The Mystery of Christian Marriage

Marriage

Singleness - Shame/ Submission/ Spirit - grace

170. Before her wedding, a young bride got more and more nervous about the wedding ceremony so she went to see the minister. He reassured her by pointing out that the ceremony was quite simple. "You enter the church and walk up the AISLE. The groom will be waiting for you at the ALTAR. Everyone will then sing a HYMN to start the ceremony," said the minister. Just remember the order and everything will be fine. On their wedding day, the bride remembered the order and arrived alongside the groom muttering to herself, AISLE, ALTAR, HYMN, AISLE ALTER, HYMN—or as the groom thought he heard: "I'll alter him!"

120. Every time you talk to your wife, your mind should remember that, 'This conversation will be recorded for Training and Quality purposes."

What is the goal of marriage?

Why should deny yourself in the midst of marriage? When is submission a good thing and when is it bad?

How do I deal with abuses of power, authority and roles?

“I don’t need a piece of paper to do this.”

Reflecting God’s Glory Together

Gen 1:26-28 - Helper to Create - Children and a Garden

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 2:18–25 ESV

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Friendship and Companionship

Friendship arises . . . when two or more . . . discover that they have in common some insight or interest. . . . [A] s Emerson said, Do you love me? means Do you see the same truth?—or at least, Do you care about the same truth? The man who agrees with us that some question, little regarded by others, is of great importance can be our Friend. . . . That is why those pathetic people who simply “want friends” can never make any. The very condition of having friends is that we should want something else besides friends. Where the truthful answer to the question “Do you see the same truth?” would be “I don’t care about the truth— I only want [you to be my] friend,” no friendship can arise. Friendship must be about something, even if it were only an enthusiasm for dominoes or white mice. Those who have nothing can share nothing; those who are going nowhere can have no fellow-travelers.

Suitable - corresponding to…making up for the

Creativity is essential vulnerability. It invites shame.

Reflecting God’s Rule Together

What it is becoming

Love for the Other - Self-righteousness tends to say those who are different are inferior

Oneness out of Twoness...

Headship - Submission

Presence

Breastfeeding

Clutch

He never leaves or forsakes us.

22. The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship are "I apologize" and "You are right."

Reflecting God’s Sanctification Together

A husband-and-wife photography team we know shoot their pictures together, do their developing and printing together—in fact, they're together 24 hours of the day. We wondered how they managed to keep up such good working relations. "Well, frankly," the wife said, "it wouldn't work out if one of us didn't have a good disposition." "Which one?" we asked. "Oh," she laughed, "we take turns."

Rob and Jessica from The Meaning of Marriage

Garden - Physical a means to an end.

Joy - Holiness is the source of joy.

Grace…giving what the other person needs especially when it’s different from one’s own needs.

Mutually promising to do this together. - A covenant

Live the Story. Pursue the Joy. Find the Rest.

Submission for God’s Glory

Submission for the other’s good

Dealing with Challenges