Twenty-eight years ago this Saturday, on June 11, 1983, Vickie and I were married at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. I recall with great joy and fondness so many of the events of that wonderful day in my life, especially the actual wedding ceremony. Three things in particular stand out in my memory.
The first were words of instruction from God’s Word. Two passages of Scripture were read. First, from Genesis 2:
7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed… 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it…
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh.
22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh…
And also from I Corinthians 13:
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Fitting words to be read at the union of a man and woman.
The second were words of celebration from Rev. Roger Christian. I remember well the chosen song and its lyrics he sang. At the time, it was a very popular song titled simply The Wedding Song (or There is Love) by Noel Paul (of “Peter, Paul, and Mary” pop music fame). The words are:
He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts
Rest assured this troubadour is acting on His part.
The union of your spirits, here, has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. There is Love.
Well, a man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
They shall travel on to where the two should be as one.
As it was in the beginning is now until the end
Woman draws a life from man and gives it back again.
And there is Love. There is Love.
Well, then what's to be the reason for becoming man and wife?
Is it Love that brings you here or Love that brings you life?
Or if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh there's Love, oh there's Love.
Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. Ah there's Love.
Beautiful words to be sung at the celebration of love between two of God’s children.
Lastly, I remember well the words of admonition from Dr. Ike Reighard, the officiant. As a part of the ceremony, he shared these time-honored thoughts from the English Christian tradition:
Marriage is God’s first institution for the welfare of the race. In the quiet bowers of Eden before the forbidden tree had yielded its fateful fruit or the tempter had touched the world, God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.
He therefore made a helpmate suitable for him, and in so doing established the rite of marriage, all the while heavenly hosts witnessed this wonderful scene.
Originated in Divine wisdom and goodness, designed to promote human happiness and holiness, this rite of marriage is the foundation of home life and social order, and must so remain till the end of time.
It was sanctioned and honored by the presence and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ at the marriage in Cana, of Galilee, and marked the beginning of His wondrous works. So also is it commended by the Apostle Paul to be honorable among all men.
So it is ordained that a man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife; and they together will become one flesh, united in all the hopes and all the aims and all the sentiments and in all the interests of this present time.
It is into this holy estate that these two persons come now to be joined. Since marriage is holy, it is not be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Appropriate admonishment to be shared as a young couple becomes one in Christ. As we celebrate our God given love for one another as husband and wife, we glorify our creator by fulfilling His purpose in having brought us together.
Thus June 11th, for all it represents, will always be a very special day in mine and Vickie’s memories. And now it will be even more special.
For it is also the day selected for our daughter Andrea’s wedding. Vickie and I will henceforth celebrate this very special time in the life of her and her new husband, Billy, as well.
It is our fervent prayer that the events of June 11, 2011, and especially the wedding ceremony, will be a cherished memory that will last the two of them a lifetime as they live out their allotted days together before Almighty God – even as the events of June 11, 1983 have been for the two of us.
The first were words of instruction from God’s Word. Two passages of Scripture were read. First, from Genesis 2:
7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed… 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it…
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh.
22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh…
And also from I Corinthians 13:
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Fitting words to be read at the union of a man and woman.
The second were words of celebration from Rev. Roger Christian. I remember well the chosen song and its lyrics he sang. At the time, it was a very popular song titled simply The Wedding Song (or There is Love) by Noel Paul (of “Peter, Paul, and Mary” pop music fame). The words are:
He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts
Rest assured this troubadour is acting on His part.
The union of your spirits, here, has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. There is Love.
Well, a man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
They shall travel on to where the two should be as one.
As it was in the beginning is now until the end
Woman draws a life from man and gives it back again.
And there is Love. There is Love.
Well, then what's to be the reason for becoming man and wife?
Is it Love that brings you here or Love that brings you life?
Or if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh there's Love, oh there's Love.
Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused Him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
There is Love. Ah there's Love.
Beautiful words to be sung at the celebration of love between two of God’s children.
Lastly, I remember well the words of admonition from Dr. Ike Reighard, the officiant. As a part of the ceremony, he shared these time-honored thoughts from the English Christian tradition:
Marriage is God’s first institution for the welfare of the race. In the quiet bowers of Eden before the forbidden tree had yielded its fateful fruit or the tempter had touched the world, God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.
He therefore made a helpmate suitable for him, and in so doing established the rite of marriage, all the while heavenly hosts witnessed this wonderful scene.
Originated in Divine wisdom and goodness, designed to promote human happiness and holiness, this rite of marriage is the foundation of home life and social order, and must so remain till the end of time.
It was sanctioned and honored by the presence and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ at the marriage in Cana, of Galilee, and marked the beginning of His wondrous works. So also is it commended by the Apostle Paul to be honorable among all men.
So it is ordained that a man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife; and they together will become one flesh, united in all the hopes and all the aims and all the sentiments and in all the interests of this present time.
It is into this holy estate that these two persons come now to be joined. Since marriage is holy, it is not be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Appropriate admonishment to be shared as a young couple becomes one in Christ. As we celebrate our God given love for one another as husband and wife, we glorify our creator by fulfilling His purpose in having brought us together.
Thus June 11th, for all it represents, will always be a very special day in mine and Vickie’s memories. And now it will be even more special.
For it is also the day selected for our daughter Andrea’s wedding. Vickie and I will henceforth celebrate this very special time in the life of her and her new husband, Billy, as well.
It is our fervent prayer that the events of June 11, 2011, and especially the wedding ceremony, will be a cherished memory that will last the two of them a lifetime as they live out their allotted days together before Almighty God – even as the events of June 11, 1983 have been for the two of us.