MARRIAGE CEREMONY Dearly beloved: We are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Happy is the hour when two devoted hearts enter this covenant in reverence, in humility, in faith that they may then be blessed by the benefits obedience to our heavenly Father brings. For He is the one who has ordained marriage as the corner stone of family life and the guarantee of honorable human society. I challenge you to give careful attention to the inspired Word of God as the Lord himself speaks in the earliest part of the Bible in Genesis chapter 2 which says: 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 slep; 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 The Lord Jesus Christ, speaking in the Book of Matthew, chapter 19 said: Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? The Lord Jesus honored the marriage ceremony in Cana of Galilee with his presents. And it was there that the first recorded miracle of our Lord was done, manifesting his glory. The apostle Paul likens the union of man and wife to the unity of those who through faith in the Lord Jesus are baptized by the Spirit of God into the Body of Christ. He challenges the husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. He challenges the wife to submit and reverence her husband as the church is to reverence and submit unto the Lord. Paul writes in Ephesians 6: For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.
You: and you:... have come here signifying your desire to be united in marriage. If any man present can show just cause why these two may not lawfully be joined together, let him speak now, or else hereafter, forever, hold his peace. (Pause) Being assured then that no legal, nor moral, nor religious barrier hinders this proper union I command you to give your consent by responding to these important questions: (Man), Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live? (Answer: I Will ) (Woman), Wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband, to live together after God s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live? (Answer: I Will) Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? (Father answers: Her Mother & I ) (STEP UP ON THE PLATFORM) VOWS: (Facing the Minister) Will you join your right hands (Man) and (Woman), you both have indicated to me that you have come to know and to be assured of your salvation by believing on the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as the complete payment for your sins. We know from I Corinthians 7, that a marriage is sanctified in God s sight by virtue of being a believer. Therefore God is witness to this union.
Understand as well, the assurance we have of our salvation is based upon God s Word to us. He is faithful the Bible says: He cannot deny himself. The vows you are about to make to each other are only as good as the truthfulness and faithfulness of each of you. You are about to vow loyalty, commitment, love and God given service to each other. (Man, you are about to promise to love as Christ loved the church. This is a total self sacrificing service, first to God and then to. Your roll will be to cherish her, provide for her needs, protect her from evil and from worldliness, and also to be the spiritual leader worthy of following. (Woman), you are about to promise to love and to submit. This is a choice of your own. Not unlike the Lord Jesus who subjected himself to the will of the Father. Not unlike all believers who of their own will are to submit themselves to Jesus Christ. This is not a belittling of yourself, it is not enslavement. It is a willful act of voluntary service first to God and then out of love and respect for.
These vows are expressions of true love, not just feelings. Love is the giving of yourselves to each other for the benefit of the other. I John 4 says: Love is of God He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. I Corinthians 13 says: Charity bearth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth (Man), repeat after me: I (Man), take thee (Woman), to be my wedded 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, till death do us part. (Woman), repeat after me: I (Woman), take thee (Man), to be my wedded 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 and to submit, till death do us part. (TURN AND FACE EACH OTHER) From the beginning of time the ring has been used to seal important covenants. As in the book of Ruth, the ring worn by the reigning monarch was used as the great seal of state. It affirmed important decrees and covenants. Yet, the most loftiest place, this prized of all jewels takes, is found in the marriage vows today. (Man), place this ring on the third finger of (Woman) left hand and hold your hand there. Do you (Man) give this ring to (Woman) as a token of your love for her? Will you (Woman) take this ring as a token of (Man) love for you, and will you wear it as a token of your love for him?
The untarnishable material of the ring gold, and it s unique form a circle; reflects both the pure and the abiding qualities of the ideal marital state. (Woman) place this ring on the third finger of (Man) left hand and hold your hand there. Do you (Woman) give this ring to (Man) as a token of your love for him? Will you (Man) take this ring as a token of (Woman) love for you, and will you wear it as a token of your love for her? (WHILE SONG PLAYS BRIDE & GROOM LIGHT UNITY CANDELS) PRAYER (FACING MINISTER) PAUL AND YESSENIA having pledged your faith in and your love to each other, and having sealed your solemn marital vows by the giving and receiving of these rings; acting in the authority invested in me by the laws of this state of Michigan, and looking to heaven for divine sanction, I pronounce you Husband and Wife; in the presents of God and these witnesses. What therefore, God hath joined together let not man put asunder. PAUL, you may now kiss your bride. (TURN FACING AUDIENCE) Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you: Mr. & Mrs. (Recessional)