Pondering the Mystery of Marriage

I was up in the middle of the night pondering marriage. A good friend of mine asked me to preach the (short) sermon at his upcoming wedding and I was lying there awake so I began to meditate on marriage. [I know, death to marriage in the space of a day, weird, but that's how my mind works.]

First the thing that strikes me is that one moves in an instant from "I" to "we." Ever since Cherie and I got married 24 years ago, while I am still an individual, I simply cannot make decisions or choices as an individual—don't even want to. I want to make them as "we" as Cherie and I. This is the nature of marriage and I think it's the way God intended things to be. The two become one flesh.

The primary thing that strikes me about marriage as I ponder what to say is this: The first reason for marriage is not "because we are in love." [Well, it shouldn't be anyway]. The penultimate reason for marriage is that it is a chance for the couple to make Christ look great. This is because marriage is first of all, a covenant. We make "vows" to each other, and "swear" our faithfulness and love for each other because we are freely entering into a covenant which reflects the covenant that Christ has with the church. To the extent that we honor our vows we make Christ look great because marriage is meant to be a shadow of and a reflection upon, the greater covenant that God has made with the church. Thus Paul to the Ephesians: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:31-32 ESV).

Pondering Death

I have been thinking about death recently, due mostly to the passing of Tony Snow, Fox News contributor, White House spokesman, husband, father. He died of colon cancer at the age of 53. His mother also died of colon cancer. My uncle died in the past month as well.

One one level this is just the normal cycle of life. People are born. They live. They die. It's rather unremarkable—if the death isn't in your family, or someone close to you. Of course if it is someone close to you, then it just isn't "the normal cycle of life," it is a tragedy that rips away at your gut and forces you out of your day-to-day routine to ponder these things. What can one say at these times except that one is grateful for the solace and promise of the Scriptures. What to do without them? Despair comes to mind.

Because of God's promises one can rest in hope. Death isn't the end, it is the beginning of eternity. God has a plan. He will redeem all things. Life has meaning. Life has promise. Death has hope. Thank you, Lord. Psalms 116.15

Ruminating on Life

I think I'm going to use this blog to ponder life and meaning.  I just finished reading All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.  Great book.   Too tired to discuss it, will finish this tomorrow.