Jennie Schuuman & Greg McKinley
Wedding May 6, 2006 at Woodfield Inn.
It is one of life's richest gifts
when the meeting of two life journeys leads them on a common path, and it is
one of life's finest blessings when friendship grows into a bond of love. This meeting and this growth bring us here
today. I invite you to pause for a
moment's silence, that our hearts may be ready to welcome the two special
people who will stand before us to exchange one of life's deepest vows.
As we
gather to celebrate the union of Jenny
and Greg, may we pause to recognize the wonder of what is about to take
place. In truth, one of the most amazing things
in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship grows in depth,
beauty and joy as the years increase. This
inner growth of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing; it
cannot be found by seeking it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a divine
accident, the most wonderful of all things in life. This miracle is what we honor and celebrate
today.
PRAYER - Spirit
of Life and Truth and Blessing, be present in the hearts of this couple that
they may enter into their new life with openness and hope. Stimulate their
minds, that they may continue to learn and grow, and in doing so find
ever-renewing interest in one another.
Energize their hands, that they may find ways to contribute their
talents to creating a better world. Give
them what they need, and help them know the difference between this and all
those things they choose to want.
God of
Love, you know above all others that love is necessary but not enough for the
endurance of this union. Fill the souls
of Greg and Jenny with integrity, with fidelity and trust that they may live
with joy and blessing through all the days of their lives. Amen.
Jenny, Greg: Do you come to this marriage in personal
freedom and without any inner reservation?
Response: I DO
Will
you, the friends and family of Greg and
Jenny do all in your power to support
these two in the marriage they are about to undertake?
(The
people answer:) WE WILL.
So close no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the
heart,
Forever trusting who you are
And [these are words from a song,
and you know it in your heart] nothing else matters . . .
Happiness
in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be
created. A good marriage is one where the
little things are the big things, like never being too old to hold hands. A good marriage is remembering to say "I
love you" at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. A good
marriage is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is
standing together facing the world. A good marriage forms a circle of love that
gathers the whole family. In a good
marriage, people do things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or
sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. A good marriage manifests in words of
gratitude and acts of thoughtful appreciation.
Because,
you see, Marriage does not look for perfection in the other, but calls for flexibility,
patience, understanding and a sense of humor. Marriage requires the capacity to forgive and
forget. A good marriage creates an atmosphere in which each person can grow –
and grow old. It’s not just about
marrying the right partner; a good marriage is about BEING the right partner. You’ve found truth in these words, again from
the song:
Trust you seek and find in each
other,
As every day is for you something
new . . .
Keep open minds for a different
view,
And nothing else matters.
In
the eyes of the law, marriage is a contract whereby the couple enters into a
union for companionship and support.
In
the hearts of the human community, marriage is a public expression of
possibility and hope – the possibility of human love and the hope for a better
world.
In
the wisdom of Spirit, marriage is an inner union, weaving two souls more deeply
into the universal web of wholeness and peace.
It is from all these
contexts that these two people now speak their truth to one another.
In the presence of
these witnesses,
I, Jenny now take you, Greg
to be my husband,
to have and to hold,
from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in
health,
in sorrow and in joy,
to love and to cherish,
as long as we both
shall live.
In the presence of
these witnesses,
I, Greg, now take you
Jenny,
to be my wife ,
to have and to hold,
from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in
health,
in sorrow and in joy,
to love and to cherish,
as long as we both
shall live.
Maureen: So close, no matter how far.
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who you are
And nothing else matters.
RINGS: A circle is
the symbol of the sun and the earth and the universe. It is a symbol of holiness and completion and
peace. In these rings, it is the symbol
of unity, in which your two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle, in
which, wherever you go, you will always return to one another.
By the love with which these rings are given and received, so
indeed shall they be blessed.
With this ring I thee
wed,
and with it I pledge
my honor, my love and
my life.
Reading from The Velveteen Rabbit: "What is
REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near
the nursery fender. "Real isn't how
you are made," said the Skin Horse.
"It's a thing that happens to you.
When somebody loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with but
REALLY loves you, then you become REAL."
"Does it hurt?" asked the
Rabbit? "Sometimes," said the
Skin Horse, for he was always truthful.
"When you are Real you don't mind being hurt." "Does it happen all at once, like being
wound up," Rabbit asked, "or bit by bit?" "It doesn't happen all at once,"
said the Skin Horse. "You
become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people
who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.
“Generally,
by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes
drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because
once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't
understand." (From The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams)
GUIDED
MEDITATION
BREATHE
. . .CENTER . . .
.
. . bring your thoughts to the wellbeing of Jenny and Greg . . . standing so
close, weaving their lives, their hearts, their minds, trusting themselves,
trusting their future . . . seeking hope together in a world of challenge . . .
.
. . bring your heart to an awareness of their love . . . of the love that
stretches beyond this couple . . . touching each one of us . . . enfolding our
lives, our relationships . . . moving beyond Jenny and Greg, beyond those
gathered here . . . love that reaches out its healing hands to the farthest
reaches of the world . . .
.
. . feel the depth of possibility . . . the power of hope . . . the promise of
community . . . all these woven from the touch of this love . . .
.
. . let us be together in this sacred moment, this moment of blessing for these
two . . . this moment of grace, as they move forward forever trusting who they
are . . . knowing that when they are truly real with one another, nothing else
matters.
Jenny
and Greg, before this company you have exchanged your vows and sealed your
promises with the gift of rings. Through
your actions, you have done what neither church nor state can do: You have pledged yourselves in shared
destiny. This done, it gives me great
joy to pronounce that from this moment forward, you Greg, and you Jenny, are
husband and wife.
Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for
each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now you will feel no loneliness,
for each of you will be a companion
to the other.
Now
you are two bodies,
but there is only one life before
you.
So close, no matter how far,
may you walk the path of life together.
And may your days be good,
and
long upon the earth.
AND NOW – THE KISS!!!