SPIRITUAL OPENINGS
#15 Spiritual Opening
Groom and Bride, in presenting yourselves here today to be joined in holy union, you perform an act of faith. This faith can grow and mature and endure, but only if you both determine to make it so. A lasting and growing love is never automatic, nor guaranteed by any ceremony. If you would have the foundation of your union be the love you have for each other, not just at this moment, but for all the days ahead, then cherish the hopes and dreams that you bring here today. Resolve that your love will never be blotted out by the commonplace nor obscured by the ordinary in life. Faults will appear where now you find contentment, and wonder can be crushed by the routine of daily living. Devotion, joy and love can grow only if you nurture them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, believe in your shared future just as strongly as you believe in yourselves and in each other today. In this spirit, can you create a partnership that will strengthen and sustain you all the days of your lives.
#16 Spiritual Opening Marriage is the clasping of hands, the blending of hearts, the union of two lives as one. Your marriage must stand, not by the authority of the state nor by the words of the minister, but by the strength of your love and the power of faith in each other.
#17 Spiritual Opening Groom and Bride, in presenting yourselves here today to be joined in marriage, you perform an act of faith. This faith can grow and develop and last, but only if you both decide to make it so. A lasting and growing love is not guaranteed by any ritual. If you would have the foundation of your marriage be the devotion you have for one another, not just at this moment, but for all the days to come, then treasure the hopes and dreams that you bring here today. Establish that your love will never be blotted out by the common nor obscured by the ordinary in life. Faults will surface where now you find comfort, and admiration can be shattered by the routine of daily life. Dedication, love, and joy can grow only when you nourish them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, having faith in your shared destiny just as strongly as you have faith in yourselves and in one another today. Only with this spirit can you forge a union that will strengthen and endure all the days of your lives.
#18 Spiritual Opening There is no greater gift than the love that makes two people one. To behold this love blossoming between two hearts is always a joy; and to behold the vows of lovers as they take each to the other, throughout all the changes of life, is a glorious moment of the soul. It speaks of the great conviction by which people mutually rely upon and believe in one another. In a world where faith often falls short of our expectation, it is a wonderful tribute to two people to see them joining hands and hearts in perfect faith. We are gathered to unite this man, Groom, and this woman, Bride, in marriage, which is an institution founded in nature, ordained by the state, sanctioned by the church, and made honorable by good men and women in all ages. It is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but discreetly, advisedly, and with due reverence. This celebration is the outward token of a sacred and inward union of hearts, which the church may bless and the state make legal, but which neither state nor church can create or annul, as this union is created by loving purpose and kept by abiding will. Into this legacy, these two lovers come to be united.
#19 Spiritual Opening To these two people, this marriage signifies the birth of a new spirit, a spirit which is a part of each of us, yet not of any one of us alone. This "birth of spirit" reminds us of Spring, the season when all life is reborn and looms again. It is appropriate, therefore, that this wedding of Groom and Bride be in the Spring, and that it be under the open sky, where we are close to the Earth and to the unity of life, the totality of living things of which we are part.
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