Wedding Sermon - That You Love One Another

Scripture Readings:

Psalm 100:      

            Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

John 15:9-12:

            Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Reflection:

Today we are gathered together to make a joyful noise to the Lord in thanksgiving for the love that is shared between these 2 incredible people.

Reflected in A and B, we see two people who love God, who love God’s world, and most certainly love each other.

We just heard the words that Jesus spoke to his disciples reminding them that at the end of the day, what God asks of us is simply to love one another. It sounds simple, but the love Jesus is speaking of is not the love we see in the movies, a love that is seen in flowers and candies. The love Jesus speaks of is the love that he showed every day of his life.

The love he showed as he took care of and healed those who were sick. The love he showed as he opened himself up and allowed others to get to know him intimately. The love he showed as he challenged the authorities. The love he showed as he patiently taught and cared for everyone around him.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

And A and B know the love that Jesus is talking about. They have learned about this selfless, altruistic love their whole lives long – love seen through God and their churches, love seen through their parents, and love seen through their family members.  This love they have witnessed their whole lives long is why A and B are the generous, caring, joyful people they are today. And God rejoices along with us that these two have found each other and together can show the world how amazing God’s love is– a love that is generous, self-giving, caring, hope-filled, and patient.

Those of us who have been privileged to walk with A and B in their relationship have seen God at work in the two of them. In them we have seen God’s love; a love that finds ways to compromise, a love that finds time to share their passions with each other, a love that finds time to connect in the mix of work schedules that rarely stay straight.  These two already know that love is so much deeper than just giving flowers once in a while, although that sure doesn’t hurt!

Love is accepting the other as they are while at the same time accepting ourselves as we are.

It is to help and encourage the growth of others as unique individuals instead of fitting others into molds of our own making.

Love is an act that empowers us and empowers others to be exactly themselves.

It is putting the other’s needs above our own wants and desires, and trusting the other so completely to know that they will never take advantage of that.

Pure love is to understand others on their own terms and see the world through their lens. 

It is remembering the love of God that Jesus showed his whole life long and sharing that generosity, that hope, that joy, that peace with one another when things are great and when things are hard, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. 

A, B, we are here to witness your love and to promise to support you when the love feels harder to see. Look only to the many examples of love you have around you every day as you remember the love that first brought you together.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Thanks be to God.

Amen