman that God instituted this mysterious and beautiful relationship and established a pattern for all of us to follow; that a man will leave his father and mother and be joined in the most intimate way possible to a woman. No longer are your allegiances primarily to your parents, but to one another and to God, and everyone else takes a backseat. So intimate is this relationship that it is described as two people becoming one flesh.

The Type Of Love We Have

A picture of Christ’s love for us

After thousands of years passed, the New Testament writer Paul helped to further interpret this marriage institution. After quoting the passage that talks about the two becoming one flesh, he says,

Ephesians 5:32 ESV

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

What we learn is that, even from the beginning, marriage was given for our benefit and for our instruction: in marriage, we get a glimpse of God’s love for his church in Christ. This love of Christ for the church is the content of what we call the gospel, and is the central theme of the Scriptures. This is a topic that is inexhaustible, and we would do well to continue to study God’s love revealed in his Word for the rest of our lives; but for tonight, let’s be content to quickly examine three aspects of Christ’s love and how they relate to the marriage relationship.

Love is unconditional

In this world, our love often comes with conditions, but the love Christ has for us is unconditional.

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The love that God has for us doesn’t depend on our ability to clean ourselves up or present ourselves to him as perfect people. God’s love found us while we were at our lowest, and God’s love for us lifts us out of that pit.

It is important that you both do not put conditions on your love for one another, but mimic Christ, who has made a promise to love us even when we are not deserving of it.

Love is sacrificial

We also often love selfishly, looking for what the other person can add to us, but the love of Christ for us is completely selfless, concerned for the wellbeing of his beloved.

1 John 3:16 ESV

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Christ defined true love in his sacrificial death for our sake, and so the love we have for one another should be marked by that same willingness to sacrifice for the other.

It is important that you do not enter this marriage looking for what you can gain from it, but what you can give to it.

Love is forever

Lastly, our love tends to have expiration dates, but the love of Christ is forever.

Romans 8:37–39 ESV

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love that you are both committing to today is a love that lasts forever and weathers any storm so long as it is a love that has its source in Christ’s own love for you. Therefore, commit yourselves to his love, and continue to build your love for one another on the rock which cannot be moved.

The Call

Now I know that you have already been able to experience this type of love. This is important, because while your marriage will be beautiful, it will not always be easy. Difficulties will come, oftentimes from places you would have never expected.

But when the difficulties do come, remember the love that Christ has for you both, and remember to show the same love to one another. This marriage that you are going to share for the rest of your lives is a picture of that beautiful love.

But Christ’s love is more than an example for you to follow, Christ’s love is also what will give you the strength you need to love like him. You need to look to him and be follow him. When you find your own life in him, you will also find the strength you need to love one another well, the way Christ has loved you. He often talked of himself as a tree, and we his people are the branches. When we are connected to the tree we have life, but we are nothing when disconnected from it.

John 15:5 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Dylan and Mia, commit yourselves to Christ, and I am confident that your marriage will flourish.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father, thank you for the love you have displayed through your Son Jesus Christ. We ask that you confirm Dylan and Mia in your love, and that you establish their marriage upon the love that you have for them both. In Jesus name. Amen.

We will now get to listen to a duet performed by the bridesmaids Erin and Esther.

Vows

It is now time for you to take vows. Remember that as you take these vows, you take them, not to one another, but to the God who loves you and upholds you.

Dylan, do you take this woman to be your wedded wife, to live with her after God’s commandments in the holy estate of marriage? And do you promise to love her, honor and cherish her, so long as you both shall live? Do you?

I do

Mia, do you take this man to be your wedded husband, to live with him after God’s commandments in the holy estate of marriage? And do you promise to love him, cherish and obey him, so long as you both shall live? Do you?

I do

Dylan, repeat after me

I, Dylan, take you, Mia, to be my wedded wife,

and I do promise and covenant

before God and these witnesses

to be your loving and faithful husband

in sickness and in health,

in plenty and in want,

in joy and in sorrow,

as long as we both shall live.

Mia, repeat after me

I, Mia, take you, Dylan, to be my wedded husband,

and I do promise and covenant

before God and these witnesses

to be your loving and faithful wife

in sickness and in health,

in plenty and in want,

in joy and in sorrow,

as long as we both shall live.

I understand that you have chosen rings for one another. Can I please have the rings?

Dylan, take the ring you have chosen for Mia and place it on her left finger

I give you this ring as a symbol and pledge

of constant faith and abiding love.

Mia, take the ring you have chosen for Dylan and place it on his left finger

I give you this ring as a symbol and pledge

of constant faith and abiding love.

Let us pray

By virtue of the authority committed unto me by the Presbyterian Church in America and more importantly by the God of all creation, I now pronounce you, Dylan, and Mia, to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(step to the side)

Dylan, you may kiss your bride

It is my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Dylan Crock!

I will dismiss you row by row. Dylan and Mia are eager to celebrate with you all, so please make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the refreshments. Let’s celebrate!