McMurtrie Wedding

Welcome

Dear family and friends, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the presence of these people to witness the union of Bill and Jennifer in marriage. Marriage is holy in God’s sight and given by him to fulfill us as individuals, and to conform us, as growing believers, into the image of Christ. Bill and Jennifer have chosen to be married today as a testimony of their faith in God and as a witness to all present that they desire to honor their Lord and Savior in their lives and in their home.

Scripture Reading

Genesis: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.28 God blessed them22 Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 And the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man. 24 This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.

Ephesians 5:22-33

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 33 let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

- Christ is our example- He submitted to the father and his shows great love for the church, his bride.

- Jesus laid down his life for us. You must be willing to do the same for each other- your selfish desires, ambitions, passions, and pride.

- Your spouse now comes first - before yourself, before your parents, before your friends, before your job, before your leisure activities, before your motorcycle, before your caring for your own exhaustion and needs at the end of a hard day. You must serve each other as Christ served. Then and only then will you truly fulfill your vow "to love and to cherish.”

Vows

Bill and Jennifer, these vows that you are about to make are as binding in adversity as they are in prosperity. They should be broken only by death. If you are prepared to make such a serious commitment, will you now turn, face one another, and join hands.

Bill, in taking Jennifer to be your wife, do you so promise to honor, to love, and to cherish her in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in hardship as in blessing, until death alone shall part you?

Bill responds: "I do."

Jennifer, in taking Bill to be your husband, do you so promise to honor, to love, and to cherish him in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in hardship as in blessing, until death alone shall part you?

Jennifer responds: "I do."

Exchange of Rings

Bill, what token and pledge do you offer that you will faithfully fulfill your vows?

Bill, place this ring on Jennifer’s finger and repeat after me:

Groom: "I, Bill, take you, Jennifer, to be my wedded wife to have and to hold, from this day forward. I pledge before God to place your good above mine, now and always, no matter the circumstances. I promise to honor you, to love you, and to cherish you until death do us part.”

Jennifer, what token and pledge do you offer that you will faithfully fulfill your vows?

Jennifer, place this ring on Bill’s finger and repeat after me:

Bride: "I, Jennifer, take you, Bill, to be my wedded husband to have and to hold, from this day forward. I pledge before God to place your good above mine, now and always, no matter the circumstances. I promise to honor you, to love you, and to cherish you until death do us part."

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us in Your image. Because of this, we are able to know You and to know what true love is. We see in this couple a deep love for each other and for You. We have witnessed the giving of vows and rings in tonight. Through Your power and blessing, we ask You to enable these two to keep their vows, to be renewed daily in their love and commitment, to walk together in faith, to build a strong and lasting marriage, and to live by confidence in Your grace. As they grow in conformity to Christ's image, may You, O Lord, receive glory through the lives and marriage of Bill and Jennifer. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Pronouncement:

For as much as Bill and Jennifer have committed themselves to each other in marriage before God and this company I pronounce that they are husband and wife together – in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

You may kiss the bride

It is my joy to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Bill McMurtrie