"A precious gift" A precious gift is one that is treasure beyond its mere physical value. A precious gift is one that represents the love and the care of the one who gives it. And as a result it takes on a special value. It's value becomes sentimental, emotional, maybe even spiritual. And because of that special care is taken with it. It is protected from damage and theft for money could never replace it. And it is give a special place so it can be displayed for all to see and share its meaning.

In a few moments you will exchange wedding rings. And those rings will become precious gifts. Their value to you will be more than the gold they are made of or the craftsmanship that went into forming them. They will become symbols of your union as husband and wife.

Their value will be sentimental; emotional; maybe even spiritual. I imagine that if I walked up to you after the service today and offered you twice the fare market value of those rings you would not sell them to me. Money could never replace them. And you will proudly display them on you hand for all to see and share their significance.

Like those rings your relationship is a special gift. The promises you make today and the relationship that grows out of them is a sacred gift from God. The Bible tells us that in the beginning God made one human being. And God said, "It is not good that this person should be alone." So God lovingly formed the animals of the field, and they were all find and good but they were not what the human needed. So God caused a deep sleep to fall on the human and God opened its side and formed another person from what was taken form the first. And the two were different yet the same. And the man looked at the woman and said, "This is at last bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh."

God made us male and female for each other. So we could love and care for each other and be life long companions. I am sure that you would not disagree with me if I told each of you that the other is a gift from God. And that the love that you share is also a precious gift from God.

Cherish and care for each other and the love you share. Protect it. It cannot be replaced by money or anything else. Too many people in our world don't value their marriages. Protect yours from the forces that would pull you apart.

The songwriter says, "Love is a many splendid thing." But I think the Bible says it better. "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Love is all these things that the Bible says and more. But there will be times when you will be impatient with the other. There will be times when you will be unkind, when you will be rude and demand your own way. That is just human.

Simply remember that the one who gave you this love can repair it. As you journey through life as husband and wife, remember that God is the source of your love. Also remember that in those moments when you hurt one another that God can also be the one who forgives your impatience, unkindness and arrogance. God is the one who can repair any damage that you may do to your love. God is giving you a precious gift today; treat it as such.

Matthew 22:2-13

Jesus liked wedding. He must have His first miracle was at a wedding. And he was always talking about weddings. Many of his parables used wedding feasts as their setting. The parable I just read is but one example.

Of course when Jesus spoke of weddings he was not talking about the joining together of a man and a woman. He was really talking about the union of God and the church that would take place at the end of time when he returned. He was thinking of the love of God that sent him to be with us on earth. He was thinking of the joy we would experience when he comes again.

But there is an odd twist at the end of this parable of the wedding feast. One of the guests is not dressed properly and is thrown out. And there is a note of condemnation. This guest is not just escorted to the parking lot. He or she is banished to the outer darkness. What's that all about? Back in Jesus' day when someone threw a feast sometimes they would supply the robes that the guests were supposed to wear. In this case one of the guests decided their clothes were better than the ones supplied by the host.

Of course for God the issue isn't whether we wear a tie to Jesus' second coming. The robe is a symbol of the righteousness and forgiveness God offers us. In Revelation John sees a vision of Christ's return. As part of that vision he sees a multitude dressed in robes washed white with the blood of the lamb. In others words they were spiritually dressed in the forgiveness of God. In other words to be a part of Jesus' kingdom and experience the joy of being one with him we must be clothed in the forgiveness he offers us.

We have come to a wedding today. And we are all dressed up! And I believe in my heart that this couple is dressed in white. You may think I need new contacts, but when I look at them that is what I see. I see two people wearing robes that have been washed in the blood of the lamb.

You two have come here not only because you love each other. You could have gone to a justice of the peace or a notary public. But you chose a church for your wedding so I believe you are here because you love the Lord. Because you have accepted Christ he has forgiven you and made you clean. And no matter what people see when they look at you, God will see the robes of righteousness which Christ has given you.

Jesus liked weddings and because you have come here in robed in the righteousness he has provided, he is a part of your wedding. But more than that Jesus is a part of your marriage and your lives. And like many guests at a wedding Jesus has brought you a wedding gift. You won't find it wrapped in paper or foil. Jesus' gift is the love that you have for one another.

As you depart from here as husband and wife remember that your love for each other is a holy gift from God. Cherish it and care for it as such. Strive daily to give that love to one another in the same spirit in which Christ has given it to you.

John 2:1-11

It's a miracle: the joining together of a man and a woman. Back in Jesus' day they recognized this miraculous transition from two to one with a feast. For days at a time the friends and family of the bride and groom would join together in eating and singing and dancing. All work, even study of the Torah came to a halt so that this miraculous change could be recognized and celebrated.

Back before the civil war, slaves had a unique way of celebrating this miracle. They were denied the religious ceremonies of the culture around them or of the culture they came from. So the bride and groom would jump over a broom to symbolize their transition from being single to being married.

Today we mark this blessed miracle in many ways. Friends and family gather for a religious ceremony. A feast is planned, a license is signed and there is even a name change in most cases.

It is truly a miracle: the joining together of a man and a woman. That is why it is so significant that Jesus' first miracle was at a wedding. Jesus had been invited by a couple to be at their wedding 2,000 years ago. And Jesus chose to celebrate the miracle of their union by turning water into wine.

John makes a point of telling us that this was good wine, the best. That is what life is when God joins two people together. God takes the tasteless liquid of their individual lives and turns it into the flavorful wine of the Spirit.

And in this age that worships "me" how can two individuals be made 1. It's a miracle; an act of God. As one contemporary Christian artist put it; for God one and one makes one.

It�s a miracle that you are here today. God has acted in your life to bring you together in this moment of commitment. When Keith proposed to Bethany he read her this portion of the Song of Solomon: "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned." That depth of love is not something that is humanly possible. It can only come from God.

Your love one for another is a miracle, an act of God. And God continues to act binding and knitting you together in his love. As you leap from into married life together may God be at work in your lives. May Jesus turn the water of your lives into wine. May the goodness of his presence flow in your life.

2,000 years ago a couple invited Jesus to their wedding and people are still talking about it! Be sure to follow their example. Invite Jesus into your marriage. Make him an honored guest at you table every day. Then watch as he transforms you and your life.