Ros&ull.wed
®TP2¯®PL50¯®OF2¯®TW51¯®IP0,3¯®FF204¯®PT11¯Wedding Celebration of
Carol (Rosdahl) and Shane Ulland
TEXTS: Eccl 3:1-8 Matt 19:4-6
As Eccl text says, For everything there is a season and a ®MDIT¯time®MDNM¯ for every matter under heaven
and today its ®MDIT¯time®MDNM¯ for us to celebrate your marriage
or rather: It's about ®MDIT¯time®MDNM¯!
yet as we gather here today, it's almost as if we are taking a ®MDIT¯timeout®MDNM¯ from all the everyday demands to enter some place that is out of the realm of normal time
it's as if we are entering a fairy tale, where,
once upon a ®MDIT¯time®MDNM¯ there was a man (Shane) and woman (Carol)
who met and fell in love, and after a long time and many long talks, finally got married
and then, as we know, how all fairy tales end: they lived happily ever after
but of course, we also all know that when this day is over, you leave the fairy tale and enter back into the realities of the everyday world
- a world where there never seems to be enough time to get everything done
- where Kiefer wakes you ®MDIT¯up®MDNM¯ and the car breaks ®MDIT¯down®MDNM¯
- where the bills come ®MDIT¯in®MDNM¯ and you hardly ever go ®MDIT¯out®MDNM¯
- where time is ®MDIT¯short®MDNM¯ and the wait is ®MDIT¯long®MDNM¯
and pretty soon you don't know whether you're coming or going;
and you find that you're getting set up for a break down
in describing the trials and tensions of married life, I know I'm not telling you anything you're not already expecting
but in few moments, you two are solemnly going to affirm your lifelong love for each other even under the most complex and difficult and un-fairy-tale like of situations.
Now, I am certain of your sincere desire to be faithful to your promises, but in real world, not all things can be fixed with good intentions
there are no magic potions, no golden-egg laying hens, no fairy godmothers who can fix everything with the wave of a wand
so how are you going to manage your marriage? how are you going to keep love and romance alive? how are you going to keep your marriage together, keep it all together?
it is this sort of reality addressed by the Matthew passage you chose for today
the answer seems obvious: let no one and no thing separate you -- or put you asunder in the traditional wording
that's easier said than done, of course,
but it is impt to see that with everything that God does, there is a promise which accompanies the command
and the promise is this: it is God who has brought you to this day
it is what God has joined together that shall not be separated
it is is the love of God which will keep you together because God's love is far stronger and more powerful and more wonderful than even the most passionate and romantic of human loves
and this should be a great comfort and source of strength and encouragement to you, especially in the midst of trying and difficult times
For you see: you need not long for some fairy GODmother to help you out of trouble
you can count on a wonderful GOD who will be there with you in the midst of sickness and health and better and worse and all that the years may bring
So, when it's one of those times when you know that your life ain't no fairy tale, times when human love falters, that's when you will most appreciate God's love.
that's when you will be able to rejoice that it is God who has joined you together
and when that happens, well, Once upon a time, man (Shane) and woman(Carol)
who met and fell in love, and after a long time and many long talks, finally got married and lived happily ever after... and loved happily ever after because they were joined together in God's never-ending love
And now it really is time to celebrate your marriage.