This is a comprehensive site to help people strengthen their marriage, you can visit it at http://www.marriagebuilders.com/
As a result there is a wide range of articles and information.
There is a multitude of resources from almost every conceivable area of marriage including Marriage Preparation, infidelity, Emotional Needs, Conflict, courses, books, radio programs,
If you are preparing for marriage you may find the Preparing for Marriage information helpful
http://www.marriagebuilders.com/graphic/mbi5510_qa.html
Monday, June 9, 2008
Friday, November 2, 2007
Contemporary Wedding Songs: Alltogether series
Following are a list of contemporary wedding songs that are available in the Lutheran Church of Australia's Alltogether Series
All things new (R MANN, N NUSKE, G SCHIRMER) AT512
A Time for building bridges (Carey Landry) AT180
Bind us together (Bob Gillman) AT174
Bound by love (Grace Simpson) AT373
Dreams and visions (Andrew Tanner) AT249
Gifts of grace (Leigh Newton) AT528
I love you with the love of the Lord (Lexicon Music) AT45
I was there to hear your borning cry (John Ylvisaker) AT320
I will always love you (Mark Greenthaner) AT534
Like a wedding feast (Robin Mann) AT277
Love is (Neil Reichelt) AT 80
Love one another (Robin Mann) AT 177
Make us a family (Geoff Strelan) AT280
May we be one (Robin Mann) AT172
Morning sunshine (Digby Hannah) AT 428
Walkin' down the road ( Robin Mann)
We belong to God (John Bell) AT540
Where you tread (John Beavis) AT507
Now there are plenty of songs in the Alltogether series that may suit the wedding to reflect who you are as a couple and how you see God reflected in you relationship and on the wedding day.
For Christian couple's the entire worship service is just another opportunity to bear witness to your friends and family about how loving God is and how necessary He is for you as a couple...so give some thought to your songs as well as the rest of the service
Some hints in choosing songs:
Think about who will attend the wedding service. Are they mainly church goers or not?
If they are, think about how familiar they are with the songs?
If you have no one leading the singing, then it is best to choose songs that at least some of the congregation will sing, otherwise find a person to lead the singing..(at least if very few people sing the song will still have an impact)
Likewise if they are not church goers, it maybe best to choose a lead singer.
(I can recall one wedding where the bride chose a beautiful sounding song, but no one sang it and all we heard was the organ...and she was disappointed)
All things new (R MANN, N NUSKE, G SCHIRMER) AT512
A Time for building bridges (Carey Landry) AT180
Bind us together (Bob Gillman) AT174
Bound by love (Grace Simpson) AT373
Dreams and visions (Andrew Tanner) AT249
Gifts of grace (Leigh Newton) AT528
I love you with the love of the Lord (Lexicon Music) AT45
I was there to hear your borning cry (John Ylvisaker) AT320
I will always love you (Mark Greenthaner) AT534
Like a wedding feast (Robin Mann) AT277
Love is (Neil Reichelt) AT 80
Love one another (Robin Mann) AT 177
Make us a family (Geoff Strelan) AT280
May we be one (Robin Mann) AT172
Morning sunshine (Digby Hannah) AT 428
Walkin' down the road ( Robin Mann)
We belong to God (John Bell) AT540
Where you tread (John Beavis) AT507
Now there are plenty of songs in the Alltogether series that may suit the wedding to reflect who you are as a couple and how you see God reflected in you relationship and on the wedding day.
For Christian couple's the entire worship service is just another opportunity to bear witness to your friends and family about how loving God is and how necessary He is for you as a couple...so give some thought to your songs as well as the rest of the service
Some hints in choosing songs:
Think about who will attend the wedding service. Are they mainly church goers or not?
If they are, think about how familiar they are with the songs?
If you have no one leading the singing, then it is best to choose songs that at least some of the congregation will sing, otherwise find a person to lead the singing..(at least if very few people sing the song will still have an impact)
Likewise if they are not church goers, it maybe best to choose a lead singer.
(I can recall one wedding where the bride chose a beautiful sounding song, but no one sang it and all we heard was the organ...and she was disappointed)
It is also important to check out the copyright issues well in advance, particularly if you are printing your own worship orders or using a powerpoint presentation. The pastor or the church administrator should be able to help you with this issue.
I will be posting some more contemporay songs soon
Friday, October 12, 2007
Church of Norway wedding service
WEDDING
General rules
Matrimony happens when a woman and a man, in the presence of witnesses and under authorised authority (civil or ecclesiastical) declare their vows to each other that they will live together in matrimony, and this is declared to be lawful.
Marriage, according to church order, consists both of a civil as well as an ecclesiastical part. The wedding ceremony, which is legally binding, takes place before God. It is a liturgical ceremony. Individual elements of it, like music, readings and others, must be formulated accordingly.
The ceremony takes place in church or in a chapel which with approval from the Bishop may be used for weddings.
Before the ceremony, the priest – or, in exceptional circumstances, someone else on his/her behalf – has a preparatory talk with the couple.
Hymns and songs must be approved by the priest beforehand, and the music by the cantor/organist.
The forthcoming wedding should be announced beforehand during a service, and the couple should be mentioned in the intercessions.
If a celebration of a Wedding Mass is desired, the liturgy for a Wedding up to and including the last hymn should be followed. This will be the hymn before the Eucharist, followed by the Eucharistic liturgy in the Order of Worship, or one of the alternative Eucharistic liturgies in the Service Book. Alternatively, the Order of Worship may be used. The Introduction of the Order of Worship is then replaced by that of the Order for a Wedding. The Marriage Vows and the Giving of the Rings are placed where the Announcements normally are, and the Intercessions in the Order for a Wedding replace the intercessions in the Order of Worship.
One of the lessons must be from a Gospel.
During the Introduction, the celebration of Wedding Mass is announced, e. g.:
M: Dear (name) and (name). You have come here to (name of church) in order to be married. We are gathered here to rejoice with you. We shall hear your vows to each other and pray for God’s blessing for you and your home. You have also asked to take part in the Eucharist when you start your life together as husband and wife. We will therefore celebrate a Wedding Mass, so that those who wish may join you at the Lord’s Table on this day.
Couples who have been married by civil authority may apply for a service of prayer. See Order of Prayer after a Civil Marriage.
Bells may be rung for about 5 minutes before and after the ceremony.
The Officiant wears a white stole.
THE ORDER FOR A Wedding
Participation of various kinds may be introduced into the ceremony. Wedding guests may participate in the liturgy, and additions to the ceremony may be made in the form of music or readings, if desired combined with lighting of candles. Among the cultural elements there may be openings for elements underlining the ethnic background of the bride and groom. If one party has another denominational background than the Church of Norway, there may be openings for participation from this denomination, after approval from the Bishop. Participation from other denominations as well as cultural elements, these shall be adopted according to the liturgical nature of the wedding ceremony and not be contrary to the theological basis of the Church of Norway.
Elements adding to the liturgy may be placed after part 9 Intercession.
Where the names are mentioned, one can use full name or first name, depending on what is natural in the individual case. In the questions during part 7 The Marriage Vows, full name shall be used.
The readings are taken from the Bible New International Version
1. Prelude/Entrance
Organ music or other suitable music as prelude/entrance.
The bridal couple may process up the nave together to the chancel and may sit together.
If desired, the bridal couple, Maid of Honour and/or the Best Man, representative(s) of the families, officiant and others process into the church.
Vocal or instrumental music may then be performed.
2. Introduction
Either A
M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Or B
M: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Then the bridal couple and the assembly are welcomed with these or similar words:
M: Dear (name) and (name). You have come here to (name of church) in order to be married. We are gathered here to rejoice with you. We shall hear your vows to each other and pray for God’s blessing for you and your home.
Then the Officiant may say
Either A
M: O Lord, how priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast in the abundance of your house;
you give them to drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light. Psalm 36:7-9
Or B
M: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures for ever.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:1, 24
Or C
M: God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16b
3. Hymn
4. Lesson(s)
M: God has created us to live in harmony with him and with each other.
He has ordained that man and woman shall be one, and he has confirmed this fellowship by his blessing.
Marriage is God’s generous gift.
To live together as man and woman is to live in trust and love, to share joy and sorrow
and to faithfully stand by each other until life ends.
God’s word testifies that marriage is holy and inviolable.
It is written in the Book of Genesis:
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them,
“Be fruitful and increase in number;
fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:27-28a
And our Lord Jesus Christ says:
“Haven’t you read […] that at the beginning the Creator
‘made them male and female’, and said,
‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
So they are no longer two, but one.
Therefore what God has joined together,
let man not separate.” Matthew 19:4-6
M: Let us hear more from God’s word.
2-4 of the following lessons or other suitable readings, at least one from each of the two Testaments.
The lessons may be read by wedding guests.
Those who shall read, go up to the lectern together.
The bridal couple and assembly remain seated during the lessons.
The final lesson ends like this:
“This is the Word of the Lord.”
5. Hymn
The Hymn may be replaced with appropriate vocal or instrumental music.
6. Address
The Officiant gives an address based on one of the lessons read under part 4 or on another appropriate text from the Bible.
7. The Marriage Vows
M: Come before the altar of the Lord, so that we may hear your vows to each other and pray for God’s blessing on you and your home.
The bridal couple stand before the altar rail.
Either A
M: In the presence of God our Creator and before these witnesses, I ask you (the groom’s full name without title): Will you take (the bride’s full name without title) who stands beside you, as your wife?
Groom: I will.
M: Will you love and honour her and be faithful to her for better, for worse, until death do you part?
Groom: I will.
M: Likewise I ask you, (the bride’s full name without title): Will you take (the groom’s full name without title) who stands beside you as your husband?
Bride: I will.
Will you love and honour him and be faithful to him for better, for worse, until death do you part?
Bride: I will.
M: Then join your hands as a sign of this.
The bride and groom face each other and give each other the right hand.
The Officiant shall lay his/her hand on the joined hands of the bride and groom.
M: In the presence of God and before these witnesses you have promised each other that you will live together in matrimony, and have joined your hands as a sign of this. I therefore declare that you lawfully are husband and wife.
Or B
M: In the presence of God our Creator and before these witnesses, I ask you (the groom’s full name without title): Will you take (the bride’s full name without title) who stands beside you, as your wife?
Groom: I will.
M: Likewise I ask you, (bride’s full name without title): Will you take (the groom’s full name without title) who stands beside you as your husband?
Bride: I will.
M: Now repeat after me.
The groom and bride face each other. They join hands and remain so while they say their vows.
The Officiant reads the vows part by part, then the groom and bride repeat in turn.
O: I take you (name) as my wife/husband.
G/B: I take you (name) as my wife/husband.
O: I will love and honour you
G/B: I will love and honour you
O: and faithfully stay with you for better, for worse
G/B: and faithfully stay with you for better, for worse
O: until death do us part.
G/B: until death do us part.
Then the vows are repeated by the other.
The Officiant shall lay his/her hand on the joined hands of the bride and groom.
O: In the presence of God and before these witnesses you have promised each other that you will live together in matrimony, and have joined your hands as a sign of this. I therefore declare that you lawfully are husband and wife.
Here may follow:
8. Giving of Rings
Either A
O: Now give each other the rings, which you shall wear as a sign of your vows of faithfulness.
Each puts the ring on the other’s finger.
Or B
M: Give each other the rings, which you shall wear as a signs of your vows to each other.
Repeat after me.
The Officiant reads the words, then the groom and briderepeat them in turn.
M: (Name), I give you this ring
G/B: (Name), I give you this ring
M: as a sign of my vows of love and faithfulness.
G/B: as a sign of my vows of love and faithfulness.
The ring is then put on the other’s finger.
Then the giving is repeated in the same way by the other.
9. Intercession
O: Let us pray.
The bride and groom kneel at the altar rail. With the laying on of hands, the Officiant prays for the bridal couple one of the following prayers, ending with The Lord’s Prayer.
If desired, guests may also participate, during the intercession, in the laying on of hands.
I
Either A
M: Merciful God, you who have established marriage, and blessed man and woman, we pray: Let your blessing rest upon (name) and (name) who kneel in your presence. Fill them with your love and build their home in peace. Grant them your grace and strengthen them with your Spirit, so that in times of joy and sadness, they may place their trust in you, be faithful to each other and help each other towards eternal life.
Or B
M: Merciful God, we give you thanks for (name) and (name) and for their love for each other. Bless their life as husband and wife.
Help them keep the vows they have made to each other, so that their marriage may be filled with trust, care and joy.
Grant them the ability and will to build their home in peace, so that it will be a place where [children may grow up in safety and] family and friends may find fellowship.
You are the way, the truth and the life; let them walk in your truth. You forgive and heal; help them forgive each other. You are the source of love; help them and all husbands and wives grow and mature in love.
II
Here can be added a free prayer, if desired combined with lighting of candles.
The assembly may also sing a hymn of prayer (while the bride and groom are kneeling).
III
The Intercession always ends with The Lord’s Prayer.
O: Let us together pray The Lord’s Prayer.
A Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
your will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The bride and groom sit.
Here may follow
10. Music/Acts of Symbolism
Wedding guests and others may participate with music, readings or other cultural elements.
11. Hymn
12. The Blessing
Either A
M: facing the assembly:
Let us praise the Lord.
All stand.
ALL: God be praised. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
M: The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace. +
ALL: Amen. Amen. Amen.
Or B
M: facing the assembly:
Receive the Blessing.
All stand.
M: The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace. +
ALL: Amen.
13. Recessional
Organ music or other appropriate music. The bride and groom leave the church together.
More than just a wedding
The wedding service is an important event for both of you, your family and friends. It is the event where you make a committment in the presence of God, each other and the public to be together forever. Some people view it as a bridge to life together.
Before you make such a committment you and your partner will benefit from spending some time preparing not just for the ceremony but also a life of being married. Following are some information and resources to help you:
PREPARE is a resource administered by many pastors, celebrants and marriage counsellors...
Its aims are to help couples:
Explore their strength & growth areas
Strengthen their communication skills
Learn Ten Steps for Resolving Couple Conflict
Explore family-of-origin issues
Develop financial budget & plans
Develop personal, couple & family goals
If you would like more details about how this works and local contacts please contact me at richard.schwedes@lca.org.au
PRE-MARRIAGE COURSES
Many congregations, marriage counsellors and celebrants offer pre marriage courses. These courses are focussed on helping you develop your relationship and encourage you to think about many issues relating to life together.
Many of these courses help couples in the areas of:
understanding the importance of commitment
recognising and appreciating your differences
communication
resolving conflict
spending time together
nurturing your friendship
making each other feel loved
developing a good sexual relationship
importance of talking about your goals, values and dreams
how to grow and change with each other
common marriage stress points
keeping Christ central in your marriage
Ask your pastor about a pre marriage course or contact me on richard.schwedes@lca.org.au
(note there are also course and oportunities for people who are already married and want to strengthen their marriage)
Before you make such a committment you and your partner will benefit from spending some time preparing not just for the ceremony but also a life of being married. Following are some information and resources to help you:
PREPARE is a resource administered by many pastors, celebrants and marriage counsellors...
Its aims are to help couples:
Explore their strength & growth areas
Strengthen their communication skills
Learn Ten Steps for Resolving Couple Conflict
Explore family-of-origin issues
Develop financial budget & plans
Develop personal, couple & family goals
If you would like more details about how this works and local contacts please contact me at richard.schwedes@lca.org.au
PRE-MARRIAGE COURSES
Many congregations, marriage counsellors and celebrants offer pre marriage courses. These courses are focussed on helping you develop your relationship and encourage you to think about many issues relating to life together.
Many of these courses help couples in the areas of:
understanding the importance of commitment
recognising and appreciating your differences
communication
resolving conflict
spending time together
nurturing your friendship
making each other feel loved
developing a good sexual relationship
importance of talking about your goals, values and dreams
how to grow and change with each other
common marriage stress points
keeping Christ central in your marriage
Ask your pastor about a pre marriage course or contact me on richard.schwedes@lca.org.au
(note there are also course and oportunities for people who are already married and want to strengthen their marriage)
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod): a wedding service order
This order of worship celebrates God's gracious gift of marriage. The congregation shares the joy of the bride and groom as they publicly promise lifelong love and faithfulness to each other.
Call to Worship
M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came as an invited guest to the wedding at Cana, and with his gracious presence, he brought joy and gladness to those who were there. Jesus is also with us who have gathered in his name to celebrate the Word of God and prayer the marriage of Name and Name. We are assured of God's gracious help and guidance in these words from the Psalms:
Minister: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
C: His love endures forever.
M: The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love;
C: He is good to all.
M: God is our refuge and strength,
C: An ever-present help in trouble.
M: He is our God forever and ever;
C: He will be our guide even to the end.
M: May God be gracious to us and bless us
C: and make his face shine on us.
M: Loving Father, we are grateful for your goodness in permitting us to gather as the family and friends of Name and Name to share their joy on this special day. Look on them with favor, strengthen their confidence in your firm promises, and assure them of your abiding love. As your Son Jesus graced the wedding at Cana with his presence, so may he be with us who pray in his name.
C: Amen.
Congregational hymns or other music appropriate for worship may be sung here or at other places in the service.
Word of God
LESSONS (Bible readings)
SERMON
Marriage Rite
M: Dear friends: When God in love created the world, he made man and woman in his own image and bonded them together in marriage. Through this blessed union of husband and wife, God established the family, provided for the physical and spiritual welfare of children, and fostered the peace and stability of society.
God intended marriage to bring loving companionship to the people of his world. But because of sin, the joy of marriage was soon overcast with sorrow, and the harmony of family life was shattered by strife. Out of love God sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross to take away the sins of all people. Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness and is enabled by the Holy Spirit to live in peace and joy.
God's love for you is boundless. He commands you, in response to his love, to love each other. Love is forgiving and enduring. Love shows itself in truth and faithfulness, in thoughtfulness and understanding, in patience and kindness. Marriage furnishes a unique opportunity to put this love into practice.
The pattern for Christian marriage is the intimate union of Christ and his church, which the apostle Paul depicts in Ephesians 5. After urging believers to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ," he makes this application for Christian spouses: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church...Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her." It is reverence for Christ on the part of husband and wife that lays the foundation for Christian marriage.
You have come here to be united in marriage, which consists in your mutual consent, sincerely and freely given. You are now invited to declare this intent in the presence of God and these witnesses.
Marriage Promises
M: (to the groom): Name, will you take Name to be your wife? Will you be guided by the counsel and direction God has given in his Word and love your wife as Christ loved the Church? Will you be faithful to her, cherish her, support her, and help her in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live? If so, answer, "I will."
G: I will.
M: (to the bride): Name, will you take Name to be your husband? Will you be guided by the counsel and direction God has given in his Word and submit to your husband as the Church submits to Christ? Will you be faithful to him, cherish him, support him, and help him in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live? If so, answer, "I will."
B: I will.
M: Join your right hands, and make your promises to each other:
The groom and bride will say in turn:
I, Name, in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you, Name, to be my wife/husband. I promise to be faithful to you as long as we both shall live.
Exchange of Rings
M: Exchange rings as a symbol of the lifelong commitment and abiding love which you as husband and wife have promised each other.
The groom and bride will say in turn:
Name, receive this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness.
Declaration of Marriage
M: By their promises, Name and Name have bound themselves together in marriage before God and these witnesses. Therefore, I declare that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one separate.
Marriage Blessing
M: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit preserve you in faithfulness, strengthen you in love, and guide you to life's end.
HYMN
Prayers
other prayers may be said
M: Let us pray:
Eternal God, source of love, help Name and Name to fulfill the promises they have made here today and to reflect your steadfast love in their love for each other. Give them kindness and patience, affection and understanding, happiness and contentment. Use their family and friends to support them in difficult days, that their love for each other may continue to grow as long as they live.
Gracious Father, in your goodness you bring people together into families and enrich their lives with abundant blessings. Renew the love of husbands and wives, parents and children, that they may strengthen and support each other on the way that leads to our heavenly home, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
Blessing
M: The Lord bless you and keep youThe Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
C. Amen
Call to Worship
M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came as an invited guest to the wedding at Cana, and with his gracious presence, he brought joy and gladness to those who were there. Jesus is also with us who have gathered in his name to celebrate the Word of God and prayer the marriage of Name and Name. We are assured of God's gracious help and guidance in these words from the Psalms:
Minister: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
C: His love endures forever.
M: The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love;
C: He is good to all.
M: God is our refuge and strength,
C: An ever-present help in trouble.
M: He is our God forever and ever;
C: He will be our guide even to the end.
M: May God be gracious to us and bless us
C: and make his face shine on us.
M: Loving Father, we are grateful for your goodness in permitting us to gather as the family and friends of Name and Name to share their joy on this special day. Look on them with favor, strengthen their confidence in your firm promises, and assure them of your abiding love. As your Son Jesus graced the wedding at Cana with his presence, so may he be with us who pray in his name.
C: Amen.
Congregational hymns or other music appropriate for worship may be sung here or at other places in the service.
Word of God
LESSONS (Bible readings)
SERMON
Marriage Rite
M: Dear friends: When God in love created the world, he made man and woman in his own image and bonded them together in marriage. Through this blessed union of husband and wife, God established the family, provided for the physical and spiritual welfare of children, and fostered the peace and stability of society.
God intended marriage to bring loving companionship to the people of his world. But because of sin, the joy of marriage was soon overcast with sorrow, and the harmony of family life was shattered by strife. Out of love God sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross to take away the sins of all people. Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness and is enabled by the Holy Spirit to live in peace and joy.
God's love for you is boundless. He commands you, in response to his love, to love each other. Love is forgiving and enduring. Love shows itself in truth and faithfulness, in thoughtfulness and understanding, in patience and kindness. Marriage furnishes a unique opportunity to put this love into practice.
The pattern for Christian marriage is the intimate union of Christ and his church, which the apostle Paul depicts in Ephesians 5. After urging believers to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ," he makes this application for Christian spouses: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church...Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her." It is reverence for Christ on the part of husband and wife that lays the foundation for Christian marriage.
You have come here to be united in marriage, which consists in your mutual consent, sincerely and freely given. You are now invited to declare this intent in the presence of God and these witnesses.
Marriage Promises
M: (to the groom): Name, will you take Name to be your wife? Will you be guided by the counsel and direction God has given in his Word and love your wife as Christ loved the Church? Will you be faithful to her, cherish her, support her, and help her in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live? If so, answer, "I will."
G: I will.
M: (to the bride): Name, will you take Name to be your husband? Will you be guided by the counsel and direction God has given in his Word and submit to your husband as the Church submits to Christ? Will you be faithful to him, cherish him, support him, and help him in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live? If so, answer, "I will."
B: I will.
M: Join your right hands, and make your promises to each other:
The groom and bride will say in turn:
I, Name, in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you, Name, to be my wife/husband. I promise to be faithful to you as long as we both shall live.
Exchange of Rings
M: Exchange rings as a symbol of the lifelong commitment and abiding love which you as husband and wife have promised each other.
The groom and bride will say in turn:
Name, receive this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness.
Declaration of Marriage
M: By their promises, Name and Name have bound themselves together in marriage before God and these witnesses. Therefore, I declare that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one separate.
Marriage Blessing
M: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit preserve you in faithfulness, strengthen you in love, and guide you to life's end.
HYMN
Prayers
other prayers may be said
M: Let us pray:
Eternal God, source of love, help Name and Name to fulfill the promises they have made here today and to reflect your steadfast love in their love for each other. Give them kindness and patience, affection and understanding, happiness and contentment. Use their family and friends to support them in difficult days, that their love for each other may continue to grow as long as they live.
Gracious Father, in your goodness you bring people together into families and enrich their lives with abundant blessings. Renew the love of husbands and wives, parents and children, that they may strengthen and support each other on the way that leads to our heavenly home, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
Blessing
M: The Lord bless you and keep youThe Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
C. Amen
An ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) service wedding order
Entrance
The assembly stands as the ministers and the wedding group enter.
Music—hymn, song, psalm, instrumental music—may accompany the entrance.
Greeting
The presiding minister and the assembly greet each other.
M:The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C:And also with you.
INTRODUCTION
The minister may introduce the rite with these or similar words:
A
M: Dear friends: We have come together in the presence of God to witness the marriage of name and name, to surround them with our prayers, and to share in their joy.
The scriptures teach us that the bond and covenant of marriage is a gift of God, a holy mystery in which two become one flesh, an image of the union of Christ and the church. As name and name give themselves to each other today, we remember that at Cana in Galilee our Lord Jesus Christ made the wedding feast a sign of God’s reign of love.
Let us enter into this celebration confident that, through the Holy Spirit, Christ is present with us now also; we pray that this couple may fulfill God’s purpose for the whole of their lives.
B
M: Name and Name have come to make their marriage vows in the presence of God and of this congregation. Let us now witness their promise to each other and surround them with our prayers, giving thanks to God for the gift of marriage and asking God’s blessing upon them, so that they may be strengthened for their life together and nurtured in their love for God.
We rejoice that marriage is given by God, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let marriage be held in honor by all.
C
M: The Lord God in goodness created us male and female, and by the gift of marriage founded human community in a joy that begins now and is brought to perfection in the life to come.
Because of sin, our age-old rebellion, the gladness of marriage can be overcast and the gift of the family can become a burden. But because God, who established marriage, continues still to bless it with abundant and ever-present support, we can be sustained in our weariness and have our joy restored.
D
M: Beloved people of God, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the covenant of love and fidelity name and name are to make with each other.
The union of two persons in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual, for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and that their love may be a blessing to all whom they encounter. This solemn covenant is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and with commitment to seek God’s will for their lives.
Declaration of Intention
The minister addresses the couple in these or similar words, asking each person in turn:
A
M: Name, will you have name to be your wife/husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her/him, comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her/him as long as you both shall live?
Response:
B/G: I will.
The minister may address the assembly in these or similar words.
M: Will you, the families of name and name, give your love and blessing to this new family?
C: We will.
The minister says to the assembly:
M: Will all of you, by God’s grace, do everything in your power to uphold and care for these two persons in their life together?
C: We will.
B
M: Name, will you receive name as your wife/husband and bind yourself to her/him in the covenant of marriage? Will you promise to love and honor her/him in true devotion, to rejoice with her/him in times of gladness, to grieve with her/him as long as you both shall live?
Response: I will, with the help of God.
C
M: Name, living in the promise of God, joined in Christ in your baptism; will you give yourself to name in love and faithfulness? Will you share your life with her/him in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, and will you be faithful to her/him as long as you both shall live?
Response: I will, with the help of God.
Assembly
B
The minister says to the assembly:
M: Families, friends, and all those gathered here with name and name, will you promise to support and care for them in their life together, to sustain and pray for them in times of trouble, to give thanks with them in times of joy, to honor the bonds of their covenant, and to affirm the love of god reflected in their lives?
C: We will, with the help of God.
C
When pastorally appropriate, one or both of these questions may be used when children are brought into the family of those to be married.
The minister may ask the couple:
Name and name, will you be faithful and loving parents to name/s?
Response: We will, with the help of God.
The minister may ask the children:
Name/s, will you help name and name in their marriage?
Response: We will with the help of God.
Prayer of the Day
The presiding minister leads the following or another prayer of the day.
Let us pray.
A
Eternal God, our creator and redeemer, as you gladdened the wedding at Cana in Galilee by the presence of your Son, so bring your joy to this wedding by his presence now. Look in favor upon name and name and grant that they, rejoicing in all your gifts, may at length celebrate the unending marriage feast with Christ our Lord, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
B
Let us pray. Eternal God, our creator and redeemer, as you gladdened the wedding at Cana in Galilee by the presence of your Son, so bring your joy to this wedding by his presence now. Look in favor upon name and name and grant that they, rejoicing in all your gifts, may at length celebrate the unending marriage feast with Christ our Lord, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Readings
The assembly is seated. Two or three scripture readings are proclaimed. When the service includes communion, the last is a reading from the gospels. Responses may include a psalm in response to a reading from the Old Testament, a sung acclamation preceding the reading of the gospel, or other appropriate hymns, songs, and psalms.
Sermon
Silence for reflection follows.
Hymn of the Day
A hymn of the day may be sung.
Vows
The couple may join hands. Each promises faithfulness to the other in these or similar words.
OPTION A: I take you, name, to be my
I take you; name, to be my wife/husband from this day forward,
to join with you and share all that is to come,
and I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us.
OPTION B: In the presence of God
In the presence of God and this community,
I, name, take you, name, to be my wife/husband;
to have and to hold from this day forward,
in joy and in sorrow, in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
This is my solemn vow.
C
I take you; name, to be my wife/husband from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is come, and I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us
D
I, name, give myself to you, name. By the grace of god, I promise to support and care for you. In the love of Christ, I promise to love and cherish you. With the Spirit’s help, I promise to be faithful to you, as long as we both shall live.
E
I take you; name, to be my wife/husband, and these things I promise you: I will respect, trust, help, and care for you; I will forgive you as we have been forgiven; and I will share my life with you, through the best and worst of all that is to come, until death parts us.
Giving of Rings
When rings are to be exchanged, they may be placed on the service book of the minister or held by an assisting minister.
The presiding minister may say:
A
Bless these rings, O God; may they who wear them live in love and fidelity, and continue in your service all the days of their lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
B
Gracious God, by your blessing let these rings be to name and name a symbol of their unending love and faithfulness, to remind them of the vows and covenant they have made this day, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
C
We give thanks, O God of grace, for your love and faithful to your people. Bless these rings, that they may be symbols of the enduring commitment name and name have made to each other; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The couple may exchange rings with these or similar words.
OPTION A: This ring as a sign
Name, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness.
OPTION B: This ring as a symbol
Name, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow.
With all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you,
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Acclamation
The presiding minister addresses the assembly.
M: Name and name, by their promises before God and in the presence of this assembly, have joined themselves to one another as husband and wife.
Those whom God has joined together let no one separate.
C: Amen. Thanks be to God.
The assembly may offer acclamation with applause. A sung acclamation, hymn, or other music may follow.
Other symbols of marriage may be given or used at this time.
Marriage Blessing
The couple may kneel. The presiding minister may extend a hand over the couple while praying for God's blessing in the following or similar words.
A
Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to endure the cross for our sake, that we may have abundance of life.
By the power of your Holy Spirit pour out the abundance of your blessing on name and name. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let your love be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them so that their lives together may bear witness to your love. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.
Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast forever in your heavenly home, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
B
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for in your great love you created us male and female and made the union of husband and wife an image of the covenant between you and your people. You sent Jesus Christ to come among us, making your love visible in him, to bring new life to the world.
Send you Holy Spirit to pour out the abundance of your blessing on name and name, who have this day given themselves to each other in marriage.
Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them so that all may see in their lives together within the community of your people a vision of your kingdom on earth. And finally, in the fullness of time, welcome them into the glory of your presence.
Through your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in your holy church all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.
B
When a prayer for children is desired, the following words may be included in the blessing immediately before “Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts”: Give them the gift and heritage of children in accordance with your will, and make their home a haven of peace.
C
When children are brought into the family of the newly married couple, the following words may be included in the blessing immediately before “Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts”: You have given them a gift and heritage of children; make their home a haven of peace.
D
Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out your abundant blessing upon name and name. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in the sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.
Finally in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast forever in your banquet; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.
E
The Lord God, who created our first parents and established them in marriage, establish and sustain you, that you may find delight in each other and grow in holy love until your life’s end. Amen.
Parents or others may speak additional words of blessing and encouragement at this time.
Prayers of Intercession
The assembly stands. Prayers of intercession for the world and its needs may be prayed.
Each petition may end:
M: Gracious and faithful God,
C: hear our prayer.
A
M: Seeing how gently God has loved us, let us pray for the whole world.
For the Christian community everywhere; for the life and ministry of the baptized, and for pastors, leaders, and servant of the Gospel, that the church may be the risen body of Christ in the world. O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For all communities everywhere; for our nation, for all those who govern and for all in authority, and for justice and peace throughout the world. O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For those we love easily, and for those with whom we struggle, for those different from us and for those familiar to us, that we might be instruments of God’s peace. O god, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For those who suffer in any way, and those who are lonely, for the sick, the dying, and those who are bereaved, for those who are poor, hungry, homeless, or unemployed, for the victims of violence, hatred, and intolerance. O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For all those who are bound to us in love; for our families, friends, and neighbors, remembering also all who have gone before us (especially name/s). O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: Creator of all, you make us in your image and likeness and fill us with everlasting life. Hear the prayers of your people and grant to name and name grace to live in unity and joy all the days of their lives. We ask this through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, to whom, with you, one God, be praise forever and ever.
C: Amen.
The presiding minister concludes the prayers, and the assembly responds
Amen.
A service with communion continues with the peace. After the presiding minister greets the assembly, the couple may greet each other with the kiss of peace, and the assembly may greet one another in peace.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
M: Loving God, we thank you that you have fed us in this holy meal, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the marriage feast of the Lamb. So strengthen us in your service that our daily lives may show our thanks, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
Lord's Prayer
A service without communion continues as follows.
OPTION A: Our Father in heaven
C: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us?
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
OPTION B: Our Father, who art in heaven
C: Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Peace
If it has not been included earlier in the service, the greeting of peace may be shared.
M: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
The couple may greet one another with the kiss of peace. All present may greet one another with a gesture of peace, and may say, "Peace be with you," or similar words.
Blessing
The presiding minister proclaims God's blessing in these or similar words.
OPTION A: The blessed and holy Trinity
M: The blessed and holy Trinity
make you strong in faith and love,
defend you on every side,
and guide you in truth and peace,
now and forever.
C: Amen.
OPTION B: God almighty send you light and truth
M: God Almighty send you light and truth
to keep you all the days of your life.
The hand of God protect you;
the holy angels accompany you;
and the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, the + Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you now and forever.
C: Amen.
C
M: The blessed and holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Dismissal
An assisting minister may send the assembly forth in these or similar words.
M: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
A hymn may be sung or instrumental music played as the wedding group and the ministers depart.
The assembly stands as the ministers and the wedding group enter.
Music—hymn, song, psalm, instrumental music—may accompany the entrance.
Greeting
The presiding minister and the assembly greet each other.
M:The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C:And also with you.
INTRODUCTION
The minister may introduce the rite with these or similar words:
A
M: Dear friends: We have come together in the presence of God to witness the marriage of name and name, to surround them with our prayers, and to share in their joy.
The scriptures teach us that the bond and covenant of marriage is a gift of God, a holy mystery in which two become one flesh, an image of the union of Christ and the church. As name and name give themselves to each other today, we remember that at Cana in Galilee our Lord Jesus Christ made the wedding feast a sign of God’s reign of love.
Let us enter into this celebration confident that, through the Holy Spirit, Christ is present with us now also; we pray that this couple may fulfill God’s purpose for the whole of their lives.
B
M: Name and Name have come to make their marriage vows in the presence of God and of this congregation. Let us now witness their promise to each other and surround them with our prayers, giving thanks to God for the gift of marriage and asking God’s blessing upon them, so that they may be strengthened for their life together and nurtured in their love for God.
We rejoice that marriage is given by God, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let marriage be held in honor by all.
C
M: The Lord God in goodness created us male and female, and by the gift of marriage founded human community in a joy that begins now and is brought to perfection in the life to come.
Because of sin, our age-old rebellion, the gladness of marriage can be overcast and the gift of the family can become a burden. But because God, who established marriage, continues still to bless it with abundant and ever-present support, we can be sustained in our weariness and have our joy restored.
D
M: Beloved people of God, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the covenant of love and fidelity name and name are to make with each other.
The union of two persons in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual, for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and that their love may be a blessing to all whom they encounter. This solemn covenant is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and with commitment to seek God’s will for their lives.
Declaration of Intention
The minister addresses the couple in these or similar words, asking each person in turn:
A
M: Name, will you have name to be your wife/husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her/him, comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her/him as long as you both shall live?
Response:
B/G: I will.
The minister may address the assembly in these or similar words.
M: Will you, the families of name and name, give your love and blessing to this new family?
C: We will.
The minister says to the assembly:
M: Will all of you, by God’s grace, do everything in your power to uphold and care for these two persons in their life together?
C: We will.
B
M: Name, will you receive name as your wife/husband and bind yourself to her/him in the covenant of marriage? Will you promise to love and honor her/him in true devotion, to rejoice with her/him in times of gladness, to grieve with her/him as long as you both shall live?
Response: I will, with the help of God.
C
M: Name, living in the promise of God, joined in Christ in your baptism; will you give yourself to name in love and faithfulness? Will you share your life with her/him in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, and will you be faithful to her/him as long as you both shall live?
Response: I will, with the help of God.
Assembly
B
The minister says to the assembly:
M: Families, friends, and all those gathered here with name and name, will you promise to support and care for them in their life together, to sustain and pray for them in times of trouble, to give thanks with them in times of joy, to honor the bonds of their covenant, and to affirm the love of god reflected in their lives?
C: We will, with the help of God.
C
When pastorally appropriate, one or both of these questions may be used when children are brought into the family of those to be married.
The minister may ask the couple:
Name and name, will you be faithful and loving parents to name/s?
Response: We will, with the help of God.
The minister may ask the children:
Name/s, will you help name and name in their marriage?
Response: We will with the help of God.
Prayer of the Day
The presiding minister leads the following or another prayer of the day.
Let us pray.
A
Eternal God, our creator and redeemer, as you gladdened the wedding at Cana in Galilee by the presence of your Son, so bring your joy to this wedding by his presence now. Look in favor upon name and name and grant that they, rejoicing in all your gifts, may at length celebrate the unending marriage feast with Christ our Lord, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
B
Let us pray. Eternal God, our creator and redeemer, as you gladdened the wedding at Cana in Galilee by the presence of your Son, so bring your joy to this wedding by his presence now. Look in favor upon name and name and grant that they, rejoicing in all your gifts, may at length celebrate the unending marriage feast with Christ our Lord, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Readings
The assembly is seated. Two or three scripture readings are proclaimed. When the service includes communion, the last is a reading from the gospels. Responses may include a psalm in response to a reading from the Old Testament, a sung acclamation preceding the reading of the gospel, or other appropriate hymns, songs, and psalms.
Sermon
Silence for reflection follows.
Hymn of the Day
A hymn of the day may be sung.
Vows
The couple may join hands. Each promises faithfulness to the other in these or similar words.
OPTION A: I take you, name, to be my
I take you; name, to be my wife/husband from this day forward,
to join with you and share all that is to come,
and I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us.
OPTION B: In the presence of God
In the presence of God and this community,
I, name, take you, name, to be my wife/husband;
to have and to hold from this day forward,
in joy and in sorrow, in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
This is my solemn vow.
C
I take you; name, to be my wife/husband from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is come, and I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us
D
I, name, give myself to you, name. By the grace of god, I promise to support and care for you. In the love of Christ, I promise to love and cherish you. With the Spirit’s help, I promise to be faithful to you, as long as we both shall live.
E
I take you; name, to be my wife/husband, and these things I promise you: I will respect, trust, help, and care for you; I will forgive you as we have been forgiven; and I will share my life with you, through the best and worst of all that is to come, until death parts us.
Giving of Rings
When rings are to be exchanged, they may be placed on the service book of the minister or held by an assisting minister.
The presiding minister may say:
A
Bless these rings, O God; may they who wear them live in love and fidelity, and continue in your service all the days of their lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
B
Gracious God, by your blessing let these rings be to name and name a symbol of their unending love and faithfulness, to remind them of the vows and covenant they have made this day, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
C
We give thanks, O God of grace, for your love and faithful to your people. Bless these rings, that they may be symbols of the enduring commitment name and name have made to each other; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The couple may exchange rings with these or similar words.
OPTION A: This ring as a sign
Name, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness.
OPTION B: This ring as a symbol
Name, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow.
With all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you,
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Acclamation
The presiding minister addresses the assembly.
M: Name and name, by their promises before God and in the presence of this assembly, have joined themselves to one another as husband and wife.
Those whom God has joined together let no one separate.
C: Amen. Thanks be to God.
The assembly may offer acclamation with applause. A sung acclamation, hymn, or other music may follow.
Other symbols of marriage may be given or used at this time.
Marriage Blessing
The couple may kneel. The presiding minister may extend a hand over the couple while praying for God's blessing in the following or similar words.
A
Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to endure the cross for our sake, that we may have abundance of life.
By the power of your Holy Spirit pour out the abundance of your blessing on name and name. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let your love be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them so that their lives together may bear witness to your love. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.
Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast forever in your heavenly home, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
B
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for in your great love you created us male and female and made the union of husband and wife an image of the covenant between you and your people. You sent Jesus Christ to come among us, making your love visible in him, to bring new life to the world.
Send you Holy Spirit to pour out the abundance of your blessing on name and name, who have this day given themselves to each other in marriage.
Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them so that all may see in their lives together within the community of your people a vision of your kingdom on earth. And finally, in the fullness of time, welcome them into the glory of your presence.
Through your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in your holy church all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.
B
When a prayer for children is desired, the following words may be included in the blessing immediately before “Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts”: Give them the gift and heritage of children in accordance with your will, and make their home a haven of peace.
C
When children are brought into the family of the newly married couple, the following words may be included in the blessing immediately before “Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts”: You have given them a gift and heritage of children; make their home a haven of peace.
D
Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out your abundant blessing upon name and name. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in the sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.
Finally in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast forever in your banquet; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.
E
The Lord God, who created our first parents and established them in marriage, establish and sustain you, that you may find delight in each other and grow in holy love until your life’s end. Amen.
Parents or others may speak additional words of blessing and encouragement at this time.
Prayers of Intercession
The assembly stands. Prayers of intercession for the world and its needs may be prayed.
Each petition may end:
M: Gracious and faithful God,
C: hear our prayer.
A
M: Seeing how gently God has loved us, let us pray for the whole world.
For the Christian community everywhere; for the life and ministry of the baptized, and for pastors, leaders, and servant of the Gospel, that the church may be the risen body of Christ in the world. O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For all communities everywhere; for our nation, for all those who govern and for all in authority, and for justice and peace throughout the world. O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For those we love easily, and for those with whom we struggle, for those different from us and for those familiar to us, that we might be instruments of God’s peace. O god, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For those who suffer in any way, and those who are lonely, for the sick, the dying, and those who are bereaved, for those who are poor, hungry, homeless, or unemployed, for the victims of violence, hatred, and intolerance. O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: For all those who are bound to us in love; for our families, friends, and neighbors, remembering also all who have gone before us (especially name/s). O God, source of all life,
C: hear our prayers.
M: Creator of all, you make us in your image and likeness and fill us with everlasting life. Hear the prayers of your people and grant to name and name grace to live in unity and joy all the days of their lives. We ask this through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, to whom, with you, one God, be praise forever and ever.
C: Amen.
The presiding minister concludes the prayers, and the assembly responds
Amen.
A service with communion continues with the peace. After the presiding minister greets the assembly, the couple may greet each other with the kiss of peace, and the assembly may greet one another in peace.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
M: Loving God, we thank you that you have fed us in this holy meal, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the marriage feast of the Lamb. So strengthen us in your service that our daily lives may show our thanks, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
Lord's Prayer
A service without communion continues as follows.
OPTION A: Our Father in heaven
C: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us?
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
OPTION B: Our Father, who art in heaven
C: Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Peace
If it has not been included earlier in the service, the greeting of peace may be shared.
M: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
The couple may greet one another with the kiss of peace. All present may greet one another with a gesture of peace, and may say, "Peace be with you," or similar words.
Blessing
The presiding minister proclaims God's blessing in these or similar words.
OPTION A: The blessed and holy Trinity
M: The blessed and holy Trinity
make you strong in faith and love,
defend you on every side,
and guide you in truth and peace,
now and forever.
C: Amen.
OPTION B: God almighty send you light and truth
M: God Almighty send you light and truth
to keep you all the days of your life.
The hand of God protect you;
the holy angels accompany you;
and the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, the + Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you now and forever.
C: Amen.
C
M: The blessed and holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Dismissal
An assisting minister may send the assembly forth in these or similar words.
M: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
A hymn may be sung or instrumental music played as the wedding group and the ministers depart.
A Lutheran Church Missouri Synod worship order
Service of Marriage
1. Pre-service, Mothers are escorted into the sanctuary and light the unity candle (optional)
2. Ringing of the Bells
3. Pastor and Men of the Wedding Party enter the Sanctuary from the Vestry.
4. Processional Music
5. Entrance of the Bridal Party
6. Entrance of the Crucifer (all rise)
7. Entrance of the Bride (& Escort)
P: In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen
P: We are gathered here in the sight of God and of his Church to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in holy marriage. This is an honorable estate, which God himself has instituted and blessed, and by which he gives us a picture of the very communion of Christ and his bride, the Church. God has both established and sanctified marriage and has promised to bless therein all who love and trust in him and who seek to give him their faithful worship and service, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity, and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into inadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.
P: Who gives this woman to be married to this man?
A: Her mother and I (or another answer as appropriate to the circumstances)
P: Inasmuch as you purpose to enter into the holy estate of marriage that is to be held in honor by all, it becomes you to hear the Word of God concerning it. . .
8. The congregation is seated for the reading of the Scriptures, usually one reading each from the Old Testament and Epistle.
9. Old Testament Reading
10. Epistle Reading
11. The Congregation Rises for the Reading of the Gospel
12. The Gospel Reading
13. A wedding address (sermon) may follow. A hymn may be sung
14. The Bride hands her flowers to an attendant. The Pastor asks the groom:
P: _Name_______, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live with her in holy marriage according to the Word of God? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, be husband to her as long as you both shall live?
A: I Will
15. Pastor asks the Bride:
P: _Name_______, will you have this man to be your husband, to live with him in holy marriage according to the Word of God? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him, [obey him], and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, be wife to him as long as you both shall live?
A: I Will
16. The Bride and Groom join hands. The groom and repeats after the Pastor:
I, _Name_______, in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you, _Name_______, to be my wife, 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, until death parts us, and I pledge you my faithfulness.
17. The bride and repeats after the Pastor:
I, _Name_______, in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you, _Name_______, to be my 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, until death parts us, and I pledge you my faithfulness.
18. The bride and bridegroom exchange rings, saying:
Receive this ring as a pledge and token of wedded love and faithfulness.
19. The Pastor leads the bride and groom to the altar. He wraps his stole around the ring hands of the bride and groom, saying:
P: Grant your blessing, O Lord, to your servants _Name_______ and _Name_______ that they may be ever mindful of their solemn pledge and, trusting in your mercy, abound evermore in love all their days; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: AMEN.
20. The bride and bridegroom kneel, and the Pastor says:
P: Now that _Name_______ and _Name_______ have consented together in holy marriage and have given themselves to each other by their solemn pledges, and have declared the same before God and these witnesses, I pronounce them to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
What God has joined together, let man not separate.
C: AMEN.
P: The almighty and gracious God abundantly grant you his favor and sanctify and bless you with the blessing given our first parents in paradise that you may please him in both body and soul and live together in holy love until you life’s end.
C: AMEN.
21. If a unity candle is to be used it is lit now. A musical offering (solo, etc.) may be made during the lighting of the unity candle.
22. The Bride and Groom return to the front of the chancel. The attendant returns the flowers.
P: Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, our heavenly Father, grant that by your blessing _Name_______ and _Name_______ may live together according to your Word and promise. Strengthen them in faithfulness and love toward each other. Sustain and defend them in all trial and temptation. Help them to live in faith toward you in the communion of your holy Church and in loving service to each other that they may ever enjoy your heavenly blessing; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: AMEN.
P: Let us join together all of the petitions of our hearts and pray for the Lord's guidance and peace as we pray the prayer He taught us:
The Lord's Prayer said together
P: The eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant you his Holy Spirit, be with you and richly bless you now and forever.
C: AMEN.
23. Pastor invites the Groom to kiss the bride.
24. Pastor introduces the Bride and Groom to the congregation by their married name.
1. Pre-service, Mothers are escorted into the sanctuary and light the unity candle (optional)
2. Ringing of the Bells
3. Pastor and Men of the Wedding Party enter the Sanctuary from the Vestry.
4. Processional Music
5. Entrance of the Bridal Party
6. Entrance of the Crucifer (all rise)
7. Entrance of the Bride (& Escort)
P: In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen
P: We are gathered here in the sight of God and of his Church to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in holy marriage. This is an honorable estate, which God himself has instituted and blessed, and by which he gives us a picture of the very communion of Christ and his bride, the Church. God has both established and sanctified marriage and has promised to bless therein all who love and trust in him and who seek to give him their faithful worship and service, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity, and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into inadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.
P: Who gives this woman to be married to this man?
A: Her mother and I (or another answer as appropriate to the circumstances)
P: Inasmuch as you purpose to enter into the holy estate of marriage that is to be held in honor by all, it becomes you to hear the Word of God concerning it. . .
8. The congregation is seated for the reading of the Scriptures, usually one reading each from the Old Testament and Epistle.
9. Old Testament Reading
10. Epistle Reading
11. The Congregation Rises for the Reading of the Gospel
12. The Gospel Reading
13. A wedding address (sermon) may follow. A hymn may be sung
14. The Bride hands her flowers to an attendant. The Pastor asks the groom:
P: _Name_______, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live with her in holy marriage according to the Word of God? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, be husband to her as long as you both shall live?
A: I Will
15. Pastor asks the Bride:
P: _Name_______, will you have this man to be your husband, to live with him in holy marriage according to the Word of God? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him, [obey him], and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, be wife to him as long as you both shall live?
A: I Will
16. The Bride and Groom join hands. The groom and repeats after the Pastor:
I, _Name_______, in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you, _Name_______, to be my wife, 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, until death parts us, and I pledge you my faithfulness.
17. The bride and repeats after the Pastor:
I, _Name_______, in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you, _Name_______, to be my 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, until death parts us, and I pledge you my faithfulness.
18. The bride and bridegroom exchange rings, saying:
Receive this ring as a pledge and token of wedded love and faithfulness.
19. The Pastor leads the bride and groom to the altar. He wraps his stole around the ring hands of the bride and groom, saying:
P: Grant your blessing, O Lord, to your servants _Name_______ and _Name_______ that they may be ever mindful of their solemn pledge and, trusting in your mercy, abound evermore in love all their days; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: AMEN.
20. The bride and bridegroom kneel, and the Pastor says:
P: Now that _Name_______ and _Name_______ have consented together in holy marriage and have given themselves to each other by their solemn pledges, and have declared the same before God and these witnesses, I pronounce them to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
What God has joined together, let man not separate.
C: AMEN.
P: The almighty and gracious God abundantly grant you his favor and sanctify and bless you with the blessing given our first parents in paradise that you may please him in both body and soul and live together in holy love until you life’s end.
C: AMEN.
21. If a unity candle is to be used it is lit now. A musical offering (solo, etc.) may be made during the lighting of the unity candle.
22. The Bride and Groom return to the front of the chancel. The attendant returns the flowers.
P: Let us pray.
Almighty, everlasting God, our heavenly Father, grant that by your blessing _Name_______ and _Name_______ may live together according to your Word and promise. Strengthen them in faithfulness and love toward each other. Sustain and defend them in all trial and temptation. Help them to live in faith toward you in the communion of your holy Church and in loving service to each other that they may ever enjoy your heavenly blessing; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: AMEN.
P: Let us join together all of the petitions of our hearts and pray for the Lord's guidance and peace as we pray the prayer He taught us:
The Lord's Prayer said together
P: The eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant you his Holy Spirit, be with you and richly bless you now and forever.
C: AMEN.
23. Pastor invites the Groom to kiss the bride.
24. Pastor introduces the Bride and Groom to the congregation by their married name.
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