I had the privilege of speaking at the wedding of Josh Sawyer, one of the guys that Cherie and I have seen go all the way from 7-12 grade in the youth group (and then on to two years at NTM Bible school in Jackson). I labored over those 5 minutes, wording and rewording it again and again because I just couldn't get it "right." I ended up framing it around Roman 1.16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
I wanted to communicate the cross-centered, Christ-exalting nature of marriage. In the process I got to think back over my own marriage and thank the Lord for Cherie and for 24 awesome years with her. God was very good to bring us together and very good to allow us these years of close companionship. I couldn't imagine life without her. I rely on her for advice and for comfort and as a sounding board, not to mention as my biking partner. Funny how the "I" of being single gave way to the "we" of marriage so easily. I've always compared living single with living married as going from like in black and white, to life in color.
Thanks beautiful!
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
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).
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).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)