A United Methodist Pastor's Theological Reflections

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory (nikos) through our Lord Jesus Christ." - I Corinthians 15:57


Friday, November 19, 2010

A Royal Wedding

The recent engagement announcement of Prince William and Kate Middleton is creating quite a stir in the media. We love royal weddings! When the wedding takes place, all eyes will be fixed on the ceremony.

Weddings give us an opportunity to anticipate that time in the future when heaven and earth will become one. As the Lord's Prayer states it so well, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

At the end of the bible in the Book of Revelation, we have this beautiful picture of the heavenly Jerusalem descending upon earth. "He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more." - Revelation 21:3

The bible often uses the image of a wedding or a marriage to symbolize this relationship between God and creation. In the New Testament, it becomes even more particular with Jesus Christ (the groom) and the church (the bride.)

This is one of the main reasons why the covenant of Christian marriage is considered one of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic church and at least seen as "sacramental" in many Protestant traditions. The coming together of a husband and wife is a reflection of the marriage of God and creation (heaven and earth.)

As we near Christ the King Sunday this Sunday, this is the ultimate royal wedding that we anticipate and even begin to celebrate now.

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