It is much easier to define a wedding than a marriage.
A wedding is a ceremony and celebration of two people declaring their love for each other. Weddings used to be more about the ceremony, and then were celebrated by a party afterwards, with cake, punch and coffee, or perhaps a meal. Currently, as far as I can tell, the ceremony part of many weddings is sort of a quick precursor to a huge, elaborate, expensive party.
Catholic and Orthodox churches speak of marriage as one of the sacraments: the Sacrament of Matrimony. Other sacraments include Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance (Confession), Anointing of the Sick (Last Rites?), and Ordination. In Protestant churches, the only sacraments are Baptism and the Eucharist, which were both instituted by Christ. This is arguably more scripturally supportable; yet, in losing the idea of the Sacrament of Matrimony, I feel that we lose a valuable tradition.
I, personally, think it was nicer when a wedding was a religious service where two people made a vow before God and witnesses, under the authority of a clergyman, that they would commit to a life of being faithful partners to one another. I liked when a wedding was something that showed up in the church bulletin as part of the life of the church, and the church family, the fellowship of believers, comprised the majority of the group who would witness the vows.
These days, it seems like a church service is a show, often a combination of a rock concert and a comedian who throws some motivational content in at the end of his spiel, along with the ever-present invitation to join and support financially. A shocking percentage of weddings are bacchanalian festivals performed in honor of the goddess Aphrodite, staged for the purpose of outdoing all previous weddings with a stunning photographic presence on social media afterwards. The fellowship of the saints is a foreign concept, and true communities of believers are increasingly difficult to find. So much fragmentation of life and faith.
This is just something that occurs to me. Just a remembrance. I think weddings changed long before the idea of same-sex marriage evolved. If weddings had remained what they used to be, I don't think most same-sex couples would be particularly interested in having one. I'm not trying to make any judgments here. I'm just saying. I don't understand why anyone who isn't a Christian would want to participate in the Sacrament of Matrimony. How did the Christian Sacrament of Matrimony become intertwined with the idea of a secular government marriage license? And why?
Why couldn't people who don't believe in Jesus Christ just purchase a license of civil union from the government, and have a party? Why should Christians expect people who don't share their beliefs to adopt their way of living? At the same time, why would people who don't embrace Christ want to participate in Christian traditions? Is it a fight over the meanings of words like marriage and wedding? Or is it about tax advantages and healthcare benefits?
The Bible tells us to fulfill our vows to God. Marriage vows are one of the few vows we make these days, perhaps the only vow many people ever make. For those of us who are Christians, what does this mean to us?
Random thoughts without many answers.
On a lighter note, here are some pictures of my spring shamrock:
Can you see that sweet little plant in my sunny kitchen window?
It seems pretty happy here, and blossoms are beginning to open.
I remember to water it because it is right next to the sink.
Unfortunately, I occasionally splash some dish water--with dish soap--on it,
which is probably not a good thing.
It's happy. I'm happy.
Everything goes to a state of rest as the sun sets.
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