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The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

THINGS TO REMEMBER

(CHECK LIST)

q Pick up wedding policy at the Parish Office and read thoroughly.

q Set an appointment time with a Member of the Clergy. Bring the following to your initial meeting.

o Declaration of Intention (page 5)

o Wedding Information Sheet (page 6)

o Potential Dates which comply with Church Policy.

q Schedule Initial Meeting with Wedding Coordinator

o Review Wedding Policies and Guidelines

o Develop Initial Wedding Plan

o Submit Deposit to fully reserve date on Parish Calendar

q Schedule appointment with Director of Music.

o Bring Music Sheet (pages 23-24)

q Obtain Marriage License at appropriate time. (See details page 39)

q Review policy statements with florist, photographer, videographer, and guest musician(s). It is essential that these persons understand and abide by our policy. Coordinate bulletins/programs with Parish Secretary (281-358-3154)

q Schedule Final Meeting with Wedding Coordinator: Finalize Plans

o Rehearsal Needs

o Final Payment

The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

INTRODUCTION

The service of Holy Matrimony is a worship service. It is one of the most sacred rites which a Member of the Clergy performs under the ordination and the authority of the church. The service is limited to members of Good Shepherd who are communicants in good standing.

In order that you may have a sacred and dignified wedding, you are urged to make thorough preparations, spiritual as well as temporal. The Clergy, Wedding Guild and Staff of Good Shepherd wish to extend every possible assistance to you toward the end that your wedding in the church will be a memorable experience.

Therefore, serious study and careful judgments have gone into the preparation of the church’s wedding policies and regulations. They are the result of many years of experience with weddings on the part of the Clergy, the Staff, and the parish. They have been reviewed and approved and have become the official policies and procedures related to weddings and wedding receptions. They are not here to create difficulties for you, but to ensure that your wedding is as beautiful and meaningful as possible. You are urged to read the following material carefully and cooperate fully with the Rector of Good Shepherd Church in upholding the high standards set forth herein. You are responsible for becoming familiar with this policy and will be expected to comply with the policies and regulations contained in it. If you have any questions concerning the policy, please feel free to discuss with your Wedding Coordinator.

For the purposes of this policy manual, the words “Member of the Clergy” shall refer to the officiating Member of the Clergy of The Episcopal Church Good Shepherd. The word church, un-capitalized, shall refer to the large sanctuary. The word chapel shall refer to the small chapel located off of the nave of the main church.

SETTING THE DATE

Weddings are provided for a nominal fee to members of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Kingwood. The member may be the Bride, Groom, Parents or Grandparents and must be a “communicant in good standing.” A communicant in good standing is defined as those, “…who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God…” This Wedding ministry will include marriage counseling and presiding at the ceremony by a Member of the Clergy, planning and support from Wedding Guild, direction and participation from Support Teams.

In addition, at least one of the couple must be baptized in the Christian faith.

A reservation on the Parish Calendar will be confirmed when all of the following conditions have been met.

1. A Member of the Clergy staff has agreed to officiate at the wedding.

2. A family member of the couple is a communicant in good standing at Good Shepherd.

3. The scheduling guidelines (found elsewhere in this section) have been met.

4. The WEDDING INFORMATION sheet has been signed by both the bride and the groom and turned into the church office.

5. All necessary deposits, , have been paid.

The exact hour of the rehearsal and wedding must be fixed at the time the worship space is reserved. This is necessary to avoid conflicts between your wedding and any other church event.

WEDDING DATES SHALL NOT BE ANNOUNCED UNTIL the date has been fully reserved. This is to reduce to a minimum the possibility of misunderstanding or error on the part of any of the persons involved. However, tentative dates may be cleared by telephone.

The Member of the Clergy will not agree to officiate at any wedding with less than ninetydays notice. If either or both parties are divorced, there are specific canons of the Episcopal Church and policies of the Bishop of Texas that apply. In the case of remarriages following a divorce, the Member of the Clergy is required to examine a copy of the divorce decree and to send a copy to the bishop along with the petition for remarriage. Divorced persons must bring a photocopy of the divorce decree(s) with them to the first conference with the Member of the Clergy! There is a one-year waiting period if either of the parties has been divorced once. If there has been more than one divorce for either of the parties, the waiting period is at least 2 years. A petition for re-marriage must be submitted to the Bishop by the Member of the Clergy involved. Therefore, when there has been a divorce, it is essential that plenty of time be allowed for this process to be followed.

RESTRICTED DATES

WEDDINGS WILL NOT BE SCHEDULED DURING LENT OR ON SUNDAYS. Also, because of difficulties in securing adequate help, we do not schedule wedding rehearsals, weddings, or wedding receptions at the following times:

New Year’s Eve / Day

Christmas Eve / Day

Easter weekend

If these days fall adjacent to weekends, the weekend should be avoided as well. Weddings will not be scheduled during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Certain other days may not be available for weddings due to conflicts in the church calendar.

No evening weddings shall be scheduled to begin later than 8:00 p.m.; Saturday weddings with receptions at the church, no later than 7:00 p.m. The rehearsal is normally scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on the day preceding the wedding ceremony except when more than one rehearsal is scheduled on a given date. When this is the case, rehearsals are scheduled at the time set by the officiating Member of the Clergy involved.

PRE-WEDDING CONFERENCE

The Member of the Clergy officiates at the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage only after a conference with the bride and groom. It is necessary for this conference to be held at least ninety days before the wedding. Wedding invitations are not to be mailed until after the pre-wedding conference and you have confirmed a fully reserved date on the Parish Calendar. Decisions regarding the content of the ceremony will be made only between the church staff and the bride and groom.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

KINGWOOD, TEXAS

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We,

and

desiring to receive the blessing of Holy Matrimony in the Church, do solemnly declare that we hold marriage to be a lifelong union of husband and wife as it is set forth in the Book of Common Prayer.

We believe that 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.

And we do engage ourselves, so far as in us lies, to make our utmost effort to establish this relationship and to seek God’s help hereto.

Signature of Groom ____________________________________________

Signature of Bride (Maiden Name)_________________________________

Dated _______________________________________ A.D. ____________

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

Wedding Information Form

Wedding Date:__________________________ Time: __________ 0 Church 0 Chapel

Rehearsal Date: _________________________ Time: __________ Eucharist: 0 YES 0 NO Number of Guests: ____________

Officiating Clergy: ______________________ Guest Clergy: ___________________________

Bride’s Name: _______________________________________

Groom’s Name:

_______________________________________

Marital Status:

Single Divorced Widowed

Marital Status:

Single Divorced Widowed

Address:________________________________

_______________________________________

Address:________________________________

_______________________________________

Phone: wk: _____________________________

hm: _____________________________

Email:_________________________________

Email: _________________________________

Date of Birth: ___________________________

Place of Birth: ___________________________

Children: _______________________________

Current Religious Affiliation:

_______________________________________

Current Religious Affiliation:

_______________________________________

Baptized 0 Denomination _________________

Confirmed 0 Denomination ________________

Communicant 0 Denomination _____________

Parent’s full name:

Father: _________________________________

Parent’s full name:

Father: _________________________________

Mother

(Maiden): _______________________________

Mother

(Maiden): _______________________________

Address: _______________________________

_______________________________________

Address: _______________________________

_______________________________________

Phone: _________________________________

We have read the Wedding Customary of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and agree to abide by the provisions contained therein.

_______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Signature of the Bride Signature of the Groom

Photographer: _______ Phone: Arrival Time: ________

Florist: Phone Arrival Time: ________

Attendants:

Ring Bearer? 0 Age Flower Girl? 0 Age

Number of Bridesmaids: Names of Bridesmaids:___________________

___________________________________ __

Number of Groomsmen: Names of Groomsmen __

________________________________________________________________________________

Number of Ushers: Name of Ushers __

________________________________________________________________________________

__ __

Scripture Readings: (see page 426 in the BCP) __

Music:

________________________________________________________________________________

Hymns:

________________________________________________________________________________

Solos:

________________________________________________________________________________

Wedding Guild Attendant(s): ________________________________________________________

Family Concerns __

Notes: __

WEDDING SERVICES INVOICE:

Wedding: ___________________________________________

Date: ______________________

(Check made to Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd)

Services	Fees	Due
Marriage Celebration and Blessing	$800	$
Includes use of Sanctuary and facilities, Organist, Candelabra, Set Up, Usher Lead, Verger, Acolytes and Wedding Coordinator.
Choir	$250	$
Bell Ensemble	$250	$
Flute Ensemble	$250	$
Organist Accompaniment Fees ($50 per ensemble and soloist)	$50+	$
Pew Torches	$250	$
Nursery Services (2 hrs)	$60+	$
Parish Hall	$300	$
Other:		$

Total Due		$
50% Deposit for Calendar Reservation		- $	Ck #	Date
Total Due on __________ (date)		$	Ck #	Date

Deposit for Parish Hall	$150		Ck #	Date
Refund for Parish Hall	$150		Voucher:

· 50% non-refundable deposit due to reserve date on Parish Calendar.

· Upon appropriate clean up and care of Parish Hall, $150 refunded within 10 days of use.

· Balance due 1 week prior to wedding.

· Members should give Honorarium directly to Celebrant.

· Coordination of fees should be handled directly with Soloist.


Bridal Party		Date		Wedding Coordinator		Date

cc: Colleen Noakes with Payment

Wedding Coordinator (2)

Bridal Party

At the time appointed, the persons to be married, with their witnesses, assemble in the church or some other appropriate place. During their entrance, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung, or instrumental music may be played. Then the Celebrant, facing the people and the persons to be married, with the woman to the right and the man to the left, addresses the congregation and says

Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people.

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 unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.

Into this holy union N.N. and N.N. now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else for ever hold your peace.

I require and charge you both, here in the presence of God, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be united in marriage lawfully, and in accordance with God's Word, you do now confess it.

N., will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

N., will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their

If there is to be a presentation or a giving in marriage, it takes place at this time. A hymn, psalm, or anthem may follow.

O gracious and everliving God, you have created us male and female in your image: Look mercifully upon this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they make; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then one or more of the following passages from Holy Scripture is read. If there is to be a Communion, a passage from the Gospel always concludes the Readings. Click on each link below to view scripture.

Between the Readings, a Psalm, hymn, or anthem may be sing or said. Appropriate Psalms are 67, 127, and 128. When a passage from the Gospel is to be read, all stand, and the Deacon or Minister appointed says

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., 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 we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

Then they loose their hands, and the Woman, still facing the man, takes his right hand

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., 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 we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

Bless, O Lord, this ring to be a sign of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

N., I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and 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 (or in the Name of God).

Now that N. and N. have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce 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 put asunder.

The Deacon or other person appointed reads the following prayers, to which the People respond, saying, Amen. If there is not to be a communion, one or more of the prayers may be omitted.

Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, and especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony. Amen.

Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy. Amen.

Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will, and their spirits in your Spirit, that they may grow in love and peace with you and one another all the days of their life. Amen.

Give them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other's forgiveness and yours. Amen.

Make their life together a sign of Christ's love to this sinful and broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair. Amen.

Bestow on them, if it is your will, the gift and heritage of children, and the grace to bring them up to know you, to love you, and to serve you. Amen.

Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection that they may reach out in love and concern for others. Amen.

Grant that all married persons who have witnessed these vows may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties confirmed. Amen.

Grant that the bonds of our common humanity, by which all your children are united one to another, and the living to the dead, may be so transformed by your grace, that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven; where, O Father, with your Son, and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign in perfect unity, now and for ever. Amen.

The people remain standing. The husband and wife kneel, and the Priest says one of the following prayers

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. We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name. By the power of your Holy

Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this man and this woman. Defend 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 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 for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, you have so consecrated the covenant of marriage that in it is represented the spiritual unity between Christ and his Church: Send therefore your blessing upon these your servants, that they may so love, honor, and cherish each other in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness,

that their home may be a haven of blessing and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen.

The Peace

The newly married couple then greet each other, after which greetings may be exchanged throughout the congregation.

When Communion is not to follow, the wedding party leaves the church. A hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung, or instrumental music may be played.

At the Eucharist

The liturgy then continues with the Offertory, at which the newly married couple may present the offerings of bread and wine.

At the Communion, it is appropriate that the newly married couple receive Communion first, after the ministers.

O God, the giver of all that is true and lovely and gracious: We give you thanks for binding us together in these holy mysteries of the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Grant that by your Holy Spirit, N. and N., now joined in Holy Matrimony, may become one in heart and soul, live in fidelity and peace, and obtain those eternal joys prepared for all who love you; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

At this point it is customary to introduce the Bride and Groom to the congregation.

As the wedding party leaves the church, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung, or instrumental music may be played.

Brides and grooms should pick three scriptures: One from the Old Testament, One from the New Testament, and one from the Gospels.

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’

Genesis 2:4-9,15-24

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’

Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.

So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.’ Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Song 2:10-13;8:6-7

¹⁰My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; ¹¹for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. ¹²The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. ¹³The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. ⁶Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. ⁷Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned.

Tobias said to Sarah: “We praise thee, O God of our fathers, we praise thy name for ever and ever. Let the heavens and all thy creation praise thee for ever. Thou madest Adam, and Eve his wife to be his helper and support; and those two were the parents of the human race. This was thy word: ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a helper like him.’ I now take this my beloved to wife, not out of lust but in true marriage. Grant that she and I may find mercy and grow old together.” They both said “Amen,” and slept through the night.

NEW TESTAMENT

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

13 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; ¹⁰but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.

¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Ephesians 3:14-19

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. ¹⁶I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, ¹⁷and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. ¹⁸I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 5:1-2,21-33

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, ²and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. ²²Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. ²⁸In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰because we are members of his body. ³¹‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ ³²This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. ³³Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband.

Colossians 3:12-17

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 John 4:7-16

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. ¹³By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. ¹⁵God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. ¹⁶So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

GOSPELS

Matthew 5:1-10

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.

^a ²Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ⁸‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ¹⁰‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 5:13-16

13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ¹⁴‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Matthew 7:21,24-29

21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²⁴‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great was its fall!’ ²⁸Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Mark 10:6-9,13-16

⁶But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” ⁷“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ 13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

John 15:9-12

9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be

PRE-WEDDING CONFERENCE

Services

Bridal Party

GUEST MINISTERS

The Peace

At the Eucharist

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis 1:26-28

Genesis 2:4-9,15-24

Song 2:10-13;8:6-7

NEW TESTAMENT

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Ephesians 3:14-19

Ephesians 5:1-2,21-33

Colossians 3:12-17

1 John 4:7-16

GOSPELS

Matthew 5:1-10

Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 7:21,24-29

Mark 10:6-9,13-16

John 15:9-12