Sopps 6.3.18
Skyler and Lauren, because I don’t speak “electrical engineer”, this analogy is based on the universal language of music!
In the Magician’s Nephew, CS Lewis writes about the creation of Narnia. When the characters find themselves in the land of Narnia they actually stumble into the creation of the world itself. When they enter there is no light. No wind. No stars. No sound. No smell. Soon a voice begins singing in the distance, creating a sound that is beyond comparison. The children listen, keeping their focus on the Creator Lion and his beautiful song of Creation.
The Bible says that God sings over us. Zeph. 3:17
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One who will save;
He will exult over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Our Savior rejoices over us that we belong to Him eternally. The voice of God that created all things, stilled the storm, and will raise the dead at the end of all time; the Lord sings over His deep joy for His redeemed. Think about how amazing it is that God is singing over you! And one day in glory we will finally hear the God who sings.
Like Narnia, one day (Aug. 6,2013 to be exact) the song started to be heard as God began singing your relationship into existence. Listen. Can you hear it?! This song of creation is an embrace of the ever joyful songwriter blessing you to serve together, to join into His song of praise, and to harmonize as you participate with the One who created your relationship in much the same way as the creation of a new world. For some reason people think that marriage is the happy ending. Marriage is actually just the beginning of 2 people’s lives together. It is the creation of a new family. It is the beginning of a symphony, a praise song to the Holy One. He is joining your separate melodies into a beautiful piece of music that exists for the pleasure and glory of the One who created it and for the advancement of the Kingdom
Let Him join your voices into one and allow Jesus to sing himself through your marriage to everyone around you, Sometimes there will be sour notes or sections of the song that will need extra rehearsing and practice. It may even seem that the grass is greener, or to put it into musical terms, that another marriage is more in tune than yours seems to be. It is only because they are practicing and tuning their hearts to the Standard that the concert master set before them! See those times as an opportunity to tune your hearts to the same Standard set before you.
Skyler & Lauren, from this moment forward you will carry the love of another person. May your life together be better and may you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. Before we leave to go and celebrate your marriage, and before you go forward as husband and wife, I would ask one last thing of you. On a day like today, where there is so much excitement and emotion with all the details and planning and hope that today would be perfect, I don’t want this most important moment of this day to be forgotten. When you wake up tomorrow, the wedding will all be over. So right now, in this beautiful setting, and in the presence of God and all who are here, I want you to look around and drink it all in. Take a few seconds to look into each others’ eyes and think about what you are feeling. Do you hear His song of joy over you? …. .Memorize this moment so you never forget the cadence of your love song, the joyful radiance of everyone here, and the way the light plays in each other’s eyes? Take a mental imprint of the sounds and sweet smells in the air so that in the years to come you will always remember this day with a leap in your heart and overwhelming gratitude to God for each other. Can you dream and imagine what the praise song you are singing together will sound like with its crescendos and majestic tones 20 years from now? 33? Fifty? WOW.
Receive this blessing with your eyes and hearts open:
May The peace of the Holy Spirit be in your heart so that everyday is lived with hope and harmony with each other
May The grace of Christ be in your words as you encourage and honor each other
May The love of God be in your hands as you serve together
May The joy of Triune God be in your souls and in the song that your life sings so that together with one voice you may glorify Him forever.
Blessing (Ruth): Face one another and repeat the following blessing to one another:
Where you go I will go, Where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and Your God my God
Let us pray:
Dear Lord, our hearts are filled with great happiness on Skyler and Lauren’s wedding day, as they come before You, pledging their hearts and lives to one another. Grant that they be ever true and loving, living together in such a way as to never bring shame or heartbreak into their marriage. Temper their hearts with kindness and grace. Help them to always remember to be each other’s sweetheart, helpmate, friend and confidante so that whatever they face in life they will handle with courage and hope. As the years go by may the home they are creating today always be a place of truth and harmony, where your Spirit is ever present.
In Christ’s name, Amen