Wedding for Nate and Missy

Call to Worship Psa. 121:1-5

Hymn (optional)______________________

Preface______________________

Charge

Consent (Who gives this bride to be away?)

Prayer/invocation_____________________

Hymn (optional)___________________

Reading of Scriptures

Old Testament______________________

New Testament______________________

Homily

Vows_______________________

Rings______________________

Pronouncement_____________________

Unity candle (optional)

Hymn (optional)____________________

Prayer/benediction____________________

Kiss

Introduction

Call to Worship

Hughes, R. K., & O’Donnell, D. S. (2015). The pastor’s book: a comprehensive and practical guide to pastoral ministry (p. 145). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

After walking down the isle

Hymn (optional)______________________

PREFACE

Preface______________________

Charge (to the congregation)

Dear friends, we are here assembled in the presence of God to unite Nate Williams and Melissa Bishiop in marriage.

The Bible teaches that marriage is to be a permanent relationship of one man and one woman freely and totally committed to each other as companions for life.

The Pastor’s Book: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide to Pastoral Ministry Charge

Dear friends (or dearly beloved, or beloved friends), we are here assembled in the presence of God to unite ___________ and ___________ in marriage.

The Bible teaches that marriage is to be a permanent relationship of one man and one woman freely and totally committed to each other as companions for life. Our Lord declared that man shall leave his father and mother and unite with his wife in the building of a home, and the two shall become one flesh.

Our Lord declared that man shall leave his father and mother and unite with his wife in the building of a home, and the two shall become one flesh.

Consent

Who presents this woman to marry this man?

Prayer

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, Divine Matchmaker; You have joined the eternal Son in holy wedlock to His bride. You are the Spirit of truth; You inspired the prophets and apostles who wrote these Scriptures, and You have promised to lead us into truth. Illumine us as we consider the Scriptures today, and work among us to bind this man and woman together to be one flesh. For the sake of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and with the Father, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Hymn (optional)___________________

Hymn (optional)___________________

Reading of Scriptures

"If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. "If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. "And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. "Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, "is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. "Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. "It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. "Love never ends. ...” ()

The year was 1904. William Borden, the heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from High School in Chicago. As a graduation gift, his parents gave him a trip to Europe and Asia. It is reported that he had a million dollars available to him on this trip.

The trip turned out much different from what he or his parents expected. He saw the needs of people in different parts of the world. And to everyone’s surprise, he wrote home informing his parents that he was going to live his life in China as a missionary. In the back of his Bible he wrote these words:

No Reservations!

No Retreats!

No Regrets!

He was making a commitment to God and to the people of China: no reservations, no retreats, and no regrets.

The commitment that you are making to each other today is just as significant.

No Reservations.

When you say, “I take you B to be my wife”; “I take you G to be my husband,” you are saying, “I take you without reservation.” You are willingly entering into a marriage covenant where every area of your life will be joined together. Your lives—legally, physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually—will be joined together.

Scripture says that two shall become one.

No holding back. No reservations.

Secondly, when you say, “For better or for worse; for richer or for poorer; in sickness and in health,” you are saying, “No retreats.” You are saying, “I chose to love this person regardless of what the future holds.” If your future is like that of most of us, it will be full of good days as well as some hard ones. That’s life.

We usually think of love as a warm feeling that pulls two people together. However, that feeling is actually romance; love is a decision. When you share your vows in a moment, you will be saying, “I choose to love you.”

“I will love you during good days—days of contentment, days of companionship, days of happiness, days of sexual fulfillment. And I also choose to love you during days of heartache, days of confusion and frustration, and days of stress.”

No Retreats!

And finally: No Regrets!

NATE and MISSY, don’t look back. Don’t look over your shoulder and wonder “What if?” Only look ahead as you walk through life arm in arm, heart to heart.

Enjoy life together.

Enjoy each other.

Do special things for each other.

No Regrets!

Now honestly everyone who has ever stood where you are standing now knows that “no reservations, no retreats, and no regrets” is good advice as you begin to establish a home together centered upon Christ.

You may now join hands and step forward and face each other for the exchange of your vows before God and the exchange of rings. .

New Testament______________________

Vows

Do you Nate take Missy whom you now hold by the right hand to be your lawful and wedded wife, and do you promise in the presence of these witnesses to be to her a faithful, loving and devoted husband, so long as you both shall live?

{I do}.

Missy: Do you take Nate, whom you now hold by the right hand to be your lawful and wedded husband, and do you promise in the presence of God and these witnesses to be to him a faithful, loving and obedient wife, so long as you both shall live?

{I do}

Rings “Nate and Missy, what symbol do you give to one another to express your love? {“a ring”}

PRAYER: Lord, we pray that this ring may be to your servants a token of their solemn vows, and a pledge of pure and abiding love: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Place the rings upon each others fingers and join hands)

As a symbol and pledge /of our constant faith/and abiding love/with this ring I thee wed. /With all that I am/ and all that I have/ I wish to honor you. /So this ring is a sign/ of my unending devotion/ and commitment to you. /I give this to you/, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. /Amen.

(Nate receive the ring for Missy)

PRONOUNCEMENT

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.

And now Missy (Missy, receives the ring for Nate)

Rings

Nate and Missy, marriage is a profound mystery, for it is ultimately about Christ’s love for the church and the church’s adoration of Christ.

May you live out this most profound mystery in your marriage, for your own joy, for the good of others, and for the glory of God.

DECLARATION

Pronouncement_____________________

Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

Unity candle (optional)

PRONOUNCEMENT

Nate and Missy have now witnessed to their mutual consent

F

have now witnessed to their mutual consent

before God and this company;

they have pledged their solemn word to each other;

and they have confirmed it

by the giving and receiving of a ring

and by the joining of hands.

Hymn (optional)____________________

I therefore declare them to be husband and wife:

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Hughes, R. K., & O’Donnell, D. S. (2015). The pastor’s book: a comprehensive and practical guide to pastoral ministry (p. 577). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Prayer/benediction

As You have brought these together by Your providence, sanctify them by Your Spirit, giving them a new frame of heart fit for their new estate; and enrich them with all grace, whereby they may enjoy the comforts, undergo the cares, endure the trials, and perform the tasks of life together as imitators of Jesus under Your heavenly guidance and protection; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace ().

KISS

You may kiss the bride!!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (, RSV).

INTRODUCTION:

After the Kiss, as you guys turn towards the congregated people, I’ll introduce you guys,

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Nate Williams!”

Kiss

Kiss

Introduction