Mike and Makenna Wedding

Readings

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

The New Revised Standard Version The Value of a Friend

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

First Corinthians 13:4-7

The New Revised Standard Version (The Gift of Love)

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Dearly Beloved...

We are gathered here today to witness the union between Mike and Makenna.

Wait…hang on…did you catch that?

We are gathered here today!

I don’t know about the two of you here, or everyone else that has gathered here, but I for one don’t ever want to take these words for granted again, right?

We have gathered here today.

I’m sure that anyone involved in the planning of this day can tell you, having a wedding in the middle of a global pandemic is no easy task!

When we started meeting and talking about this day back in September 2020, we had no idea what this day would look like did we?

To be sure, we’ve learned a lot in this pandemic, haven’t we?

Some of us have learned that with the right technology, our favorite restaurants will deliver whatever we want to eat right to our front door!

Some of us have learned exactly how long 20 seconds is!

But the thing I hope we’ve all really come to understand and know coming out of this pandemic is that we need each other.

Some of us, if I mention a zoom meeting, will break out in to a cold sweat.

Some of us are wearing real pants for the first time in months.

Some of us, some of us might be seeing family for the first time in years here today, isn’t that right?

We can learn from this pandemic that we as human beings were created to be in relationship with each other.

And Mike, and Makenna, that’s exactly why we have gathered here today.

Agape Love

In the text that you two have chosen for today, we hear the Apostle Paul teaching us about love.

In fact, there were four words for love in the Greek language, and all four have been present with us today.

Storge- Love of cute things (flower girl?)

Eros- Physical attraction

This is the kind of love that just a few moments ago took your breath away as you caught eyes on the way down the asile.

Phileo- Brotherly love, or friendship.

This is why we want to have a party after this!

We want to share this moment with the people that mean the most to us in the world, and that includes those to whom we’re related, and those who we’re not related to, but share a deep and personal bond with.

But the fourth love, the one that’s a little bit harder to explain, is Agape.

Agape is a self-sacrificial love.

Agape values the other recipient above the giver.

Agape is patient. Agape is kind. Agape is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way, because Agape love is too busy insisting on the welfare of the other person.

And because of all of this, Agape love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

When love is anything other than Agape, things start to fall apart.

When you are more focused on yourself than your spouse, you are unable to bear all things.

When you are more interested in your own way of seeing the world, you are unable to believe all things.

When you set your own desires and dreams above that of your spouse, you are unable to hope all things.

And when you are more interested in making sure that you cross the finish line than you are in getting there as a team, you can no longer endure all things.

My encouragement

Mike:

Always set the needs of Makenna above yourself.

Recognize that there are going to be times that she desires peace above activity.

Allow her to become the priority in your life.

Let her dreams become your dreams.

Pray for her as regularly as you breathe.

Makenna:

Always set the needs of Mike above yourself!

Don’t set him up on a pedestal, but instead be transparent with him and remind him how much you love him just the way he is.

Let his dreams become your dreams.

And pray for him as regularly as you breathe.

To both:

Take a moment and look around right now.

We have in fact all gathered here today.

Everyone here is here because they believe in the two of you.

I don’t know this for sure, but I’m betting that if you ever come across trouble, if you ever experience difficulty, if things ever get off the rails (and sad to say I’m sure they will),

Each of us here today are here for you.

Lean in to these family and friends that have gathered here today.

And lean in to your faith in Christ.

We remember Jesus as the ultimate example of Agape love, putting our needs above his own, and giving his life for ours.

We remember that we love because he first loved us.

We remember that no matter where we go, no matter what we face, no matter how difficult things get, Christ goes with us to guide us in the way.

May the love of Christ continue to mold and shape you in his Agape love this day, tomorrow, and forevermore.

Thanks be to God. Amen!