Andy & Rebekah! Don't look at me but look at each other and see the gift God is giving to each of you!
"The two shall become one flesh." To all the animals God only says, "Be fruitful and multiply." And how I do hope & expect if God wills it that you have as many children as you do in your wedding party, however, God's gift of marriage is unique to human kind. God's gift of marriage is more than "being fruitful and multiplying."
As husband and wife, you compliment one another, find delight in each other and serve with love an honor.
Andy you may love golfing.
Rebekah you may love a silly beagle dog and hippogriffs but that isn't the love you share as husband and wife.
Andy and Andy's Rebekah you may love all the people in this room, your parents, your siblings, your nieces & nephews and obviously your brother-in-law, but that isn't the love you share as husband and wife as God says, "man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife."
What you share is a love which is head over heels for each other. There is that silly statement, "What's yours is mine and what is mine is mine." Well, forget that! All that stuff.. the money, the hobbies, yes, even the family, none of that matters as long as Andy has Rebekah and Rebekah has Andy. "And the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What God has joined together let not man separate."
Of course your marriage cannot be as it is intended unless it is a part of another marriage. That is the marriage of Christ and His bride The Church.
Without Christ, your marriage is no different than the rest of creation hookups, "be fruitful and multiply." Without Christ Jesus you would be incapable of loving each other in any form of the word as scripture says, "We love because He first loved us."
Without Christ, His incarnation, His life, His death, His resurrection, marriage would be destined to fail. For if He is not risen then we are not forgiven and we could not practice forgiveness with each other and with no forgiveness all relationships would fail, but CHRIST our bridegroom is Risen! He laid down His life for you His bride washing away your sins and presenting you as His perfect bride.
Yes, true marriage love, loving you so much that He gave up his 'godly' comforts to dwell among us His creation and endure the curse of sin and giving His life for what He loves,,.. You, His bride, The Church.
Marriage love, head over heels in love for the other.
Andy you will confess that you will live in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it. That you will nourish and cherish Rebekah as Christ loved His body, the Church, giving Himself up for her. That you will love, honor, and keep Rebekah in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, remain united to her alone, so long as you both shall live.
Rebekah similarly you will confess that you will live in the holy state of matrimony as God ordained it. That you will submit to Andy as the Church submits to Christ. That you will love, honor and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others, remain united to him alone, so long as you both shall live.
Both of you have the joy of practicing loving, serving, and forgiving each other from this day until God calls one of you to rest from your labors. So God willing you will have A LOT of practice loving, serving and forgiving just as Christ does for you.
How wonderful for you two that you share in confession like Ruth and Naomi, "where you go I will go, where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God." And as St. Peter states, that you are heirs of the grace of life.
What joy it is for you Andy and Andy's Rebekah to share in faith that the gift of marriage you enter into today points you to an even greater marriage that not even death can separate.
Andy & Rebekah, don't look at me. Look at each other and Jesus. See the gift that God has given you here today with each other and the marriage feast to come that has no end with your Savior Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. Amen!
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