Joe Roy Giovino

Wedding Ceremony – Opening, Scripture, and Sermon

Evan & Lilly

Opening Welcome

Dearly Beloved — we are gathered here today in the presence of God, and in the company of family and friends, to witness something sacred—the joining of Evan and Lilly in covenant marriage.

Marriage is not simply a human agreement or a celebration of love. It is a covenant designed by God, given for our good, and sustained by His faithfulness. Today, we pause to acknowledge that this moment belongs first to Him.

And we are especially grateful for the families who have prayed for this day, prepared for this day, and perhaps in Evan’s case, had to schedule this day around a rather large sibling group.

Invocation (Prayer)

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for bringing Evan and Lilly to this moment. We acknowledge Your presence here today. Quiet our hearts, steady our minds, and open us to see what You are doing. May this ceremony honor You, reflect Your truth, and rest in Your grace. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.

Scripture Reading

Hear these words from Scripture:

“When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces.”

—Genesis 15:17

Wedding Sermon – Covenant & the God Who Walks the Aisle

Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as a covenant-making God. And whenever God makes covenant, He does so with clarity, with commitment, and with cost.

In the ancient world, when two parties entered into a covenant, animals were cut in half and placed on either side, forming a path. Both parties would walk between them, declaring that they would uphold the covenant, even at the cost of their own lives.

In Genesis, God invites Abraham into such a covenant. Abraham prepares the sacrifices and arranges them on either side, forming what is, in many ways, an aisle.

But before Abraham can walk that aisle, God causes a deep sleep to fall upon him. And then something remarkable happens.

God Himself walks the aisle alone.

The meaning is unmistakable: this covenant will not rest on Abraham’s strength, nor his obedience, or his perfection. It will rest entirely on God’s faithfulness. God binds Himself to the promise. God assumes the cost.

Today, Evan and Lilly will walk this aisle together.

And for some of us, watching them walk this aisle carries more than just joy — it carries years of prayer and hope.

They will make vows before God and before you. And those vows matter deeply.

But the hope of their marriage does not rest in their flawless ability to keep them. It rests in the God who goes before them.

The same God who walked the covenant aisle for Abraham now walks ahead of Evan and Lilly, fighting their battles, guarding their hearts, and sustaining their union when they are weak.

The cross was God’s final walk down the covenant aisle. On that hill, Jesus didn’t just walk between the sacrifices—He became the sacrifice. He took the cost of every broken vow and every human failure upon Himself so that Evan and Lilly could live in the freedom of His grace.

So today, this marriage stands not on human perfection, but on divine grace. When Evan and Lilly stumble, God remains faithful. When the world presses in, God stands between them and every storm.

This is not just a wedding. It is a testimony that God still walks the aisle.