What God Has Joined Together

In the midst of the church-wide yard sale and the Choraliers Concert last weekend, Tyra, Joshua and I rejoiced in the wedding of Tyra’s niece Sarah Callahan and Brad Cummings in Ellenboro, North Carolina.  It was a beautiful and joyous occasion, especially having had the privilege of watching Sarahgrow up across the years.

Weddings are fascinating; though we follow essentially the same order each time, no two are ever completely alike, because each couple is different.  The music and the flowers are always beautiful, the attendants are always smiling; the bride always looks radiant, clutching the arm of her father (who often looks like he’s about to faint); there will usually be a few tears, some gentle laughter, but everyone goes home happy.  After all, we’ve been to a wedding!

I love performing weddings more than practically anything else I do, for one simple, profound reason.  At the heart and center of a wedding is a vow, a promise, a pledge.  “For better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in every circumstance, until death do us part.”  And, “With this ring, I give my love, and pledge my life to you.  Amen.”

At the heart of a wedding is a vow that you keep.  No if’s (“if this happens, if this works out”) or but’s (“but if our love doesn’t last”), just “for better or worse, rich or poor, sickness or health, until death.”  A wedding is all about that vow.  The creation of a whole new home, a new family, a new household in society is formed around one simple thing:  “I make this promise before God.”  I think that’s why a wedding is always so full of hope and so full of joy.

People came to Jesus one day and said, “Jesus, what is the kingdom of God like?” and Jesus said, “Well, there was a certain king who gave a wedding feast for his friends.”  It’s no wonder that Jesus chose to perform his first miracle — changing the water into wine — at a wedding.  It helps me to remember that the next time I’m standing in front of 27 bridesmaids wearing hot-pink dresses and an equal number of groomsmen wearing tuxedos for the first time in their lives, and a groom who’s a nervous wreck.  If that young groom can just make it to the vows, he’ll be all right.  Because in our marriages, as in our own life of faith, we have the chance to live, and show to the world, the joy of a life in Christ.