I have yet to recover from last weekend. I am not kidding. Maybe I’m just too old for 18-hour days. Maybe the emotional energy required to properly conduct a very special wedding is too much for this old guy. Or maybe I’m just lazy.
Last weekend was not just a wedding. It was an event, a series of celebrations which, of course, required pastoral participation. If there’s a party, I will come. If there’s food, I will come. And I learned….if there is Lebanese dancing, I will come – for sure. I might bring earplugs next time, but that’s just me.
But all that activity was not what was etched into my soul. It was something else, something rare in the world of modern weddings. The wedding of Bryan and Hannah was a celebration of Jesus. He was at the center of their wedding because He is at the center of their lives. And now, He is at the center of their marriage. I did my best to make sure of that.
For me it was exhausting. You see, our house was full of babies and groomsmen and dogs. Not many hours were delegated for sleeping. But I loved it. Every minute of it. It was a celebration I will never forget. Besides, I had all the kids and grandkids in the same place. And we are doing that part all over again this weekend. This next celebration will not be as grand, but it will be special. We are all heading north to celebrate Isla’s first birthday (Lindsey and Noah’s girl….aka Gregory MacDonald’s granddaughter).
I am appreciating more and more the celebration of these life milestones. We need to make them significant, markers of God’s faithfulness to us. It is too easy to take for granted the blessings of God and His faithfulness in our lives. Before we know it, we are at a graveside longing for another day, another moment of celebration. I think we ought to find any excuse to celebrate, especially (and only!) if we put our God at the center of that celebration.
The world celebrates in ways that detract from the glory of God. I haven’t seen the Opening Ceremonies yet, but the snippets I’ve seen wreak of debauchery at the very least. Are we just ancient Greece or Rome? Perhaps, but now we have it splashed in front of our eyes in our homes and before our children. The church survived all of that, and so shall we. If they remained pure and faithful to Jesus, so can we.
Over last weekend I appreciated a celebration with Jesus at its center. The Lebanese dancing was a ton of fun. The food was great. The wedding party first class. But at the heart of it all was a sense that a diverse community was coming together to celebrate a happy young couple, but what everyone discovered that it was Jesus who gets the glory for it all. I have been to many weddings where the name of Jesus is missing. Or avoided. And that is sad.
I cannot wait for the wedding banquet of the Lamb. Surely calories won’t count there. I’ll reserve a spot with the Lebanese contingent so we can celebrate in dance. What a day that will be. I want to be ready.