The Lord is my shepherd… – Psalm 23

Sunday turned out to be a nicely framed worship experience, as we started the day by sharing communion with the beautiful people of our church family then ended with an exquisitely beautiful wedding in the late afternoon.

Weddings are important for many reasons. Not only setting the trajectory of the marriage in the context of God’s love and faithfulness but because all those who attend are invited to reaffirm what is good – and necessary – about the consistent application of intentional love, faith, belief, and commitment to our relationships.

The setting – a swarth of farmland near Garner – was in every way lovely. The bride and groom (Colleen and Matthew) are a young couple who have started to attend our church, and the small group of family and friends surrounded them with support and encouragement.

Rebekah did an amazing job with the service, including one of the best wedding messages I have ever heard.

I’m going to leave us with one brief passage from the message:

“It’s the action of commitment that is so needed in our crazy world… in this crazy and seemingly broken world… to show those who are cynical and angry about the future… that love is stronger than fear, that hope is greater than grief and loss, that faith isn’t a lost cause but the answer.” – Rebekah Maul

• love is stronger than fear…
• hope is greater than grief and loss…
• faith isn’t a lost cause, but the answer…

That is the conviction and the testimony Rebekah and I share and celebrate after 40-years.

Amen to that. Amen every day. – DEREK