Focused on Christ—not on self

Successful marriage is always a triangle: a man, a woman, and God.
Cecil Myers

Abigail and Joe's wedding brought many surprises. Throughout the ceremony I had my camera prepared to capture the next expected phase of the wedding and most often that expectation did not happen. I quickly began to see a pattern whenever these unexpected turns showed up. Each time something departed from the traditional marriage, the focus of those in attendance was being redirected toward Jesus Christ.

Pastor Mike presents the gospel

The first of these unexpected moments came when the peliminary music came to a stop. I expected the groom and groomsmen to appear from one of the side doors. What happened was that our pastor, Mike O'Brien, walked to the platform, explained that Joe and Abigail wanted a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to be made to those in attendance. Pastor Mike gave an outstanding message dealing with the biblical nature of marriage (established by God for one woman to be married to one man), the responsibilities of the bride and groom (the bride's responsibility to submit and the groom's responsibility to love as Christ loves the Church), and the need for everyone to come to Christ who died to save from their sins all who would turn to him for salvation.

Our salvation day eclipses your marriage day, for union to Christ will bring you greater joy than the happiest of marriage bonds. If you have ever received the honors of the State, gained distinction in learning, attained a position in society, or arrived at a larger wealth, all these are but dim, cloudy, foggy days compared with this “morning without clouds” (2 Sam. 23:4). On that day, your sun rose, never to go down again. The die was cast. Your destiny for glory was openly declared.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Power In the Blood

The message was clear and simple, as the gospel is. Pastor Mike did not back off of things that fly in the face of our politically correct culture. And he appealed to all who did not have a personal relationship with Christ to seek out one of the pastors in attendance (there were many) and to remedy the situation that day. He said that Joe and Abigail would consider it a great privilege to know that someone had come to Christ as a result of their wedding.

Eric Graves prays
for the couple's life together

Later in the ceremony, the preacher (Joe's father), asked Eric Graves, Abigail's brother-in-law, to come up to the altar to pray for the couple's life together and to ask God for his blessing on this marriage. The prayer was motivating and moving. This prayer focused our attention on the fact that God is the foundation of marriage and reminded us that "unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain" (Psalms 127:1). This departure from tradition speaks volumes about the strength that this marriage will have.

Singing "In Christ Alone"

Another wonderful departure from tradition came at the moment that I expected the preacher to declare Joe and Abigail "man and wife." I raised my camera eyepiece to my eye to prepare for the upcoming kiss. But instead of the pronouncement and the traditional kiss, the preacher told us that Joe and Abigail had requested that at this moment all of us in attendance sing the Keith Getty hymn, "In Christ Alone." Here are the words to this wonderful hymn:

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.