Saturday, March 14, 2015

the wedding ceremony of Abby Leigh Butler and Jens Micah Herman


Wedding of Abby Butler and Jens Herman

Prelude  6:45-7:10

Procession  7:10 AM 
Emily & Jens- enter from the right

Seating of the mothers
Inge, escorted by Bjorn, Su Ann, escorted by Judge & Kyle

Bridal Processional 7:13 AM 
-       Abby & Dad

Welcome

Let us give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His steadfast love endures forever.

What a gift to be together on the beach this morning for this glorious celebration!

(Please be seated)

Welcome to this service celebrating the marriage of Abby Leigh Butler and Jens Micah Herman, these two we treasure for the beauty they add to the world, for the way they point to hope for all of us, for their authentic kindness, for their playful spirits, and for their true grit, depth and love.  (My list could go on and on.) 

Those who follow after Christ believe that marriage is a joyful gift of the Lord himself. And it’s Jens and Abby’s desire that this day be a day of worship, a day that celebrates and delights in the Lord. It’s their desire that first their wedding and then their life together bear witness to something far bigger than themselves: that is
-to the One who lived unto death for us,
-to the One whose love teaches us what it means to love.
So they come before the Lord to be married, to be made one in Christ.

But they don’t come alone.
They come before God to be married as persons who have known the encouragement and challenge and nurture of friends, family, and church.
They have gathered together their favorite people in the world and those who have seen them through so much of their journey:

-you who have rocked them to sleep and taught them to drive and seen them grow in faith
-you who have cared for them and encouraged them;
-you who have prayed for them and held them up in challenging times and pointed them to the deep well of God’s love for them;
-you who have shared the story of their love for each other.

... They come before the Lord together with you who will love them still when marriage gets hard and they’re in need of laughter and perspective and the refreshment of God’s Word spoken to them.

Abby and Jens are so grateful to have all of you stand by them in their marriage— and they invite you to stand now to make that promise today... (Invite everyone to stand. Abby & Jens turn to see everyone standing)
—that you would commit yourselves to stand by them in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow your whole lives long. 


Will you do that? If so, let them hear you say “We will.” [We will.] (Say it again: Will you?)

And so we as a community of faith are gathered in the presence of God to give thanks for the gift of marriage, to witness the joining together of Abby and Jens, and to surround them with our prayers and love.

(audience remain standing through opening prayer, Abby and Jens stay facing them through that)

Opening Prayer

Let’s pray:

Gracious God,
We do give you thanks for Abby and Jens.  We thank you for the goodness and grace you have lavished upon them and for all that overflows our hearts because they have loved us. And we thank you for the joy they have found in each other. Fill them with your hope, Father. Give their relationship a deep center and a high calling grounded in Jesus’ Story. Let your Holy Spirit rest upon them so that with steadfast love they may honor the promises they make this day, through Christ we pray, Amen.

(invite everyone to be seated , Abby & Jens turn back around.)

Declaration of Intent
Jens, hearing a call to marriage, understanding your relationship with Christ to be the grace-giving center of your life with Abby, and forsaking all other women, do you affirm your desire to enter this covenant of forever love with her and with the Lord? Do you?  [I do.]

Abby, hearing a call to marriage, understanding your relationship with Christ to be the grace-giving center of your life with Jens, and forsaking all other men, do you affirm your desire to enter this covenant of forever love with him and with the Lord? Do you?  [I do.] //


Scripture Reading The Scripture passage Abby and Jens have chosen for their wedding comes from the book of Colossians 3.12-17.

(Jason reads)

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:12-17 New Living Translation


Wedding Message
 (see earlier blog post this morning for the text of the message) 

Exchange of Wedding Vows
Jens, Abby
I now want to invite you to turn to one another, to join hands,
and with promises
before God and the family of faith,
be bound together as husband and wife.

Jens, repeat after me:

I, Jens Micah, take you, Abby Leigh, to be my wife. I promise before God to be your loving and faithful husband. I promise to cherish, honor, and love you, in every season:
In tears and in laughter
In trials and in celebration
In sickness and in health
In sorrow and in joy
All of my days

Now Abby:

I, Abby Leigh, take you, Jens Micah, to be my husband. I promise before God to be your loving and faithful wife. I promise to cherish, honor, and love you, in every season:
In tears and in laughter
In trials and in celebration
In sickness and in health
In sorrow and in joy
All of my days


Exchange of Rings

May I have the Bride’s ring?

The wedding ring is an unending circle. It’s a visible symbol of God’s unending love and faithfulness, and the unending love and faithfulness you promise each other today.

Wear your rings as a reminder of God’s steadfast love and forgiveness, his circle of grace, so that you might be free to be grace-givers to each other.

Jens repeat after me:

Abby, with this ring, I thee wed.
I give it as a sign of our covenant;
and a token of my love;
a love that knows its beginning and end
in the extravagant and gracious love of God;
in the name of the Father;
and of the Son;
and of the Holy Spirit.

Now Abby:
Jens, with this ring, I thee wed.
I give it as a sign of our covenant;
and a token of my love;
a love that knows its beginning and end
in the extravagant and gracious love of God;
in the name of the Father;
and of the Son;
and of the Holy Spirit.

Wedding Prayer:

Let’s pray:

Loving God,
We pray that you might pour out your Spirit upon Abby and Jens so that, in their belonging to you, they might belong to each other all their days. We pray that day by day and decision by decision their marriage might become more and more a reflection of your self-sacrificial love. Be always at the center of their marriage. Give them strength when the road seems too long, and give them flexibility, perseverance and laughter in times of disappointment. Bless them with a deep well of hope and joy as they enter into this new chapter.  Build them up in areas that are weak and help them to love each other well.  Surround them with friends, family and church to cheer them on. Bless these two-become-one, Lord, and guide them by your Word to serve you all of their days. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.


Declaration of Marriage
Before God and in the presence of their friends and family, Abby and Jens have made their promises to one another and confirmed those promises by the giving and receiving of rings. Therefore, I now pronounce them husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said: “What God has joined together, let no one separate.”

You may kiss the bride.

Benediction

(turn toward the congregation)

Abby and Jens, Brothers and Sisters, Friends:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:16-21


Presentation of Couple
I would now like to present to you for the first time as a married couple:
Abby Butler and Jens Herman

Recessional

Recessional- Abby & Jens

Song 


Emily then announces

1. As you know, Abby & Jens have requested an "all guest" photo, so stay where you are and listen to Sara, the photographer's directions.

2. Following that, the group photos will begin, so listen for your group number/name for your photo with the couple.

3. We invite you to enjoy coffee, OJ, and donuts poolside. You will find a schedule of events there for the day, as well as the guest book. Feel free to take yours to go or stay. Please note that the house will "close" at 8:30.

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