My Word With The World: Till death do us part

Married Couple Quite recently I had the privilege of doing and translating it into two other vernacular the Order of Service for a ternary wedding that took place on the Valentine’s Day. Even as I was working on it and every time as I was translating every portion of it - it was a reminder of my own marriage, divinely ordained. You might call it coincidence, but I would disagree, when I say that I was also chosen and called to be part of the wedding choir. I would only call it as divinely ordained, again! As I enjoyed the making of the Order of Service booklet and practising in the wedding choir, there were a few elements that impressed upon me heavily; lessons that I learnt which I want to pass it on (because not everyone assiduously reads their own wedding order of service or gets to marry others or at least do the Order of Service Smile ). Hope you would enjoy and as well this would enrich your marriage.

More than being a celebration and the greatest of all occasions, the foremost nature of wedding is that it is “holy”.

The very first word is “Holy Matrimony”. Then as the Bridegroom and the Bride are ushered in, the choir sings, “How welcome was the call, as sweet the festal lay…” and the choir goes onto sing,

O bless, as erst of old,
The bridegroom and the bride;
Bless with the holier stream that flowed
Forth from Thy pierced side.

Even the blessing that is beseeched to come upon the bridegroom and the bride is from that of the “holy blood that Jesus Christ shed upon the cross”.

Divine blessing in a marriage is only through the holy blood of Jesus Christ.

Welcoming the gathering the Celebrant says, “ On behalf of His Holy Church, _______________, I welcome you all to this Holy Matrimony”.

Marriage is witnessed (to take part & to be a witness) by the church whose calling is also to be “holy”. That is, marriage is a call to fellowship with holiness.

While declaring the intent of marriage he says,

This bond and covenant of marriage is an honourable estate, instituted of God himself in creation and it signifies unto us the mystical union that is between Christ and his Church. And, Christ, our Lord and saviour, adorned and beautified this holy estate with his presence, and first miracle that he wrought, in Cana of Galilee.

The position of being married first signifies “holiness”, that is, positionally we are called as ‘holy’; but we got to make it our living condition.

And he goes onto say,

And, this holy estate is commended in Holy Scriptures to be honourable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly; but reverently, discreetly, soberly, and in the fear of God, duly considering the causes for which this holy estate was ordained.

The reference point to the holiness in marriage is the Bible.

Even the first of the reasons why God ordained marriage is –

First, it was ordained for the increase of mankind according to the will of God, and that children might be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord, and to the praise of his holy name.

Unholiness in the marriage life of a Christian brings disgrace to the Holy Name of God.

Secondly, it was ordained in order that the natural instincts and affections, implanted by God, should be hallowed and directed aright; that those who are called of God to this holy estate, should continue therein in pureness of living.

What we call as “natural instincts” should lead to “pureness of living”. Does it? Check!

Above all while exchanging the marriage troth the couple promise and pledge the same -

I, __________, take thee, __________, to be my wedded Wife/Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.

Holiness in marriage is a holy ordinance ordained by God. So the standard to live by is God’s standards, not man’s.

During the Declaration of the marriage the Celebrant pronounces them to be husband and wife “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Marriage is sealed in the Name of the Triune Holy God. Unholiness in marriage results in God’s seal of protection and promise being broken/destroyed. Above all it “grieves” God. (Eph 4:30)

The interesting fact is that the most appearing word in the Wedding Order of Service is “Holy” and its other forms; 18 times as “holy” and other two times as “holier” and “pureness”.

When holiness is missing or lost in a marriage it leads to “death”; death of love, death of companionship, death of cherishment, death of caring, death of comforting, death of contentment, death of commonness (sharing).

When holiness dies, these deaths take place and we start living apart! Are you dying these deaths everyday and feel that your marriage is falling apart? Introspect yourself and bring back holiness into your personal life. Repent of your unholy ways so as to rebuild your family life.

In this wedding we sang a beautiful hymn, the words from Psalm 23 and I feel that the second stanza is a very apt way to close this post as a prayer,

My soul He doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.

There are a few other interesting elements of this Wedding Order of Service, some specific to my wedding too, and as well much more. Interested to read them? Visit this blog again or click to join this site My Word With The World