By David N. Mosser
I
try to help the couple see that marriage has great continuity with the past.
Once in a while, I pull down from my bookshelf a 1883 edition of The Doctrines
and Discipline of the Free Methodist Church. I am usually surprised that
for many couples this is the oldest book many have ever held in their hands.
Included in this little book, about 120 years old, are some of the worship rites
of the church - including the solemnization of holy matrimony. In most respects
it is a much simpler service than those that we currently use; for example,
there is no mention of the giving and receiving of rings. Yet it is remarkable
how the service wording is virtually identical. I try to help couples visualize
their grandparents and great-grandparents taking vows very similar to those
that they are going to take.
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This
reminds all of us that there is great stability in the worship liturgy or order
of service for Christian marriage. I get great reassurance from the fact that
my own marriage vows were not too dissimilar to those that my own great grandparents
took. In helping couples remember that our tradition is a great fountainhead
from which we draw from other's experience, then it helps them bear in mind
that marriage is a much greater endeavor than merely their own individualistic
celebration. Indeed, "a great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) surrounds
this couple, as indeed the cloud of witnesses surrounds all believers. For those
who are contemplating the seriousness of marriage, perhaps this is encouraging.
Many others have stood where they stand and offer hope for those who are about
to do something that many have long since done.
The
task of the pastor is like that of an umpire at a baseball game. The umpire
has a very important job, but if done well will remain almost invisible. The
wedding day is a day for the couple to speak promises before God and this company.
When we preach we are vessels through whom God chooses to communicate the gospel.
Therefore, we do it with love, care, and grace. We are there to remind people
that God is present in the sacred promises that we get to see close up. It is
an honor and a privilege.
______________________
David
Neil Mosser is Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Arlington,
TX.