Wedding talk for «Names»,
«Date of wedding»
Two men are talking. One says
to the other, "I got this poodle for my wife." The other
replies: "Sure wish I could trade
mine in for something like that."
You know, several people are down on marriage. Cher said, "The trouble with some women is that they get all
excited about nothing-and then they marry him." Someone else said, "A man is not complete until he is
married, and then he is finished."
Well, while it's true that
marriage does need working at, and we all know that being married can be hard
sometimes, we are here with Chris and Denise because we believe love has the
final word in who we are as human beings.
Love is the most important thing, and when two people get together and
stand up and tell the world that they are going to love each other through
thick and thin, then that is the most wonderful reminder to all of us about
what makes our lives worthwhile.
But where do they go from
today? What will help them to
grow. Well, I think we can learn a
thing or two from MacDonalds Restaurant in this respect. You see MacDonalds have a big and secret red
book which tells their employees how to get the recipe just right. I thought you might like to hear some of the
things Chris and Denise said should be in the secret recipe of their
marriage. Denise loves Chris because he
is sweet, he pays for everything, he likes talking, and he's not that bad
looking. She says that he is great, and
even her nan would have him. They believe in not staying angry for too long
when socks are left over the floor, in talking about everything. And most of all they said that getting
married today was about cementing everything in so that everyone can see it. That's sounds like a pretty good recipe to
me.
So for you love is making
sure they are giving all of your lives, and not just part of them - and that is
a courageous step to take.because in the things you will say here today you
have taken the biggest step you will ever be able to take in fulfilling Jesus'
command to love your neighbour as yourself.
You can't get any closer to doing such an amazing thing in any other
way. You are brave because in getting
married you are actually trying to do what God does-loving somebody no matter
what for the whole of your life.
But I also have to say that
while this is brave it is also the most crazy and stupid act anybody could
contemplate. How can anyone really say
that they will love someone twenty years from now or 30 years from now. It's one thing to say, "I'll meet you to
watch the Liverpool match at eight o'clock." It's quite another thing to say, "I'll love you no matter
what the ravages of life do to you.
I'll love you whether you grow fat, or ugly, or poor or even whether you
do good or bad." Most rational
people approach marriage with the idea that really they have no idea about what
they are doing. And you heard the
reading. Love is patient, love is kind,
love never gives up, love is not irritable.
Can you love like that? Could I
say «Groom» is patient, «Groom» is kind, «Groom» is not irritable? Or «Bride» is never resentful, «Bride» does
not insist on her own way?
But before you get
downhearted, I want you to know that in your marriage you don't have to worry
because of this reason: You'll never
walk alone. Firstly, you'll never walk
alone if your relationship is like a Chicken McBurger. You see, I haven't read the secret red book,
but I reckon a chicken McBurger has to be made of many ingredients blended
creatively together in between two slices of fresh bread bap. So is a good marriage. First, of course you need a couple-the
chicken burger and the mayonnaise. But
then you need a salad - lettuce, tomato and the odd gherkin. These are your close family and friends who
add flavour, texture and taste. Then
you need a community-the two pices of fresh bap-to keep it all together. A good burger needs all these things around
it to be a proper burger and so does a good marriage. Now it seems to me that «Names» are social animals. But they will really be dependent on you to
help them to grow, to be interested in their lives and welfare. Today we are sitting back and watching, but
that will not be enough from now on. I
don't mean that we should be nosey parkas, but that we should have a sense of
their dependence on us for a successful marriage.
But the other more
fundamental reason you will never walk alone is this: Today you have made vows, you have stood up in
front of everyone. But we have said
that it is God who has joined you together, and he will keep you in your
love. Because while we are not always
patient, or always kind, or always faithful, the God who joined you together
today is all those things, all the time.
I don't know «Bride» whether you have ever had pigtails. When
hair is braided it often looks as though there are only two strands of
hair being used. But actually they are
three, and you need three strands to hold the thing together. If you have good days in your relationship,
you will never walk alone, if you have bad days in your relationship, you will
never walk alone. If you have to face
illness, catastrophe, joy, sleepless nights, and ultimately lose each other
when you die, you will still never walk alone.
And so as you make your vows
before God, who is the love that all our marriages are a pale reflection
of, today make him the foundation of
who you are together and you will find that the crazy act of love which you are
committing yourselves to today can be a triumphant song which will fill your
lives and the lives of those around you, and reveal your true colours to each
other and the world.