Neuschwander.Nowak
Wedding Mindie Neuschwander / Craig Nowak 4.15.00
Texts: Song Sol 2.10-13 1 Cor 13.1-13
lot of work getting ready for this wed?
saved a lot of time and trouble if you had only followed advice in the scripture from Song: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away!”
was that scripture your choice, Mindie? seeking a little break, maybe a little ski vacation?
or was that you, Craig, thinking that an elopement may have been a little less expensive?
or maybe a little déjà vu with another April blizzard 3 years ago when you got stuck together for 3 days
love at first sight, you said, Mindie, but between school, work, bills, when things going crazy: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and let’s get away!”
tendency is to run, avoid: every married couple here knows will be moments when think: Arise… and GO AWAY!
romantic vision of the 2 of you skipping across the meadows w/ flowers in your hair; pleasant as it sounds, you know it wont work– you will need something more than merely love to make marriage/family work: faithfulness, commitment, responsibility, honesty..
impt to make distinction between LUV and LOVE
basically diff between feeling and action
LUV as a feeling is okay, desirable BUT LUV is fickle
LOVE is an action and it is this love that is described in 1 Cor 13:
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
A goal of Xn life in general and Xn couple in particular is to have this love become natural but it always remains something we practice, choose to do: Love one another!
hard to do, but remember that w/ every command given by God, there is also a promise
What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.
- command addressed to you and to all gathered here
- promise: what God has joined together
I am convinced that it is God’s love that brings you to this day
God at work in the circumstances that brought you together;
and God will continue to be present with you in the midst of sickness and health and better and worse and all that the years may bring
today not only celebrate your marriage but also celebrate this love of God which is being manifested in your relationship.
we’re here not just bec you luv each other but also because, by the love of God, you can LOVE each other
and reason why you can say:
"Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away!” bec as you do so, you know that steadfast love of Lord will always go w/ you;
"Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away!” bec as you do so, know that God’s encouragement will give you the harmony and unity
"Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away!” bec as you do so, you know that it is for your joy and to God’s glory you will be upheld and sustained wherever your life’s course may lead.
Thanks be to God.
(Cant 2:10-13) My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; {11} for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. {12} The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. {13} The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.