This past weekend, I had the privilege of officiating at my nephew's wedding on a beautiful island near Seattle, Washington. They chose Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 as their scripture which focuses on the importance of having someone who will be there when you fall. I also shared that from this same book of the bible, the author talks about the different seasons of life which include a time to dance and a time to laugh. With the ceremony taking place on a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest there was plenty of dancing and joy as we celebrated their covenant of Christian marriage.
After arriving home from the wedding trip/vacation, I received news that my nephew's father who had been in ill for a long time passed away at his home in Pennsylvania. My nephew and his wife had already caught a plane to fly from Seattle to Pennsylvania to prepare for his father's funeral service.
In just one weekend, my nephew experienced the wonderful season of dancing and laughter as well as the season of mourning and loss. Thankfully, this newlywed couple can be there for each other through the good and the bad times.
Below is the sermon I offered at their wedding just a few days ago.
Wedding Sermon - Whidbey Island, Washington, July 29, 2011
here today, I want to say thank you for
inviting us to be part of your special day. You
have been gracious hosts and we are
enjoying our time with you on this beautiful
island.
I do want you to know that I gave up tickets to
a U2 concert just to be with you today. But your
wedding is so much better than a rock concert. It’s
a celebration of your new life together as
husband and wife. This is why the writer
of Ecclesiastes talks about the different
seasons of life when he says, “For everything there is
a season, and a time for every matter under
heaven; a time to laugh and a time to dance.”
Weddings are a time of celebration and so we
celebrate with you. I think it’s worth noting
that the first miracle that Jesus performed was
at a wedding when he turned water
into wine. Jesus loved a good party because
he knew that the Kingdom of God
to be a party, not just in heaven, but especially
here on earth.
Danielle, and Kevin , I hear that you like to
attend ugly sweater parties. In fact, that’s how
you met almost two years ago. As we have
talked over the phone to prepare for your
wedding today, I can easily tell that
you both enjoy life and being with family
and friends. I’ve seen your facebook pictures!
You know how to enjoy life.
.One of the things we talked about over
the phone was that it’s important to have fun in life,
especially as a married couple. I mean, just
look around us. God has created this beautiful
earth for us to care for and enjoy, including
the Pacific Northwest, Mt. Rainier
sunsets, unusual rock formations, mountains,
oceans, and exotic animals. God has created
all of this for us to enjoy and celebrate.
In his book, “What’s So Amazing About
Grace,” Phillip Yancey writes, “It is a terrible
thing to be grateful and have no one to thank,
to be awed and have no one to worship.”
life together, know that you do have someone
to thank and to worship, the one who created
the heavens and the earth. But also know that
you will always have each other to celebrate
God’s beautiful creation together.
.
Returning to the writer of Ecclesiastes who
has just told us about the different seasons
of life which include a time to dance and
a time to laugh, he also has some other
important words for us that come from
your scripture reading. He says that
“Two are better than one, because they
have a good reward for their toil. For
if they fall, one will lift up the other; but
woe to the one is alone and falls and does
not have another to help.”
One of the blessings of being a pastor, is that I
get to experience this scripture lived out in the
life of the church.
In one of the churches I served, a man met with
me to tell me about how his world was crashing
down all around him. He and his wife had good
jobs and a loving marriage. But all of this was
tested when he made a mistake and lost his job.
He didn’t know what to do since he felt that he
had lost the trust of his wife not to mention that
his mistake meant that he would probably need
to leave the occupation that he loved.
I listened to his pain for at least an hour there in
my office. I could tell that he felt lost and a
sense of hopelessness. And then the strangest thing
happened that I will never forget.
After we prayed, he got up to leave and as he
opened my office door, there stood his wife.
Knowing that he was meeting with me, and
knowing that he was going through a very
difficult time, she wanted to be there for him
and let him know that she loved him very much.
They embraced for the next couple of minutes telling
each other over and over again, “I love you.” And
they said to each other, “We’ll get through this. I
love you.”
When they finally left my office, call it a sixth
sense or a premonition, but I knew that he was
going to be OK. They were going to be OK.
Why? “Two are better than one for if one
falls, the other will be there to help.”
Danielle & Kevin – Our prayer for you is
that you will continue to laugh and dance
and enjoy God’s beautiful
creation together. And during those times when
you stumble and fall, remember that you have each
other. And you have God..
What a beautiful sermon for your nephew's wedding. My sympathy to your nephew and his new wife in the death of his father.
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