"This is the day that
he Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118
Welcome friends. ________________________ and
_______________________________ are delighted that you're
here with them to celebrate with them and to witness the
saying of their vows to one another, for you, their families
and friends, have loved them and cared for them, and thereby
have helped shape their lives.
As we gather to witness this civil union ceremony, we not
only celebrate the love that these two have for each other.
We also gather to worship God whose very being is love. We
come to praise God who, in Jesus Christ, has both loved us
and given us a model of all our human loves.
Let us lift our hearts in Praise of God in the words of
Psalm 100: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence
singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is He that made us,
and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of his
pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts
with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the
Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His
faithfulness to all generations."
We are gathered here in the sight of God to witness and to
celebrate the union of
___________________and___________________. It is not to be
entered into lightly, but with certainty, with mutual
respect, and with a sense of reverence which includes
beauty, honor, and joy.
The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each
other as lover, companion, and friend. A good and balanced
relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered
nor absorbed by the other, one in which neither person is
possessive of the other, one in which both give their love
freely and without jealousy. It is, ideally, a sharing of
responsibilities, hopes, and dreams. It takes a special
effort to grow together, survive hard times, and be loving
and unselfish.
It's true that there should be love within our hearts, but
the Scriptures tell us of a source of love that transcends
human love. Let us listen to the Apostle John describes the
divine love which Christ gives us: (John 15) "I am the true
vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every
branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears
fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already
been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide
in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear
fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can
you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the
branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much
fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing... As the
Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just
as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His
love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be
in you, and that your joy may be complete.
(Words from
Pastor)
"Into this union, ________________ and ________________
desire to enter. Let us therefore ask God's blessing.
Almighty and merciful God, we your children praise and thank
you for the many gifts of your grace; and this day we
especially thank you for the gift of family and friends, and
for this union today. We thank you for the joy which
____________________ and ____________________ find in each
other, and for the love and trust in which they enter this
union. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who reveals your
love and grace to us, Amen.
__________________, do you take ______________ to be your
partner for life?
I do.
__________________,
do you take ______________ to be your partner for life?
I do.
Will the parents please stand?
You, the parents/families of __________________ and
___________________ have a special joy in this occasion, for
you more than anyone have bestowed love on them; and your
joy is full because you and we are also witnessing the
coming together of two families to form new ties. Do you,
the parents of _______________ and _________________ promise
to love and uphold them in the future as you have in the
past?
We do!
Earlier we said that in Jesus Christ, God has both loved us
and given us a model, a pattern for all human loves. In our
next reading, Colossians 3:12-17, Paul urges us to forgive
one another, as we have been forgiven in Christ. Every
couple has learned that forgiveness is one of the keys to a
happy union: "As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness,
and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a
complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the
Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all,
clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together
in perfect harmony. ... And whatever you do, in word or
deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him."
I, ________________________, take you,
_____________________, to be partner for life, and I promise
to love you from this day forward, in sickness and in
health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, as long
as life shall last.
I,
________________________, take you, _____________________,
to be partner for life, and I promise to love you from
this day forward, in sickness and in health, in plenty and
in want, in joy and in sorrow, as long as life shall last.
(quietly request rings)
O God, bless these rings, symbols of the union that
____________ and ___________ enter today in your presence.
May their rings remind them of your encircling love and
unending faithfulness so that they may always find joy and
peace in one another. Amen.
This ring I give you as a symbol of my faithfulness and
love, and as a pledge to honor you with all that I am.
Now that you, ___________________, and you,
________________, have spoken your vows of love and trust to
one another in the presence of God and in the presence of
your friends and family, I pronounce you partners for life.
You may now share a kiss as a newly united couple.
As the flames of your two souls have burned alone during
your childhood and adolescence, lighting your way to this
moment, now they have begun to burn together and become one
flame. To symbolize this new unity and togetherness, I
invite you to now light the unity candle.
(Solo sung during unity candle lighting. If desired – couple
may present a rose to the parents at this time)
May you live in gentleness and peace with all people,
knowing always the riches of friendship. May the love which
you share today grow throughout your lives. And may the
peace of Christ which passes all understanding keep your
hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, so that
your love for each other will flourish and deepen,
illuminating your lives and those about you. Amen.