Blog Challenge - Day 5
This post of part of a 13 day "half marathon" blog challenge" with the CMBA in which I am chronicling our marriage, the best advice we have received thus far, as well as lessons learned over the past 9 years.
We wrote our own vows, but there were a few other parts of the ceremony that were particularly meaningful to us. One aspect of the ceremony that was particularly meaningful to us was the Scriptures and songs that we chose to use.
Believing that the roles a husband and wife take in a marriage have a significant impact on the degree to which that marriage will glorify God, we first chose Ephesians 5:22-33.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
In choosing our second Scripture, we decided on a passage that would remind us to avoid a few of the sins that most often threaten to derail a marriage: selfishness and a lack of unity. For this, we chose Philippians 2:1-11.
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death -
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
And then our wedding song: "Be Thou My Vision". How else can a marriage succeed unless both people are looking to please God?
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
And now it's your turn: what Scriptures and songs did you choose for your ceremony and what significance did they hold?
Beautiful! I wrote my daughter's ceremony--an honor I treasure. Melanie chose the songs--May all who come behind us find us faithful as the grandparents were seated, etc. They chose to have their first family alter at the ceremony. The parents sang, The Household of Faith and the fathers prayed over them. Memories from mine are just a poignant but 36 years ago!
ReplyDeleteWe didn't exactly write our own vows, but I researched a lot on the internet and chose exactly what was meaningful to us. We walked out to "Love of a Lifetime" :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at Thriving Thursdays!
I am my Beloved's and He is mine. Thanks for sharing your heart, Elizabeth.
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