My Sister's Wedding Day

 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”  Matthew 19:4-6

Weddings have become increasingly complex events.  Gone are the days when the couple can just go to the parsonage for the pastor to marry them!  Weddings mean planning…and more planning…and even more planning!  Weddings have become day long EVENTS…just ask any engaged couple (or their parents)!  There are reception halls to reserve (many of which are booked over a year in advance)…caterers to try out…soloists/musicians to secure…DJs (or bands) to sign up…photographers to book…cakes to sample…dresses to try on…tuxes to reserve…invitations to order and send out…RSVPs to process…groom’s dinner locations to secure…and the list can go on and on.  Oh, and don’t forget the preacher (who is a bit important to the whole proceeding…and who will probably require some premarital counseling). 

Somewhere in the midst of all that hoopla the couple becomes husband and wife.



The 'Head Usher' keeps his eyes on the proceedings!

This past weekend I got to head down to Iowa for my sister Sarah’s wedding.  If ever there were a wedding without hoopla, this was it.  The service was simple with a focus on how God worked in their relationship.  The reception immediately followed at the church with cupcakes, punch, and mints.  We all had a chance to chat for a while, catching up with relatives and congratulating the couple.  Then Landon and Sarah headed out the door as husband and wife amid a sea of bubbles. 

At the end of the day, the important thing was that ‘a man left his father and mother to be united to his wife, and the two became one flesh’.  We got to surround them in our love and our prayers. 

  

It was especially fun for me to be at a wedding that I didn’t have to preach at.  I could simply be the big brother.  I had the honor of being the (self-appointed) head usher, meaning I got to tell my brothers what to do.  I spent time with my relatives…and get to know some new ones.  It was a truly wonderful weekend.

 

My prayer for Landon and Sarah (and for all married couples, really) is that they will grow together in love…that they would be able to forgive as they have been forgiven…that they will allow God to be the bedrock of their relationship…that they would receive the blessing of their families…and that they would just have a whole lot of fun together!

  

Any marriage based on these things will be in good shape, whether the wedding day abounds in hoopla or not!