The Covenant of Marriage
Dear Beloveds,
Just a few weeks ago, Charlie and I travelled to upstate New York to celebrate our daughter Hannah’s wedding. It was a wonderful event, and as it was our first child to get married, you can imagine what an emotion-filled time it was for our entire extended family. As a pastor, I have officiated countless wedding ceremonies, but there are truly few moments that are more profound than witnessing the covenant of marriage when it is your own child standing at the altar.
The journey to our daughter’s wedding day overflowed with gratitude and deep reflection every step of the way. This was a time for all of us to celebrate the love between Hannah and Paul, but it was also a marker for us to reflect on family, community, and the divine mystery of marriage itself.
As Paul and Hannah prepared for their wedding, the time leading up to that special day was a constant reminder of how God calls us into community and how God designs us to give and receive support, and how that is to be woven into the fabric of our everyday lives.
Something that Charlie said at our LA reception struck me deeply; he asked Paul and Hannah to direct their energies into remembering that they are now building a new nuclear family themselves; all at once, while I agreed wholeheartedly with him, a selfish panic rose over me as I realized that our daughter would now be building a community of her own, starting a new path with Paul, and I couldn’t help but wonder if we would be left behind. It was a lot on which to meditate!
The wedding day arrived, and it was truly a day filled with joy and gladness as we embraced every moment of the occasion. I felt privileged to stand between my child and her husband not only as a parent, but as a pastor who could help officiate and bless this most sacred moment in time.
All of our families also played crucial roles in the celebration. Each person was asked, and was honored to contribute in their own way—whether through the preparations, the artwork that was done, prayers, and being wholly and completely present with open and loving hearts.
This wedding was not just a ceremony, but a reminder to all of us that it is a covenant that both our extended families made to support this new family that was formed. It was truly a time to experience the beauty of God’s provision, love, and a reminder that no matter the season of life, we have the opportunity to witness God’s love and grace that is at work among us all the time.
With great love for you,
Pastor Grace
