Robert L. Reynolds

Dillon Baird & Rachil Reynolds

October 24, 2020 Stables at Arrowhead Lake - COVID

Tom, Dillon, Grant, Cody, Levi, Johnathan, Jacoby, Jamison enter from Red Door Cabin and takes places front right side.

Tom leads part 1 of service

Prayer

Our God and Father:

We are indeed excited and joyous about the purpose that brings us together this evening: to witness the celebration of love. As Rachil and Dillon dedicate their lives one to another, we are thankful that we have been asked to share in this occasion. May your presence be felt this afternoon as these two make solemn vows one to another.

We ask your blessing on this service. May it be evidence of a love that is rooted deep in the hearts of Dillon and Rachil.

We ask your blessing on this new family: for strength, patience, comfort, for perseverance as they begin life as one.

In Jesus name we ask and pray, Amen.

*Please be seated.

ANNOUNCEMENT

On behalf of Rachil and Dillon and their families, I

welcome you to this service this evening. You have been asked to attend because you hold a special place in the

lives of these two. Your friendship, support, and participation at this service is very much appreciated.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

We have come today at the invitation of Rachil and Dillon to share in the joy of their wedding. The vows, covenants, activities of this service will illustrate an inner love and devotion they have in their hearts, one for another.

God is the author of love. The Bible teaches that God is love, and that love comes from God. God loved us and created us to love others. Our lives find completion as we love and are loved in return.

Rachil and Dillon come today desiring to be united in the special relationship of marriage.

DECLARATION OF INTENT

Dillon Baird, do you now leave your family, to establish your home with Rachil as her husband, to receive her as your wife, to make a home where she will be loved and cared for as long as God grants her life? If so answer, "I do."

Rachil Reynolds, do you now leave your family, to establish your home with Dillon as his wife, to receive him as your husband, to make a home where he will be loved and cared for as long as God grants him life? If so answer, "I do."

QUESTIONING OF STEPFATHER (Luke / Steve):

Who is bringing this woman to be married to this man?

(Her family)

SONG TRANSITION (Ryleigh Loeber - Brandyn Benter) - Tom exits, Luke stays in place, Steve takes place on front row right. Dillon / Rachil face audience.

Luke leads rest of the service

EXHORTATION TO BRIDE AND GROOM -

Dillon & Rachil, today is a very exciting day, this is an exciting time. The Bible shows us that weddings were a time of celebration. And likewise, you will experience a time of celebration, even today we will be celebrating. But right now, at this time, it's a time of sincere evaluation & a serious decision, of great importance.

Today is a significant and defining moment of your lives. There have been other defining moments including your birth (which you probably don’t remember) but there was your first day of school... your first date... your first kiss... your graduation... your first real job and so on.

And there’ll be other defining moments for each of you to experience as you journey together in this life. But you’ll always remember this day, for it’s a day of beginnings for both of you. Today you will become husband and wife. Everything you’ve ever experienced, every blessing, every heartache, every gift and talent that’s been developed, every hope and desire; all of these you’re now

giving to each other, and will continue to give & receive from each other during the rest of your lives.

Of course, in the package, there also will be some not so desirable gifts: toilet seats left in the wrong position, toothpaste tubes squeezed at the wrong place, at times a strong need to be right, and dirty laundry.

ILL: I heard about one young couple who were about to get married. The young man went to his Dad and said, "I’m nervous about getting married, Dad".

Dad, said, "Well everyone gets nervous when they’re about to get married”

The boy said, “No, you don’t understand. You see, I’ve got terribly smelly feet and it’ll be so embarrassing when my wife finds out".

"Don’t worry about it, son, just be sure to go to bed with your socks on and she’ll never notice the smell. You’ll be fine".

Meanwhile, the young lady goes to her mom and

tells her, "Mom, I’m a bit worried about getting married. I’ve got terrible bad breath in the mornings and it’ll be so embarrassing when my husband finds out".

Mom says to her daughter, "Don’t worry, dear.

All you need to do is, be sure not to open your mouth first thing in the morning. Don’t say a single word until you’ve been to the bathroom and brushed your teeth.

The wedding goes off fine and for 6 months they

each manage to keep their secrets safe. Then one morning at about 5.00 the young husband wakes up

and suddenly realizes one of his socks has come off in bed. He panics. He frantically rummages around under the covers trying to find this elusive smelly sock when suddenly his young wife wakes up. She’s startled and as he pops his head out from under the blankets she says to him, "What on earth are you doing"?

He replies, "Oh my goodness, YOU’VE EATEN ONE OF MY SOCKS"!

In marriage you get it all.

ILL: In Thornton Wilder's play, The Skin of Our Teeth, the character, Mrs. Antrobus, says to her husband, "I didn't marry you because you were perfect . . . I married you because you gave me a promise." She takes off her ring and looks at it. "That promise made up for your faults and the promise I gave you makes up for mine."

A promise. A commitment. A covenant.

1. You stand before us this evening as your witnesses, of the covenant you’re making one to another, and to the Lord.

A. You’re publicly stating your love for each other, and a determination to faithfully honor your life-long commitment to each other.

B. You’ve weighed your decision and you’re ready to covenant yourselves one to another through the repeating of vows.

1. The strength of your covenant will rest upon your faith and trust in and to one another, upon your word, and upon your faith and commitment to God.

ILL: It’s been said of our society today that we are a people lacking in commitment.

1. The number one major on almost all our universities today is "undetermined."

2. The favorite phrase of today is "I'm leaving my options open."

3. The general attitude is "I’ll be faithful as long as my needs are being met, but when I'm not fulfilled, I'll get out."

4. What matters most is how I feel at the

moment.

5. We’re inclined to drop anything once it becomes unpleasant or avoid any responsibility that hints at long term commitment.

Sociologist Daniel Yankovich says, "As long as you try to keep all your options open, you'll never be happy. Failure to commit one's self ... is a dead end."

C. I think he’s right.

1. Words like commitment, loyalty, duty, perseverance, and discipline have faded away.

a. They've been replaced by phrases like burnout, mid-life crisis, finding myself.

2. Dieting is a discipline, so when it gets tough, we quit.

3. Sticking with the job becomes unpleasant, so we start looking elsewhere.

4. Working through conflicts in marriage is rough, so we choose to start looking elsewhere.

D. In our day, we hear regularly, "Well, we fell out of love."

1. Let me challenge you to remember that love’s not

an emotion.

a. Although it’s accompanied with feelings, love’s a choice; it’s a commitment.

b. As you go on from this day, you must choose to remain in love.

1. Your marriage must stand, not by the authority of the State nor by the seal on

your wedding certificate, nor even by your daily feelings for one another, but by your choice, the strength of your love and by the power of your faith in each other and in God.

ILL: Your familiar with the phrase: "And they lived happily ever after" -- isn't that how every good fairy tale love story ends?

I heard the story about little 4 year-old Suzie who has just been told the story of Snow White for the first time. She could hardly wait to get home from nursery school and tell her mommy. With wide-eyed excitement she retold the fairy tale to her mother that afternoon. After relating the part about how Prince Charming came riding up on his beautiful white horse and kissed Snow White back to life, little Suzie asked loudly: "And do you know what happened then?"

"Well yes .... they lived happily ever after."

"Nope!" Suzie responded with a frown. "They got married."

2. Because getting married and living happily ever after are not necessarily one and the same thing, some have concluded they are never one and the same!

A. What is the truth about a happy marriage: Is it a myth? Is it a mystery? Is it a miracle? Is it even possible any more -- to live happily ever after?

1. God's plan was that marriage would be a joyful reality.

2. That it would be a positive experience. A relationship of support and encouragement.

B. But good marriages aren’t automatic.

1. They take work. They take commitment.

VOWS

As you have joined hands, Dillon would you face Rachil and express your vow of dedication by repeating after me:

"I, Dillon, / take you Rachil / 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 separated by death; / as God is my witness, / I give you my promise."

And Rachil would you also express your vow of dedication to Dillon repeating after me:

"I, Rachil, / take you Dillon / 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 separated by death; / as God is my witness, / I give you my promise."

SCRIPTURE READING

The Word of God tells us what love is like and what love does. Listen to these words from 1 Corinthians 13 : Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Cor. 13:4-8)

EXCHANGE OF RINGS

Having love in your hearts, one for another, you’ve chosen to exchange rings as a sign and symbol of the vows you have made today. May I have the rings?

A. The rings I hold in my hand are small in size, yet the

significance of each of the rings is very large.

1. Their origin, made of a very precious metal, reminds us that love is not cheap nor common, indeed, love may cost us dearly.

2. The design of the rings, made in a continuous circle, reminds us that love must be unending; we must keep it continuously.

B. As you wear these rings, whether together or apart, may they be the constant reminders of the vows you are making today.

Dillon, would take your ring, and place it upon the third finger of Rachil's left hand, and as you do, repeat this promise after me:

"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.”

Rachil, would take your ring, and place it upon the third finger of Dillon's left hand, and as you do, repeat this promise after me:

"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.”

SAND CEREMONY - SONG

Today, Rachil and Dillon have chosen to commemorate their wedding through the celebration of a sand ceremony. This ceremony represents the union of Rachil and Dillon into a new and eternal relationship.

Rachil and Dillon will pour separate containers of colored sand, representing their individual lives, into a common container. Each grain of sand represents various events of their lives; of who they are. As they combine these grains into one, the separateness will cease to exist. Instead they will merge into a loving supportive marital relationship of ‘one.” Just as the individual sand cannot be separated, let your lives not be separated.

WAIT FOR SONG... PRESENTATION TO PARENTS

PRONOUNCEMENT OF MARRIAGE

You have come before us as witnesses and have expressed your love and your desire to be united as husband and wife. You have shown your love by the joining of hands, and have made vows of faith and devotion, each to the other, and have sealed those vows by the giving of rings.

By the authority vested in me by the State of Ohio, as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife. One in name; one in aim.

KISS - Dillon you may kiss your bride.

INTRODUCTION OF NEWLYWEDS

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Dillon Baird.

RECESSIONAL

Party Exits. Luke stays behind.

Luke: Dillon and Rachil want to thank you for coming and being apart of this celebration. As we dismiss the family will be taking some photographs so please make your way into the reception hall, find where you will be sitting by finding your name among the place cards. The staff here will be moving these chairs inside so please allow them room to work. You can mingle outside by the small tables and heaters, get yourself something to drink at the open bar, grab some chips & Salsa along with some cheese dip. We will begin to eat at the Taco bar at 6:15.