Monday, August 27, 2007

Don't Mention God

I meet many couples who ask that I don't mention God in their ceremony. Often what they really mean is "don't saturate the ceremony language with references to God".

I find that plenty of young couples (20s to 30s) describe themselves as spiritual, but not religious. Since I am a nondenominational minister, it makes sense that these are the people who seek my services. But often, they find that the mention of God is not what they wish to avoid; it's simply the reminder that they left formal religion behind and don't wish to be hypocritical.

I believe that one's spiritual life is deeply personal and that we don't need to parade it as a possession. That said, the vows of fidelity, loyalty, and permanence to one other person is an awesome promise. To remind ourselves and our wedding guests that we take these words seriously, we are wise to infuse them with spirit. This could be enhanced with the mention of God, or simply with including the feeling of a presence larger than our own tiny preoccupations that allows us to step into such a devotional relationship with another. Either way, vows are somemn promises.

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