The Wedding
The Wedding
We went through a lot each of us, Mary and I, we both had a lot of issues with the way we were raised, I hated the fact that my parents ended up getting divorced and I didn’t like the lies that I knew my mother told.
Mary made the choices on things that I should have been more involved in she really didn’t lead me into her thinking she liked to be independent expecting me to know or to read her mind. We lacked some very basic communication skills and this would create a problem much later in our relationship. I allowed Mary to do these things after all once the deed was done I couldn’t undo what she had done, on occasion I was able to intervene but I often paid a very high penalty for putting my feet down and doing things correctly as a team was not worth the effort after a while. I realized that I was missing something in my life a connection, I’ve often written about the missing connection. There was a time when she bought a bicycle it was a mountain bike I wanted her to have a more conventional ten speed a woman’s bike maybe one that matched the bike she already owned so that we had a set a his and hers, her bike was a bike built for men a good bike but I thought it would be neat to have a pair so we bought another bike not the mountain bike but a matching bike that made a set. Was the reason to buy the bike because, I didn’t have a bicycle and she wanted to ride together? I don’t know, while I had been working so hard to fulfill my responsibilities that I had no energy left to go for a ride. I know that daylight on my life had been setting as the pace was so fast and exhausting I had no idea how I had put myself in a position to have over dedicated my life to supporting myself and my wife. Eventually we would be three and four; and then we would get all torn apart, by a group of people with no heart, no love for the truth and no conscience to do the job that they were employed to do.
The day of our Wedding was 5-23-87 Memorial day the new pastor Jonathan Yoder made a big deal about giving honor to the veterans that gave their all for our freedoms the service, his first wedding in his commission as Pastor, of this church. A fairly new endeavor for him and us a church that I thought was built on solid Christian fundamentals as I admired the members of the congregation and their children who appeared to be different than the other people and peers that I grew up with in our community. I would find out later that with the changes of leadership the two newest Preachers and Satanists; Burge Troxel, and Andrew Gysi they would and could lead this congregation into the vile muck, polluting not only the current good works of all churches, but exposing the slime created by these extremists. All through out history, the past evils, of organized religion I was going to learn just how something good can be turned evil so as to allow the evil of the outside world into an organization supposedly dedicated to do good. It is when the leaders do not follow the path of preaching and teaching that is the foundation of the word of GOD found in the Bible. Instead the new leadership would follow the teachings of the world and they would support and hide the truth being involved in the ways of evil to destroy the lives of good people, the lies that would end up tearing my family apart.
The service for our wedding went like this, Jonathan Yoder, a good man and a good pastor officiated at the service, little did he know the evil that was to follow or did he? You be the judge.
The guitar group sang for us, Rose Marie Fischer on guitar, Sherrie Moore and Keith Lentz along with Margaret Wenhold.
Let us pray, Our father in heaven we thank you for the peace that can be in our hearts through Jesus Christ We thank you that you are present here with us today on a special occasion we thank you that you care so much about us that you are right here with us We pray that you would bless this ceremony this service as we have come together under your lordship, under your authority to unite this man and woman in marriage. May you then bless all that is done for your honor and for your glory in Jesus name, Amen.
I ask the audience to be seated at this time.
I count it a real joy to welcome you this morning to this marriage ceremony uniting Gary Landis and Mary Keegan in marriage. My name is Jonathan Yoder and I am the pastor here of this church East Swamp Church. It has been a real privilege for me to have become acquainted with Gary and Mary and to have shared with them on many occasions over the past several months. Our desire is that this ceremony today this time together here be that which honors and glorifies our GOD and our lord and savior Jesus Christ and we invite you to enter into worship with us This marriage ceremony today.
Pastor Yoder;
Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?
My Father I think was asked to present Mary for our wedding. Mary had a lot of conflicts with her father who was suffering from Diabetes and was present in his wheel chair. I do…Was spoken and the service proceeded.
Pastor Yoder;
Gary and Mary I’d like to share a few words with you about marriage and what it means. This weekend is Memorial Day weekend it culminates in a holiday on Monday to celebrate called Memorial Day now why do we have Memorial Day why do we celebrate this particular holiday? Yes, it is the first major of the spring and summer season it is time to go camping, or to visit friends or to have a backyard barbeque yet all of these activities are not the major purpose of the holiday. Memorial Day is on the calendar for one major reason. That is to remember those who died in military service, to those who gave their lives in fighting for their country so that we can enjoy the benefits of freedom. In short we remember on this time this weekend the commitment made, commitment to a cause, to the point even of death. Not only is this true in the military but it is also true in the same principle when it comes to marriage. Marriage according to GOD’s perspective is first of all a commitment as you make a commitment to a cause a commitment to a purpose that being to your spouse cleaving yourself to your spouse until death do you part. The Bible says that a man and a woman are to leave all other ties and they’re to be glued together and they are to become one flesh. Gary and Mary, that is GOD’s plan for you that you stick together, that you be glued together until death. That takes commitment a commitment you can not make in your own strength you need then the help of Jesus Christ. GOD has designed marriage so that we need to depend upon him to help us in our marriage relationship, and one reason why many marriages are not successful or happy is because many times we as human beings as spouses we try to be committed on our own strength and we fail because we fail to consult the lord we fail to allow GOD’s strength to guide us and to solidify our relationship. We think we can do it in and of our own strength, and we cannot. In other words many times we like to think that we have it all together, when we really do not. There is in all of us a hunger and a thirst for Relationship for intimate close relationships, a longing for intimacy. And GOD knew that and he has designed marriage as one way where by we can have that need for intimacy met. To satisfy that longing for companionship, but I also said at the same time that no human person can completely satisfy the need for companionship that all of us here today have, that’s why we need above all human relationships we need to have in our own lives a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He needs to be in our hearts and to be received by faith, we need to be committed to him and then we will be able to be committed to our spouse in a way that will honor GOD. Gary and Mary you’ve made this commitment to Christ you’ve shared together about that now continue that on a daily basis and draw from that as you are married in a marriage relationship see it’s not enough just to know that GOD exists or to believe that Jesus Christ is alive, we need to know him personally and make that our personal relationship. Now most of you here today in the audience, know who I am, I introduced myself but you don’t really know me. Some of you have met me and some have not, it’s very possible to know someone by name but to not know them personally and that’s the way it is for many when it comes to Jesus Christ we know who he is, but we really don’t know him in a personal way, in a personal basis. The only way that is possible is by being born again by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal savior. Then we have the power to be committed and to be able to do and fulfill the purpose for our existence which is to honor GOD and to glorify him through our lives Commitment in marriage comes as you know Jesus Christ in a personal way Gary and Mary I challenge you this morning to keep Jesus Christ in the center of your relationship keep him central in all that you do. Now when we think of marriage we think of love and that what GOD’s Love really is it’s commitment the total giving of one’s self whenever you read the word Love in the Bible that is what it means. The total giving of one’s self irregardless of feelings or circumstances. And this kind of love is usually expressed to us in first Corinthians chapter 13, and listen as I read several verses from 1 Corinthians chapter 13 emphasizing GOD’s Love,
1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 4
Love is patient Love is kind it does not envy it does not boast it is not proud it is not rude it is not self seeking it is not easily angered it keeps no record of wrong
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth it always protects it always trusts it always hopes and it always perseveres. Love never fails.
Where there are prophecies they will cease, where there are tongues they will be stilled. Where there is knowledge it will pass away, notice Love never fails.
And I encourage you to make 1st Corinthians 13 the motto of your marriage and all of the qualities of marriage that’s talked about there from a human standpoint there’s no way you can do that in and of yourself I emphasize that again, we need GOD’s help to show to each other the kind of love that he has given to us in Jesus Christ.
Now as we think of those as well during this weekend of those who have died for our country we not only think of their commitment to a cause but it’s been said of them that they did not die in vain, and that is true. But, I would like to rephrase that statement for our purpose here this morning. I say that in marriage it is important not so much that we don’t talk about dying in vain, what’s important is that we do not live in vain. Living in Vain and the word Vain simply means empty or meaningless Living in Vain is really living a life apart from Jesus Christ and the greatest statement that could be said about you Gary and Mary is that you did not live in vain meaning that your life is worth something it had meaning. That your life separately and together had meaning, and value, and worth and I declare this morning to you that life with meaning that is lived according in relationship with Jesus Christ and involves the binging up your relationship under the control of GOD and his son Jesus Christ also being open to his guidance in your lives. And so purpose in life comes when we live for someone else not for ourselves Life lived for self is meaningless it’s empty it’s futile. Oh it may seem good for a time for a moment but the Bible is very clear Life apart from GOD is a waste. Life lived only for self is a waste it means nothing. Why because we have been created for god by God we have been made by GOD for one purpose so that we can honor him so that GOD can have someone to relate to and we can then relate to him and this can not happen if we live life for ourselves so Gary and Mary selfishness will ruin your marriage faster than anything I know. If you life is patterned in self after selfishness now after you are married. The me first attitude will be what comes next and that kind of life will be lived in vain it will be empty self is a temptation in particularly in marriage, the answer to self is to focus upon Jesus Christ to commit your life to him and then out of that, commit your life to each other and be committed to serving each other, ahead of self. I firmly believe that a marriage relationship of any value what so ever is rooted in Christ. Christ must be central in our lives Oh we can possibly try and make it on our own and maybe be somewhat successful but when it comes to the end life if we live for ourselves GOD will tell us that our lives have been lived in vain.
So Gary and Mary as you live take your marriage everyday give it to Jesus Christ live for him and your marriage will not have been in vain your life will not have been in vain but will have been in a relationship which brings you much joy and happiness and also the relationship with a blessing of GOD be upon you all the days of your life. May GOD bless you as you enter this relationship today, may the blessing be upon you may your lives truly reflect the blessings of his love everyday
Song
Oh Sprit Come
Though I may speak with greatest love and still not yet inspire
As I may give, my love profess…
We come now to a most sacred part of this ceremony, the exchange of vows these are words which you are saying in the presence of GOD in the company of these witnesses’ words which are to be kept for life.
Now please face one another and join your hands as we exchange your vows repeat after me.
Gary:
I take you Mary to be my wedded wife, prayerfully in the power of GOD’s Holy Spirit I come into my new relationship as your husband. I am confident that GOD has prepared us for each other. I therefore unreservedly give you my life and love with Christ’s relationship to the church as my perfect example I will endeavor to fulfill my responsibilities in our home. I love you and I pray that our lives together might bring honor to the GOD whom we love and serve.
Mary:
I take you Gary to be my wedded husband prayerfully and with the power of GOD’s Holy Spirit I come into my new relationship as your wife. I am confident that GOD has prepared us for each other. I therefore unreservedly give you my life and love. Recognizing that there are blessings, responsibilities, difficulties, and privileges in being the kind of wife which the Bible requires, I humbly dedicate myself to this task. May GOD enable me, to meet your needs, so that our lives may daily reflect the blessing of our Lord.
Gary what token do you bring to symbolize your love for Mary?
Gary;
“This ring”
Repeat after me: with this ring I thee wed, in the name of the father and the son and of the Holy Spirit.
Mary what token do you bring to symbolize your love for Gary?
Mary;
“This ring”
Repeat after me: with this ring I thee wed, in the name of the father and the son and of the Holy Spirit.
Gary and Mary, now that you have made this commitment before GOD and this public assembly I now under the authority of Jesus Christ given to me as a minister of the Gospel do pronounce you husband and wife what GOD has joined together let no one ever put asunder.
Let us now bow our heads toward a prayer of dedication.
Our father in heaven we assemble now in your presence through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior to dedicate Gary and Mary today they have made a commitment to each other a commitment of marriage and we pray now that you would enable them by your power to carry out and fulfill the vows that they have made we pray that they will continue to grow in you and continue to find in you the strength and the direction that they need for their lives together. We thank you for their family and friends that could be with them to share on this day we pray your blessing upon each one of them as well. But above all we come to you now on behalf of Gary and Mary we dedicate them to you, we dedicate this marriage to you, we pray that it will bring much blessing in the name of Lord Jesus. We ask in his name, Amen.
Abba Father
Now it gives me great joy to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Gary Landis
Recessional Song:
Pass it on
It only takes a spark…
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posted by Gary @ 10:17 PM
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