Not one but
two wedding celebrations will be happening at AFC this coming Sunday – which is
great!
At our morning service a couple who have recently married overseas will be re-affirming their vows in a Blessing. Then, after a quick sandwich, I go back to church for an afternoon wedding for a young couple who have strong family connections with the Free Church.
It’s a surprise to us that these two happy and joy-filled celebrations have come together on the same day – my task on Sunday will be to ensure I don’t get the names mixed up at either service!
The latest statistics we have for weddings in the UK is 2012 – and four years ago 262,240 weddings took place in Britain – down by half from the 1930s but an increase of 5.3% on the number making vows in 2011. Just 30% of these weddings took place in churches.
The truth is I’m delighted when anyone asks to tie the knot in church. So many other, perhaps even more convenient options are available today so to ask for a church wedding represents a great deal which I’m keen to honour.
I’m sure it is significant that Jesus’ first miracle was at the Wedding Feast in Cana of Galilee – that famous occasion when he turned water into wine! We just get the impression that our Lord loved these moments of community celebration.
And that is one of the key features of a wedding – it becomes not only a personal moment for the bride and groom but also a collective one for the community.
Perhaps it’s not widely known that it’s illegal for us to lock the doors of the church whilst the ceremony is going on – it has to be a public event.
More than that I know everyone at AFC who attends either the Blessing or the Wedding on Sunday will be praying for both couples – glad to share with them in these moments of dedication and glad to stand by them giving prayerful and practical support in coming days.
Best wishes,
At our morning service a couple who have recently married overseas will be re-affirming their vows in a Blessing. Then, after a quick sandwich, I go back to church for an afternoon wedding for a young couple who have strong family connections with the Free Church.
It’s a surprise to us that these two happy and joy-filled celebrations have come together on the same day – my task on Sunday will be to ensure I don’t get the names mixed up at either service!
The latest statistics we have for weddings in the UK is 2012 – and four years ago 262,240 weddings took place in Britain – down by half from the 1930s but an increase of 5.3% on the number making vows in 2011. Just 30% of these weddings took place in churches.
The truth is I’m delighted when anyone asks to tie the knot in church. So many other, perhaps even more convenient options are available today so to ask for a church wedding represents a great deal which I’m keen to honour.
I’m sure it is significant that Jesus’ first miracle was at the Wedding Feast in Cana of Galilee – that famous occasion when he turned water into wine! We just get the impression that our Lord loved these moments of community celebration.
And that is one of the key features of a wedding – it becomes not only a personal moment for the bride and groom but also a collective one for the community.
Perhaps it’s not widely known that it’s illegal for us to lock the doors of the church whilst the ceremony is going on – it has to be a public event.
More than that I know everyone at AFC who attends either the Blessing or the Wedding on Sunday will be praying for both couples – glad to share with them in these moments of dedication and glad to stand by them giving prayerful and practical support in coming days.
Best wishes,
No comments:
Post a Comment