Page 106 - BMIN191 Beginnning Internship

106 Beginning Ministerial Internship: Student Manual

Prayer

Declaration of Intent

(Groom’s name), do you take (bride’s name) to be your wedded wife, to live after God’s ordinance in
the holy state of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in health and sickness, in
prosperity and adversity, and forsaking all others, keeping only unto her, so long as you both shall live? If so,
answer, “I do.”
(Bride’s name), do you take (groom’s name) to be your wedded husband, to live after God’s ordinance in
the holy state of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in health and sickness, in
prosperity and adversity, and forsaking all others, keeping only unto him, so long as you both shall live? If so,
answer, “I do.”

Vows
Since it is your desire to take each other as husband and wife, you will please indicate this by joining right
hands and by repeating in this presence the wedding vows.
I, (groom’s name), take you, (bride’s name), to be my wife. I will cherish our friendship and love you today,
tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will care for you and love you from this day forward,
for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. I will love you and cherish you the rest of
my life. As God has designed this holy ordinance, I give you my love.
I, (bride’s name), take you, (groom’s name), to be my husband, my partner in life, and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will
laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult
and the easy. Whatever may come, I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you
my life to keep. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and
your God will be my God. May the Lord do with me and more, if anything but death parts you from me.

Ring Ceremony

(Groom’s name) and (bride’s name) wish to signify their marriage commitment by the giving and receiving
of rings.
The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of your inward love that shows the world that you are
united in marriage. The ring is gold, most precious and enduring. So let your love be the most precious and
enduring possession of your hearts. The ring is a circle without end, the symbol of eternity. So may your love
last through eternity.

[Groom places ring on bride’s finger.] Groom repeats the following:
With this ring, I marry you, and with all my worldly goods, I will provide for you, and pledge you my life
and my love, now and forever. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[Bride places ring on groom’s finger.] Bride repeats the following:
With this ring, I marry you, and with all my worldly goods, I will provide for you, and pledge you my life
and my love, now and forever. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
You are to wear these rings as the symbol of your never-ending love one for another.

Communion
The Scriptures tell us in Ecclesiastes 4:9–12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for
their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up . . . . Also, if two lie down together, they will keep
warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of
three strands is not quickly broken.” As a bond of that relationship, as a first act together in marriage, (groom’s
name) and (bride’s name) desire to share communion together.