Beginning A New Climb
Sermon
Wedding Sermons And Marriage Ceremonies
(for a marriage after divorce)
Hear these words of Scripture as they are found in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3:14--19 (TEV):
For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name. I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know his love - although it can never be fully known - and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
(Bride) and (Groom), we didn't make it to a mountaintop for your wedding, but think of this as the first step from base camp to climb another mountain called "marriage."
You've already both come a long way to this point. You know from experience the dangers and difficulties of making such a climb. You have both suffered the pain of a first attempt that did not work.
But God's grace abounds. God's Spirit replenishes and renews broken hearts, and teaches them how to love again. So here you are, ready to begin a whole new challenge together as partners in a journey.
What will you need for this climb to be successful? Paul provides some clues in Ephesians.
First, you each need to remain strong in your inner selves. Through all the ups and downs of your individual lives, each of you has learned to be resourceful, competent, and able to handle life fairly well. God's Spirit has been at work in you, helping you not only to survive but to flourish as individuals.
Are you now going to throw all that away and lose yourself in another? No, that's not what lasting love is all about. Marriage is bringing those strengths (and weaknesses) in your inner selves and offering them to one another for the good of your life together. You will be changed by that. The ironic part is, the more you offer of yourself, the more you will discover who you really are. What joy there is in being loved and accepted for ourselves!
A second tip from Ephesians: let Christ's love be your safety line. There will be times when you stumble in the climb toward a lasting marriage. You will get tired, distracted, discouraged. At those times, check that safety line - are you staying connected to God? For God's love is ultimately what will hold you up and hold the two of you together, especially when you grow weary.
Finally, don't forget to stop now and then and take a look at the view. How sad to think of a marriage as a climb in which you plod along with only grit and determination. It is the moments of fun and inspiration that often make the difference in being able to take the next step forward. Stop and notice how far you have come as a couple. Celebrate that with each other, in big and little ways. Look around and join with all God's people in thanking God for the mystery and wonder of Christ's love, which is so broad and long, so high and deep.
It's a big mountain that stands before you, (Bride) and (Groom) - this mountain called marriage. But joined together with God, may the climb be more thrilling than you ever imagined. God be with you.
Hear these words of Scripture as they are found in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3:14--19 (TEV):
For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name. I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love. Yes, may you come to know his love - although it can never be fully known - and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
(Bride) and (Groom), we didn't make it to a mountaintop for your wedding, but think of this as the first step from base camp to climb another mountain called "marriage."
You've already both come a long way to this point. You know from experience the dangers and difficulties of making such a climb. You have both suffered the pain of a first attempt that did not work.
But God's grace abounds. God's Spirit replenishes and renews broken hearts, and teaches them how to love again. So here you are, ready to begin a whole new challenge together as partners in a journey.
What will you need for this climb to be successful? Paul provides some clues in Ephesians.
First, you each need to remain strong in your inner selves. Through all the ups and downs of your individual lives, each of you has learned to be resourceful, competent, and able to handle life fairly well. God's Spirit has been at work in you, helping you not only to survive but to flourish as individuals.
Are you now going to throw all that away and lose yourself in another? No, that's not what lasting love is all about. Marriage is bringing those strengths (and weaknesses) in your inner selves and offering them to one another for the good of your life together. You will be changed by that. The ironic part is, the more you offer of yourself, the more you will discover who you really are. What joy there is in being loved and accepted for ourselves!
A second tip from Ephesians: let Christ's love be your safety line. There will be times when you stumble in the climb toward a lasting marriage. You will get tired, distracted, discouraged. At those times, check that safety line - are you staying connected to God? For God's love is ultimately what will hold you up and hold the two of you together, especially when you grow weary.
Finally, don't forget to stop now and then and take a look at the view. How sad to think of a marriage as a climb in which you plod along with only grit and determination. It is the moments of fun and inspiration that often make the difference in being able to take the next step forward. Stop and notice how far you have come as a couple. Celebrate that with each other, in big and little ways. Look around and join with all God's people in thanking God for the mystery and wonder of Christ's love, which is so broad and long, so high and deep.
It's a big mountain that stands before you, (Bride) and (Groom) - this mountain called marriage. But joined together with God, may the climb be more thrilling than you ever imagined. God be with you.
