Wedding of Jonah and Aislinn

Prelude (Storybook Love)

Seating of Grandparents (ushers will come join us in side room)

Processional

Different song

Jonah, groomsmen, Pastor enter out of front side room

Entrance of the bride

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

Welcome & Prayer (me)

“Please remain standing as we worship Christ together in singing In Christ Alone followed by And Can It Be?”

In Christ Alone / And Can It Be?

(I will lead)

“You may be seated.”

Special Music by Rudy and Dean Heuer

How Can I Keep from Singing?

Message: Ephesians 5

Well, I joked with Jonah and Aislinn that I would only be speaking for 45 minutes, but I can probably keep it to 30. ;)

Ok, joking aside. I was thrilled when these two asked me to play this role in their wedding ceremony. If I remember correctly, I think you two even asked me quite a while before getting engaged…is that accurate?

And of course I was quick to agree.

Not only because I’m a big fan of both of these fine young adults.

But also because I’m a big fan of them together as a couple!

I’ve seen significant growth in these two over these last many months, and I know that this is God at work in Jonah and Aislinn as they pursue Christ as the center of their relationship.

As family and friends, some of you may likely be thinking, “My, these two are so young!” And by the standards of our secular culture, maybe a bit too young. But I want to assure each of you that I’ve been privileged to witness a maturity in these two as they’ve taken steps toward this day, and I couldn’t be more exited for this final, culminating moment that begins a long journey for the two of them—we pray well into their old age!

But I’m going to let you in on a little secret I’ve been keeping from Jonah and Aislinn.

Several months ago they asked me to do their pre-marital counseling, even before they chose a wedding date.

What I didn’t tell them is that over the last several months, I loaded them up with 2-3x’s the work and reading and discussions and meetings of the typical engaged couple.

We’ve discussed marriage in detail, and they’ve read hundreds of pages on the topic. But what I want to do in these next few moments is to conclude our pre-marital counsel with one final lesson.

And it comes from a passage that Jonah and Aislinn asked me to speak from today.

So I’ll direct the rest of these thoughts to you two as your final marital counseling session. (We’ll keep this one short, I promise!)

Ephesians 5

In this chapter Paul has been writing to the church, calling them to be imitators of God, to walk in Christlike love toward one another, to live lives of purity, to be faithful followers of Christ, and to show loving deference toward one another.

But in v. 22 Paul turns to specifically address two relationships:

The husband and the wife relationship

Christ’s relationship with the Church

And crucially, the latter is a living portrait for the former.

Aislinn, the text starts off by addressing you in your soon-to-be new role.

Ephesians 5:22-24

Ephesians 5:22–24 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

You are being called to this biblical disposition of coming under Jonah as the head of your new family unit.

This biblical submission is on the one hand not some primitive and outdated view of the bible that we are to disregard in the 21st Century. Biblical submission is not a chauvinistic view of the wife, but a clarifying of complementary roles in your marriage.

And on the other hand, this submission is in no way a diminishing of your worth and value—for even Jesus Christ in the Trinitarian Godhead submitted under the will of His Father. The co-equal, co-eternal, fully divine Son modeled this submission.

So my challenge to you in this role, Aislinn, is to look to Jesus. He modeled the way forward in his steadfast, loyal submission.

Trans: Now, Aislinn, your’s is a high calling. But, Jonah, yours gets even more intense.

Jonah, the text quickly takes a turn to reveal what a high and challenging calling you’re about to accept this afternoon.

Ephesians 5:25-30

Ephesians 5:25–30 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

You are called to no less than the same sort of humble, sacrificial, giving-up-of-yourself love that Christ has for us!

As you know, Jonah, we’ve spent some time lately on Sundays in Philippians 2, observing how Christ emptied himself on our behalf. And now as the husband of Aislinn, you are called to this high standard of humble, servant-leading.

My final challenge to Aislinn was to look to Jesus, who modeled faithful submission. And my challenge to you, Jonah, is to look to Jesus, who modeled self-sacrificing love.

There’s a final challenge in the text for you both, however.

Ephesians 5:31-33

Ephesians 5:31–33 ESV

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Here you are called to give up your independence.

V. 31 says “the two shall become one.”

If you follow through in the next few minutes with these vows before me and these witnesses (including those online live-streaming), then you are going to give up your right to live for yourselves.

No longer will your decisions be based on what you think is best for just you.

No longer do you live to make yourself better or satisfied or fulfilled.

As one, you will be surrendering your personal independence for something far better!

And so if you two believe this sort of self-surrendering sacrifice…one that looks to Christ as your model and standard for a fulfilling marriage...

Then let’s continue by pausing to have a word of prayer, before making these solemn vows to each other.

Exchange of vows and rings

(Join right hands and give bouquet to maid of honor)

GROOM - “Jonah, do you take Aislinn to be your wife, to be faithful to her, love her, honor her, live with her, and cherish her, according to the commandments of God in holy marriage?” ("I DO")

BRIDE - “Aislinn, do you take Jonah to be your husband, to be faithful to him, love him, honor him, live with him, and cherish him, according to the commandments of God in holy marriage?” ("I DO")

GROOM -- "Jonah, what do you give to Aislinn as a token of the sincerity of your wedding vows? ("This ring")[Get from best man]

The ring has long been a symbol of that which is measureless. The rings you exchange today become a sign of your unending devotion to each other. It will be a ceaseless reminder of the sacred covenant you have just made

Place it on her finger and repeat after me:

“I, Jonah, take you, Aislinn / to my wedded wife / to have and to hold from this day forward / for better or for worse / for richer or for poorer / in sickness and in health / to love and to cherish / ‘till death do us part. / And with this ring, I thee wed.”

BRIDE -- "What do you give to Jonah as a token of the sincerity of your wedding vows? ("This ring") [Get ring from maid of honor].

Invested with the same significance as the ring you have just received, Place this ring on his finger and repeat after me:

“I, Aislinn, take you, Jonah / to my wedded husband / to have and to hold from this day forward / for better or for worse / for richer or for poorer / in sickness and in health / to love and to cherish / ‘till death do us part. / And with this ring, I thee wed.”

This covenant you’ve made with one another and in the presence of these witnesses is one which you’ll need God’s help in order to faithfully keep.

So I’d like to as a close friend of the couple, Jeff Whiteford, to interceded for this couple with a prayer of dedication.

Prayer of Dedication (Jeff Whiteford)

Pronouncement

"On the basis of the solemn covenant you have just established in the presence of God and these witnesses, I pronounce you lawfully married, husband and wife." —

“Jonah, You may kiss your bride!”

Presentation

[Get flowers back….]

"Ladies & gentlemen, may I present to you

Mr. & Mrs. Jonah Heuer!”

Recessional (Theme from Up)

“The Groomsmen will dismiss by row to go to your assigned tables in the fellowship hall downstairs.”

Of course, please continue to abide by the government-mandated covid restrictions regarding masks and social distancing.

Per the governor’s order, you may remove your mask when seated at your table.

Thank you again for joining us. Have a wonderful evening!

(Walk out and meet bridal couple in office for signing.)

Postlude (All I Ask of You)