Texts: Ruth 1:16-17, Ps. 148, Luke 6:32-38
+++
Today is truly a happy and joyous day.
Katie and Houston are getting married!
I am honored and blessed that I get to
be a part of making this happen and to be with you on this day.
You’ve been on quite the journey to get
here.
There was friendship and bonding over D-and-D…living
with others as roommates…
And then…when the roommates moved
out…and after making it through the COVID lockdown…you came the realization that
you were falling in love.
You’ve gone from Knoxville to
Valdosta…back to Knoxville…lived together…lived apart…New Mexico…Iceland.
There’s been break ups and make ups….friends
and trusted advisors assuring you…”Y’all are gonna be good.”
You’ve tested all the waters of your
relationship…and found them to be clean and clear.
And now it’s time to set sail.
And the good news for both of you is
that you aren’t on this journey alone.
All of us here…and even some who could
not join with you today…we are all with you on this ocean.
Supporting you and this relationship that
you’ve nurtured and brought together.
Now some of you might be thinking that
it was a bit strange to hear a reading from Luke where Jesus is talking about “loving
your enemy” when we’re celebrating a marriage!
But this reading speaks to a core value
about the true meaning of what love is and should be all about.
Because the basic idea is that love needs
to be shared....and spread around liberally and not kept under lock and key.
It’s so easy to become self-absorbed…and
even myopic when we think about love.
We can get into defining it by material
things…flowers and chocolates at Valentine’s Day.
And we can make love something to possess.
I think that’s something couples often
need to be wary of as they grow together.
If
there’s too much focus on one’s own relationship…and too much reliance on that
one other person to meet all the needs and wants…it can lead to resentments
within the relationship…while also pushing away other people.
But love…and I mean “Love” with a
capital “L”…is always seeking for us to take love out…let it be seen.
This Love is about kindling the love
that is within each of us…and then sharing that kindness to people who aren’t our
partners or spouses…and make connections across differences.
That Love gets energized by seeking and
serving our neighbors…lending support to those who need an empathetic ear or
just to have someone even notice that they exist.
That’s the kind of Love that we all need
to share with each other…and it is this Love that exists in both Katie and
Houston.
Through all of that testing of your
relationship…you’ve found that you are capable of not only loving each other…you’ve
found the love that is within you.
And that love within you…that comes from
that Great love that is God…is the love you share with the world.
Even in that very short time that you
were with us at St. Barnabas…we felt your loving presence.
You cared for our garden beds…helped us
with the annual pumpkin patch and shared in making music and theater that
brought life and joy.
You gave of yourselves…the talents that
you have…and encouraged happiness in our congregation.
And that brings me to one other part of
this Gospel passage that I think is important to take to heart.
It comes at the end when we hear Jesus
say, “the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
That’s really true of all of your
relationships…especially your marriage.
What you bring into this…whether it’s the
thrill and exhilaration of hiking to the top of a mountain or just hanging out
at home… cooking dinner…and watching a movie…the people that you are
individually…your dreams…your interests…when put together…shaken up and stirred
about…will produce and pour out a greater gift of love.
Love that is so abundant that it’s
overflowing…and getting shared.
Marriage won’t always be free of pain or
hurts. That’s not in the promises you’re making to each other.
But what you are promising is that you
will bring who you are…the full measure of yourselves…into this marriage.
And the more you put into it…God who is
love will guide you when the tempests come and rock your boat…and get you back to
sailing on calmer seas.
Bon voyage and anchors aweigh as you
embark on this next part of your life’s journey.
Blessings to you on this day and always.
And let the church say…Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment