Declaration of Consent (Pastor Erickson) Statement of Purpose. The Giving of the Bride

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1 Statement of Purpose Marriage is as old as the family of man. It was given by our Creator in the Garden of Eden, in the state of innocence. Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel, first gave it legal sanction, and our Lord Jesus Christ, when He was upon the earth, gave it spiritual sanction. Rightly regarded, marriage is the highest and happiest of human relationships. It is the preserver of true love, the foundation of the home, and the strength of society. The Bible teaches that marriage is honourable in all. The Giving of the Bride Who is giving this woman to be married to this man? (Answer Her mother and I) Ladies and Gentlemen: On behalf of the bride and groom, I would like to thank you for being present today to share in their special day Let us bow our heads for prayer. Declaration of Consent (Pastor Erickson) David Zinni, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her so long as you both shall live? If so, say I will. (Answer I will) Sarah Becker, will you have this man to be your husband, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him so long as you both shall live? If so, say I will. (Answer I will) Congregation, Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? If so answer we will. (Answer We will)

2 Exhortation to the Bride and Groom Marriage is of God. It is ordained of Heaven. It is the first and holiest institution among men. God himself gave the first bride away. God Himself performed the first wedding ceremony. In the Garden of Eden our Heavenly Father Himself hallowed and sanctified the first home. In the wisdom of the Almighty, the first establishment is not the church, it is not the state; it is the home. And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Marriage is a gift of God, given to comfort the sorrows of life and magnify its joys. Marriage is the clasping of hands, the blending of hearts, the union of two lives as one. Your marriage must stand, neither by the authority of the state nor by the seal of your wedding certificate, but by the strength of your love and by the power of your faith in God and in each other. With God, you will have everything; without Him, you will have nothing. The Marriage Vows Our Lord Jesus taught us that at the beginning God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. You have come to be made husband and wife. Will you repeat these vows after me? I, David, take you, Sarah to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death; as God is my witness, I give you my promise. I, Sarah, take you, David to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death; as God is my witness, I give you my promise. You can have this kind of home if you continue to recognize God as the source of romance and love and affection, for these are His gifts. Build your home on a spiritual foundation.

3 Reading of Scripture The word of God tells us what love is like and what love does. In Paul s letter to the Corinthians, the word charity is used. Charity is a deep, abiding, unconditional love. It is not merely affection. This is the love of God; the love that God is; the love that Christ demonstrated when He died on the cross for sinners such as we. And this is the kind of love that you are to have for each other. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: The New Testament reveals that happiness comes from putting the other first, rather than oneself: Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Having this kind of love in your hearts, you have chosen to exchange rings as the sign and seal of the vows you are making today. May I have the rings? The Exchanging of Rings Though small in size, these rings are very large in significance. Made of precious metal, they remind us that love is not cheap or common; indeed love may cost us dearly. Made in a circle, their design tells us that love must never come to an end; we must keep it continuous. As you wear these rings, whether together or apart for a moment, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today. David, will you take your ring and place it upon the third finger of Sarah s left hand, and repeat after me, saying: With this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving husband, as God is my witness, Sarah, will you take your ring and place it upon the third finger of David s left hand, and repeat after me, saying: With this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving wife, as God is my witness,

4 Lighting the Unity Candle The two outside candles have been lit to represent your lives to this moment. They are two distinct lights, each capable of going its separate way. To bring joy and radiance into your home, there must be the merging of these two flames into one. From this time onward may your thoughts be for each other rather than for your individual selves; may your plans be mutual, your joys and sorrows shared. As you each take a candle and together light the center one, you will extinguish your own candles, thus having the center candle representing the union of your two lives into one flesh. As this center light cannot be divided, let not your lives be divided, but instead be the united testimony of a Christian home, with Christ giving you light. Prayer for Bride and Groom Our Father, we come today asking your blessing upon these two lives and this home being established. You have made us so that we are incomplete without the other so that we yearn for someone whom we can love and whose love we can receive. We are thankful for the love that we see here, and even more, for the love you have for us of which this marriage is a wonderful picture. May we never take your love for granted. We pray your love, your Word, and your Spirit will be the shield and stay for David and Sarah; when joy comes, may they share it together. When sorrow threatens, may they bear it together. In gladness or in tears, in sunshine or shadow, may they ever draw closer to each other and nearer to You. Grant them patience, gentleness, forbearance, and understanding. O Father, protect their home from evil and from those who would break it apart. We ask for health, for long life, for the fulfillment of every good dream. May their love continue through life and finally blend into the life eternal. Through Christ we pray, amen.

5 Pronouncement of Marriage You have come before us and before God and have expressed your desire to be husband and wife. You have shown your love and affection by joining hands, have made promises of faith and devotion, each to the other; and just as importantly to God. You have sealed these promises by the giving and receiving of rings. By the authority vested in me by God as a minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May God bless you and keep you and give you his peace. Amen What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Marriage Ceremony for David and Sarah Zinni June 6, 2015 Anthony, You may kiss your bride. Presentation to Congregation Ladies and Gentlemen, May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. David Zinni Order of Service Grandparents Enter Parents Enter Mothers light unity candle Bridesmaids Enter Ring- bearer and Flower Girl Enter Bride (escorted by her father) Ceremony