Dear Friends,
This afternoon I conducted a wedding, not in a church, but in a local wedding venue. I had not met the bride and groom until yesterday although we had considerable correspondence by email. This was their third attempt to be married, the first two thwarted by Covid regulations.
Interestingly, the venue was decorated to look as much like a church as possible, complete with candles and communion table. And there could be no question about the faith of the couple – this was very clear from their careful selection of scripture readings and hymns, as well as their active participation in the prayers and the vows. However, it did make me wonder why they were not being married in church, because clearly, I was not just a convenient person to legalise their wedding vows, and all that happened in the service meant a great deal to them.
It was after the ceremony that I discovered that they were both members of the armed services and might have been married in the garrison church, had that been possible. I also discovered that the groom had been posted and would be leaving on Friday for foreign parts. They would therefore have a very short honeymoon!
But there could be no question of their sincerity as they made their wedding vows to each other, nor of their love for each other as they looked into each other’s eyes as I pronounced them to be husband and wife. It was a lovely occasion, and it was a privilege to be part of it.
And all this made me realise again what a privilege it is for all of us to be able to worship together in fellowship and love whenever we wish, no longer prevented by Covid regulations. Whether you join us on YouTube or Facebook or in print or in person, we must never take the opportunity to worship together for granted. So, to all our congregation wherever you are, I want to assure you that you are truly part of our fellowship, and it is a privilege to share the gospel of God’s love in Christ with you all.
With love and blessings,
Marion
Categories: Minister's Blog