Dear Lord; Happy Monday Father!
First off Lord, I want to thank You for a lovely weekend. Jonathan was feeling a bit better, so we were able to get out to visit with some good friends Saturday night and then spent Sunday afternoon and evening with my father (the earthly one… 🙂 ) and his wife. The children love visiting with their grandparents, and it was wonderful to be able to get out and spend time with them. All in all, a very restful and enjoyable couple of days and I thank You for that time of respite.
This evening Father, I’d like to discuss something that’s been on my heart quite a bit as of late.
A couple months ago, I was contacted via email by a lady I hadn’t met before about possibly presiding over her upcoming wedding. She was a friend of a very good friend of mine, so I asked some questions to make sure it was feasible for me to do so. The date seemed fine, but she really didn’t have much of an idea of what kind of wedding ceremony she was interested in. I pointed her to some online resources with sample ceremonies and told her to look through them to get some ideas about what fit her and her fiancée’s wishes. Last week, I finally got around to reading my emails on that account and found that she’d sent me what she deemed the “perfect” script for her special day.
There was absolutely no reference to You in any way, shape or form.
The ceremony she’d chosen was a completely secular proceeding, save for an “optional” prayer at the end. Now Father, it was a lovely, very sentimental and poetic script to be sure, but in my mind it completely misses the point; marriage is of Your Design for us:
“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female’. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” – Mark 10:6-9 (NIV)
I sent the bride-to-be a politely worded response that although it was a lovely secular ceremony, it was my responsibility as a Christian Minister to bring Your Presence to the proceedings, and that I wasn’t able to represent Your intentions for the Holy Bond of marriage properly with that script. I hold marriage to be one of Your most personal and intimate Gifts to us, and I feel it’s very important to honor that Blessing appropriately during the formation of that union.
Needless to say, I haven’t heard back from her as of yet.
But this got me to thinking Father… Aren’t we doing the same thing in many other ways as well in society today?
We’ve removed open prayer in schools and many other public places as to not “offend” anyone.
Television commercials are being banned from airing during certain popular television programs to avoid giving a “platform” to any religious groups.
The Pledge of Allegiance has been under attack because the words “under God” upset some people.
It’s disturbing to say the least Father, and I’m seeing more and more signs of it each day. In an effort to not be “confrontational”, we as Christians in many cases “drop the ball” when reflecting Your Light and passing along Your Message of Love and Hope to others around us.
Heavenly Father, You’ve Blessed us all with remarkable gifts. Please help strengthen and embolden us to carry the lantern of Your Light proudly in front of us so that everyone may see Your Wonders and feel Your Presence. In God we Trust. Amen.
~Phather Phil
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
We as Christians can’t omit God from anything that He calls Holy. Marriage is a Divine Will of God and we must treat it that way. Every day we see God’s word being omitted from things but just because man decides to omit it doesn’t mean we as saints be still. They can remove it from any place they want but they can never stop a child of God for speaking Jesus, God and Holy Spirit. No we will proclaim that name above all names
I agree completely Desiray. This situation has made me focus on what God has called of me in these circumstances, and what I need to do to serve His Will.
Have a Blessed Day!
Good job Phil! It’s so hard because we don’t want to put people off… but we need to be more concerned with leaving God out. We’ve been warned anyway, the gospel will offend and that’s what we stand for no matter what, even if it means persecution. Blessings!
My intent was certainly never to judge or upset her Heidi, but for me to perform the ceremony I need to look to Him first, and then determine the best way to bring that Message and Presence to the proceedings.
Have a Blessed Day!
I think your response to this lady was great. Good for you for standing up for what you believe it. We do need to be more bold about our faith. I would rather offend man than God. The Word says that if we are ashamed of Him, then He will be ashamed of us. I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
Thank you Lisa. I struggled with the correct response to this, but in the end He comes first. He designed marriage; it’s a Blessing Ordained by God and I can’t just omit that from the proceedings.
Have a Blessed Day!
I truly admire your response to that lady…oh that more of us who call ourselves Christians would take a stand like that and speak up for Him!
Thank you Alida. It’s a Holy Union of His Design… He needs to be represented properly. 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
I love your response to the lady – loving and respectful, yet stating your stance and you have a great post in this prayer.May God gives us boldness!
I’m truly not judging her Jean… I know she’s trying to make all parties involved comfortable with the ceremony but I simply can’t take the Creator of this Blessed Union out of the picture in the process.
Have a Blessed Day!
Phil this is really good. I think you did the right thing in your response. Marriage is of God. And you are correct in that you are responsible as a minister to bring the Presence of God into that ceremony. I pray God works in her heart.
I think you are right in that we leave God out of so much. He should be and He desires to be a part of our every day life. School, work, play, meals, everything. But we have taken Him out of everything except church. That is so wrong. Thank you for this reminder that God is to be a part of everything.
Thank you so much Jenifer. I pray He works in her heart as well. 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
I admire you for taking a stand Phil. These are the times when, as you’ve stated here, our culture has omitted any mention of God. I feel heartsick over how, as a nation, we’ve allowed this to happen. Will we ever get back on track and forego the political correctness for Biblical truth? Society as a whole is more afraid of offending the sheep than the Shepherd.
I feel the same way Debra… If the founding fathers of our country could see where we’ve taken their design, I believe they’d be mortified. Your statement “Society as a whole is more afraid of offending the sheep than the Shepherd.” says it all… beautifully.
Have a Blessed Day!
I don’t want to drop the ball when it comes to proclaiming my faith! Someone at work today told me about a state where they can’t say Easter egg at school, but must call them spring sphere’s…..LOL!!!
Wow.. Now that’s scary Allison! PC is just becoming a monster that serves no function other than to crush the basis this nation was founded on. Such a shame…
Have a Blessed Day!