Preacher in a Pinch? Minister in a Minute? I don't think so...

 

My First Wedding as "Minister" and most probably my last!  Had fun, and the couple were just wonderful.  This is what I ginned up for their wedding.

(Arrival of the Wedding Party)

Song: _______________________________________________

(Welcome!)

Good Afternoon!   

We are gathered today, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is!  We do not create this marriage, because we cannot.

   

We can and will, however, celebrate with Dale and Terry, their family, and friends, the wondrous, joyful, (and boring,) occurrence that has already taken place in their lives. And so the ceremony begins!

(Ceremony)

Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. 

It is the joyous union of two people whose friendship and mutual understanding have flowered in romance.

Today Dale and Terry actively proclaim their love and their commitment to each other, to the world. 

And we gather here to celebrate, with and for them, as they create something new, from something old.

This is where I’m supposed to speak of love and commitment, personal and social reward, and the consequences of being married. 

While it’s easy to read the canned speech that I received in my ordination package, I felt that was too easy.   

And I felt that since we all know each other, I would deviate from the script a bit.  After all, I am the Minister today!

Marriage requires "love," a word we often use with vagueness and sentimentality. I believe that today many people are confused about what love really is.  

Physical love IS readily available, but brief and hollow.  

Emotional love is even more confusing.  

While two people can FEEL connected emotionally, that feeling may last only until the next infatuation, or until feelings get hurt.  

Dedicated and committed love is a very rare and mystical event that becomes a natural state of being. 

So what do we mean by love? 

When we love, we see things other people don’t see. We see beneath the surface, to the qualities, which make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be seen, and known, as we are known to no other. 

When someone loves us, they give us a unique gift: a piece of them self, but a special piece that only they could give us. 

We, who love, can look at each other's life and say, "I touched his life," or "I touched her life," just as an artist might say, “I touched this piece of wood.”  

(I point to the Peace Pipe I made for them)

 

An old growth wood board from Don’s garage, an old leather jacket from Good Will, feathers from an old rooster, and a weathered burled knot found on a beach make up this new Peace Pipe.   

They were found by me, and I was a part of its creation, and it is a part of me, yet I freely give this new pipe from old stuff to Terry and Dale.  

Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together. 

I believe that the secret of love and of a successful marriage is similar to that of religion itself.  It is the emergence of the larger self.  It is the finding of one's life by losing it. 

Such is the privilege of husband and wife to be each himself, herself, and yet another; to face the world strong, with the courage of two. 

To make this relationship work, therefore, it takes more than love.

It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. 

It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so… 

And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. 

While love is a natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by.

They are not a destination, but a journey. 

The true art of married life is in this inner spiritual journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities. 

(The Commitment)

Dale and Terry, this celebration is the outward token of your sacred and inward union of hearts, which the church and temple may bless, and the state make legal, but which neither state nor church can create nor annul. 

It is a union created by your loving purpose and kept by your abiding will. 

It is in this-spirit and for this purpose that you have come here to be joined together.

 

(Affirmation or Vows) 

(You may pick other vows or write your own)

Dale:   Vows

Terry:  Vows

Song: “Strong Enough to Bend” by: Tanya Tucker

(Commitment)

Dale, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage?

Will you love her, comfort her, and honor her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, so long as you both shall live?   

                    

 (I Will!)

Terry, will you take this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage? 

Will you love him, comfort him and honor him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, so long as you both shall live? 

(I Will!)

(Ceremony of the Rings)

Traditionally, the marking of the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. 

These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of Love, given freely.

Which has no beginning and no end, no giver, and no receiver.

For each is the giver and each is the receiver. 

May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken. 

Each place the ring on the other's finger and repeat this simple vow.

"With this ring, I thee wed."

(Native American Blessing)

I’d like to close with an Native American Blessing: 

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. 

Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. 

Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before us. 

Go now to your dwelling to enter into the days of your life together. 

And may your days be good and long upon the earth. 

Dale and Terry, remember to treat both yourself and each other with respect and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. 

Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.

When frustration, difficulty or fear challenge your relationship, as they threatened all relationships at one time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not the part that seems wrong. 

In this way, you can ride out the times when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. 

And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your lives together, your life together will be marked by abundance and delight. 

(PRONOUNCEMENT!)

Inasmuch as you have consented together in this ceremony to live in wedlock, 

and have sealed your vows in the presence of this company,

and by the giving of these rings, 

it gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are now Husband and Wife. 

Congratulations! 

You may now kiss as Husband and Wife and as done in many cultures over the years, 

Dale and Terry will Jump over the broom symbolizing that they are committed to each other and are undertaking a Leap of Faith to the future with each other.

Dale and Terry Jump the Broom

(Introduce the NEW Couple!)

I now introduce you all to Mr. and Mrs. B.!

Song:____________________________________________

(Recessional)

This ends the Dale and Terry B.’s wedding ceremony! 

Those who can, please carry your chairs and any others you can help with to the eating area. 

On behalf of Dale and Terry, THANK YOU!

Campy Out!