Tami Ellen Nielsen

We are gathered together on this day to witness and celebrate the marriage of Luke and Alison. We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is an affirmation of that bond and as their dearest friends and family, it is our honor and privilege to stand witness to this event.

This day is made possible not only because of your love for each other, but through the grace of God, and the support of family and friends. It is our hope that your fulfillment and joy in each other will increase with each passing year.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

Please join me in prayer. Gracious God, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable unto you oh Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen

A boy sat through a Sunday School class and learned about Jesus attending a wedding and miraculously turned the water into wine. "And what did you learn from the story?" his father later asked? The boy thought for a moment and answered, "If you’re having a wedding, make sure Jesus is invited!"

The scripture from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 is not only about marriage, but it sure fits a marriage…two are better than one… ending with this wonderful wisdom saying: “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Two are better than one,…then suddenly there are three. The 3rd strand is Jesus Christ interwoven into the marriage.

The necessity of God being intertwined in our homes & relationships, not as an occasional visitor, but a permanent resident. My intent is to emphasize real life marriage, the imperfect situations. If you feel the need to make God the center of your marriage but your spouse doesn’t cooperate it can seem overwhelming! Of course you need God intertwined. Duh! In real life, many spouses feel alone in their spiritual journey. If one spouse is luke-warm towards God and the other is excited, the tension can feel like war. My intent is not to make you feel guilty. I want to give you hope. I want to encourage you to never give up.

In Ecc. 4:9-12, marriage is a journey. Never give up in your marriage Whatever your marriage is like today, it may be different tomorrow. Never give up. Here is the take away idea I see in today’s scripture: FROM GOOD TO GREAT. A good marriage is good, but a great marriage is better. Start with good, but here’s the key, don’t ever be completely satisfied with a good marriage, but work towards a great marriage. Be thrilled with good and work towards great!

The Scripture begins: Two is good. Getting on the same page is a wonderful first goal of marriage. I have known for many years that Luke and Alison are on the same page. It was never more evident the day they walked into my house after obtaining their marriage license. Alison, smiling, handed me the envelope for safe keeping.

Luke softly whispers to me, “I’m in love”. Not only could I see the love in their eyes, I could feel it. There is no greater feeling than love.

Four sayings describe good relationships ~ One person outlined these as Productivity, Perseverance, Preservation and Protection.

Productivity: two have a good return for their work (Ecc. 4:9). A team of people can exponentially accomplish more than an individual. If one man can build a house in ten days, how many days will it take for two men to build a house? The answer is not five days, because two can accomplish much faster than one alone. A good marriage is about trying to get on the same page in balancing the demands of daily life. The division of labor, blessing each other with accomplishing the daily routine. Work towards a good marriage.

Perseverance: “If one falls down, his friend can help him up” (Ecc. 4:10). Sometimes what we need more than anything else is to look out for each other. When one has a bad day, the other can bring encouragement. I have witnessed this in Luke and Alison more than once. “If one falls down, his friend can help him up.” Work towards a good marriage, to help each other, encourage, to pick up the pieces.

Preservation: “If two lie down together they will keep warm” (Ecc. 4:11). Do you know what the word “husband” means? It is a gardening term ~ to nurture, to protect, to help the plants thrive. “Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church” we are told. Husbands are to do whatever they can so their wives will thrive and grow… preservation, to offer warmth.

Protection: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves (Ecc. 4:12). Emotionally, physically, we just sometimes need each other.

Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, provides practical advise on how to strengthen your marriage. God wants good marriages in which the husband and wife are working together, protecting each other, helping each other, nurturing one another. Two are better than one.

The problem: stress. All of these qualities of a good marriage are needed because of tension. Even the final saying, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”, indicates strength is needed to overcome stress and brokenness. Inefficiency, stumbling, coldness, weakness are all stress. A marriage is good when we help each other through stress, rather than creating more stress. A difficult marriage is one where stress is brought into your life as a way of life. God wants us work together to try and minimize stress around us, work through stress

Stress is difficult. Do everything you can to live the basic truth that two are better than one by helping each other overcome the stress of life. Do not be the problem for each other but work together towards overcoming stress.

Two are better than one the Bible says. You want a good marriage. In a good marriage where the two are blessing each other you can produce more, help each other persevere through tough times, protect each other. A good marriage is a blessing!

Two are good. But don’t stop with good! Go for great! “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” God is the third strand.

Deliberately choose to bring God into your marriage! Josh 24:15 “…choose this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Bringing God into your marriage is deliberate. Just like the wedding vows you will make today, you must deliberately choose God.

A great marriage is one in which God is at the center. Husband and wife live to the best of their ability by the standards of the Bible, they trust God, adopt values and principles that God desires, seek God’s will, welcome the Spirit in their home, seek to be stewards of all they have, look to the Lord to guide them in all things, believing his plans trump the plans of the husband and wife. In a great marriage, God is intertwined in the relationship.

The strongest rope is a threefold rope. The largest number of strands that can all touch one another is three. If you take away one and leave only two, obviously the rope will be weakened. if you add an extra strand and make four, you do not add to the strength of the rope because the strands no longer touch one another. If you have a rope of three strands, one or two of the strands may be under pressure and start to fray, but as long as the third strand holds, the rope will not break. God is the third strand, touching both lives and becoming an integral part of the relationship making for a strong marriage.

Only God can make a marriage great. A great marriage includes God as the third strand intertwined, touching both husband and wife. Never give up. Never forget you can always actively work together towards a good marriage ~ protection, perseverance, productivity ~ but never give up on the great marriage, seeking to intertwine God, influencing in whatever way you can, praying for your spouse.

Go for good and never give up on great. May the Lord grant you a good marriage, a healthy marriage, a strong marriage. Two people working together is amazing. Two people helping each other overcome stress. And by His grace, may you also be blessed with a Great marriage. ~ A cord of three strands is not quickly broken! Amen.

Marriage is a commitment in life where two people can find and bring out the very best in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining that has the promise of a lifetime.

Let us bow our heads in prayer. Gracious God, we thank you for gathering everyone here today. We ask that you help Luke and Alison remember the strong love that they share. To work that love into practical things so that nothing can divide them. May their love always inspire them to be kind in their words, considerate of the other’s feelings, and concerned for the other’s needs and wishes. Increase their faith and trust in You. Bless their marriage with peace and happiness and make their love fruitful for Your glory and their joy, both here and in eternity. Amen.

While the commitment begins with the two of you its effect radiates outward. It touches your family and friends and ultimately all of society. When this commitment is seriously made and continuously fulfilled, it leads to the richest and most rewarding of human relationships.

Your relationship will take more than love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. Dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both and that God’s grace will guide you.

While love is a natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey. Marriage is a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.

Seeing that no moment is without meaning, we ask that you take this marriage as a beginning of your lives together. Today signifies the creation of a new home and a new family for you both. May you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. May you be overjoyed by the promises you are about to make and the life together you will create.

Remember that in every marriage there are good times and bad, times of joy and times of sorrow. Marriage is a journey - a time of adventure and excitement enhanced by the love, trust, dedication and faith you share in one another.

May the promises you make to one another today, be lived out to the end of your lives. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, but today is the day it all begins.

VOWS (FACE EACH OTHER & JOIN HANDS)

Luke and Alison, do you, before God, family and friends, present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage?

[WE DO]

Will you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?

[WE WILL]

LUKE, please repeat after me.

I Luke, take you Alison, to be my wedded wife.

I give to you in the presence of God,

My promise to stay by your side,

In sickness and in Health,

In joy and in Sorrow.

Through good times and the bad.

I promise to love you without reservation.

Comfort you in times of distress.

Encourage you to achieve all of your goals.

Laugh with you and cry with you.

Grow with you in mind and sprit

Always be open and honest with you

And cherish you for as long as we both shall live

Alison, please repeat after me.

I Alison take you Luke, to be my wedded husband.

I give to you in the presence of God,

My promise to stay by your side,

In sickness and in Health,

In joy and in Sorrow,

Through good times and the bad.

I promise to love you without reservation.

Comfort you in times of distress.

Encourage you to achieve all of your goals.

Laugh with you and cry with you.

Grow with you in mind and sprit

Always be open and honest with you

And cherish you for as long as we both shall live

EXCHANGING OF RINGS (MAY I HAVE THE RINGS)

Having this love in your hearts you have chosen to seal your vows by exchanging rings.

From the earliest times, the circle has been a sign of completeness. The rings that you have chosen to wear have neither beginning nor end, much like your love for one another. They are a symbol of the words that you speak today. May these rings be from this day forward, your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession. As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these promises you are making today.

LUKE, Take this ring, place it on Alison’s finger and repeat after me.

I GIVE YOU THIS RING AS A SYMBOL OF MY LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS TO YOU.

ALISON, Take this ring, place it on Luke’s finger and repeat after me.

I GIVE YOU THIS RING AS A SYMBOL OF MY LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS TO YOU.

Lighting of the unity candle. Music by Lily

Luke and Alison from this moment forward you will never be alone. You will carry with you the love of another person, giving you a completeness and renewed lightness. May your life together be immersed in love and excitement. May you strive to enrich each other in every possible way. And may you bring the peace you find to this world.

Let us bow our heads in prayer. Eternal God help Luke and Alison to fulfill the promises they have made here today and to reflect your steadfast love in their commitment to each other. Give them kindness and patience, affection and understanding, happiness and contentment. May their family and friends continue to support them in difficult days, so that their love for each other may continue to grow as long as they both shall live. Hear us Lord as we pray together the prayer you taught us to pray, saying Our father…

"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." Matthew 19:6

Having pledged their fidelity to one another, to love, honor and cherish one another in the presence of God and this gathering and by the authority vested in me, it is my honor to now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor and privilege to be the first to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Neumann.