If anyone wondered about the radio silence around here the last several days, you may be assured that I haven’t run out of things to say (not that anyone who knows me would consider that likely); rather, we were on vacation in Pennsylvania and found ourselves unexpectedly without Internet access for most of the week. I had the chance to spend time with dear friends, see Gettysburg for the first time, and go to the wedding of one good friend from college—and even, unexpectedly, to participate: the minister, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, invited all pastors present to come up and lay hands on the couple for the prayer of blessing. It was a wonderful moment in perhaps the best wedding I’ve ever seen. (I can’t speak for my own, though I love the pastors who married us dearly—I was too busy getting married to absorb much of what was going on.) Leaving my own wedding aside, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more joyful bride, or felt happier for a wedding couple.
I have to say, too, if there’s a template for what a truly gospel-driven wedding ceremony looks like, that had to be it, or pretty close. If you happen to be looking for a gospel-driven church in Pittsburgh, I can recommend Bellefield Presbyterian without question or hesitation; just from the wedding ceremony, I can say with complete assurance that the pastor there, the Rev. Dr. R. Geoffrey Brown, is a man of God who glories, delights, exults, revels in the gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaims it with deep joy and humility. He and his wife are also wonderful people—of that much I have no doubt, even from my brief contact with them. It was a true joy and blessing to be a part of that worshipping community this past Saturday.
Good for you for getting some time with your family and friends.
I went to a wedding once that was so holy and reverent, it was a wonder that the entire viewing audience didn't fall flat on their faces. It was an amazing wedding, focused first and foremost on worshiping God, and then on the couple. I had never seen anything like it, and still get goosebumps thinking about it.
It is an amazing thing–and as a pastor, a humbling thing; I believe in weddings as services of Christian worship, but the Rev. Dr. Brown clearly has a deeper and broader vision for that than I have had to this point. Granted, I can only think of one couple I've married who would have been comfortable with a wedding that gospel-saturated, but still . . . I have a lot to learn. (Which isn't news, really.)
I think I understand what you are saying, but not having been there, it is beyond me to imagine how the Rev. Dr. Brown intertwined the gospel into the wedding ceremony. I'm sure, though, that it was an unforgettable experience. Just that it has you thinking so deeply about it says a lot. 🙂
It is, in a sense, still beyond me; if I'd known it would be worthwhile, I would have been taking notes on what he did and how he did it, the better to learn from it. (Would it be too odd, I wonder, to ask for a copy of the wedding video for one's professional edification?)
Not odd at all! I would think that Rev. Dr. Brown would be delighted to help you. Or the couple would, I guess you'd have to get it from them. I don't know you well enough to give advice, LOL – but I think you should ask. The worse they can say is no, right? 🙂