Marriage brings us together.
On April 28, 1984 Denise and I were wed. It was a lovely spring day (starting with some snow, as I recall), a week after Easter celebrations that year. In preparation for the day , Denise and I spent some time in prayer and working together to create the text of our couple's prayer and our vows for the service. We were inspired to create something that really spoke to our hearts and did indeed represent us.
Prayer
Dear Father,
We rejoice in you and give you glory for unifying us in your name.
We come to you as hopeful children and we ask your blessings upon our marriage. Dear God,
We are but children and we stumble and fall but you are faithful to those who call on you.
So we call on you to sanctify and annoint us as we walk in the path you have chosen for us.
Watch us, Guide us and Counsel us,
dear shephard.
Amen
Vows
In the Strength and love of Jesus Christ, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and before God our Father,
I promise:
to love you as He loves us, unconditionally and without end.
to uphold you when you are downcast
to give you Christ's peace in times of trouble, and to share His joy in good times and bad times.
Beloved of my youth, I will honor you and respect you as we grow old.
I will be life-giving to you as He loves you through me.
I will show always that all I am is yours.
I will cherish you as my blessed gift from God all the days of my life.
Reminders
At our 1st Anniversary, Denise was additionally inspired to have some of what we'd written caligraphized (is that a word?) and framed. The actual full text of the prayers and vows were longer, but as always, Denise created just the right edited result.
I think this was inspired in that it followed the mandate of God to His people about always displaying the law. Of course, not with the same weight.
Over the years, I have had many occasions to see these on the wall, to reflect on them and to have them move even more into the core of who I am. Denise reflects on these in her essay re: 'The Little Foxes'.
As I was posting her essay, i realized that we were showing images, but not providing the text and so I am putting them here.
Re-reading them makes me wonder and rejoice at what in a few days will be the 40th anniversary of this beatiful new life.