Sunday, January 5, 2014

Wedding Sermon for Cadence A. Luckie and Douglas W. Hillius



The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Unambiguous Love
Saturday of Christmas I, 04 January 2014
Wedding of Cadence A. Luckie and Douglas W. Hillius
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
In the context of a wedding, the “two” of Ecclesiastes chapter four are a Christian husband and wife. Yet, the sermon text that Doug and Cadence have chosen for their wedding day is intentionally ambiguous. “Two” could refer to buddies looking out for one another as soldiers at war on a battlefield or in the trenches. The “two” can be coworkers supporting one another through a hard day at a medical clinic. The “two” might even be friends encouraging one another with a phone call, a text, a Facebook post, or most importantly, in person. You can’t really send an electronic hug.
In the same way, the beautiful song you just heard by Matthew West, “Hold You Up,” is also intentionally ambiguous. There is more than one person who will “hold you up.” It could easily be a song sung by a groom to his bride or sung by a bride to her groom. “Love is a blessing. Love is a vow.” The song is quite clear that love is not merely an emotion. Emotions fade. Feelings change. Love is actually an action and a promise of loving commitment no matter what an uncertain future holds. Amid the trials and tests, the singer’s words are honest: “As hard as I'm trying for you, I'm human at best / But baby don't worry, should you start to fall / Just cling to the one Love [capital L] that's bigger than us all / He will hold you, He [capital H] will hold you up…” The intentional ambiguity of “Hold You Up” is beautifully resolved. Jesus will hold you up.
The sermon text that Cadence and Doug have chosen for their wedding day is ambiguous. Yet, in the context of a wedding, the “two” of Ecclesiastes chapter four are a Christian husband and wife. And the “He” of the song is the “three” of the “threefold cord,” Jesus Christ our Lord!
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Jesus’ love for both of you and for all of your guests is not ambiguous. Jesus is quite clear as He teaches in the verses before and after John 3:16.
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
There will be dark days when life is not kind, the worst kind of days when two are not enough. Jesus, the third strand of the threefold cord of your Christian marriage, He who was lifted up on the cross of Calvary, lifted up from a tomb and death itself, and lifted up to heaven, is the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome. Jesus is He who will lift you up.
A cord of three strands is not easily broken. And a married relationship intertwined with Christ Jesus is not easily broken either. As you leave this place and reflect on your wedding day, remember this text from Ecclesiastes that you selected. Regularly review it and remember Jesus, who shed His blood to give you life, has joined you this day as husband and wife, and will lift you up.
Jesus isn’t just a Sunday thing, or only a wedding, baptism, or funeral thing. The Lord is more than just a lifeboat in times of trouble. Christ is your support in all of life, day by day. He guides you, by grace, to His Gifts of Word and Sacrament. He grants you the gift of faith so that you can trust in that which you do not see. And He died so that you may live and forgive. Cling to His love, the one love that’s bigger than us all. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.