The Word of God
Gathering
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God, now and for ever. Amen.
Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.
Glory to God for ever and ever.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Beloved, let us love one another,
For love is of God.
Whoever does not love does not know God,
For God is love.
Since God so loves us,
Let us love one another.
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Dear friends in Christ [or Dearly beloved],
in the name of God and the Church
we have come together today with
___________________________ and ___________________________,
to witness the vows they make,
committing themselves to one another
in marriage [according to the laws of the state or civil jurisdiction of
___________________________].
Forsaking all others,
they will bind themselves to one another
in a covenant of mutual fidelity and steadfast love,
remaining true to one another in heart, body, and mind,
as long as they both shall live.
The lifelong commitment of marriage
is not to be entered into lightly or thoughtlessly,
but responsibly and with reverence.
Let us pray, then, that God will give them the strength
to remain steadfast in what they vow this day.
Let us also pray for the generosity
to support them in the commitment they undertake
and for the wisdom to see God at work in their life together.
Dear friends in Christ [or Dearly beloved],
in the name of God and the Church
we have come together today with
___________________________ and ___________________________
to witness the sacred vows they make this day as they are married
[according to the laws of the state or civil jurisdiction of
___________________________],
and reaffirm their commitment to one another.
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Forsaking all others,
they will renew their covenant of mutual fidelity and steadfast love,
remaining true to one another in heart, body, and mind,
as long as they both shall live.
Let us pray, then, that God will give them the strength
to remain steadfast in what they vow this day.
Let us also pray for the generosity
to support them in the commitment they undertake,
and for the wisdom to see God at work in their life together.
The Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you. or God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
God of abundance:
assist by your grace ___________________________ and
___________________________,
whose covenant of love and fidelity we witness this day.
Grant them your protection, that with firm resolve
they may honor and keep the vows they make;
through Jesus Christ our Savior,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty and everliving God:
look tenderly upon ___________________________ and
___________________________,
who stand before you in the company of your Church.
Let their life together bring them great joy.
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Grant them so to love selflessly and live humbly,
that they may be to one another and to the world
a witness and a sign of your never-failing love and care;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, to the ages of ages. Amen.
O God, faithful and true,
whose steadfast love endures for ever:
we give you thanks for sustaining ___________________________
and ___________________________ in the life they share
and for bringing them to this day.
Nurture them and fill them with joy in their life together,
continuing the good work you have begun in them;
and grant us, with them, a dwelling place eternal in the heavens
where all your people will share the joy of perfect love,
and where you, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, live and reign,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Holy Trinity, one God,
three Persons perfect in unity and equal in majesty:
Draw together with bonds of love and affection
___________________________ and ___________________________,
who with their families
seek to live in harmony and forbearance all their days,
that their joining together will be to us
a reflection of that perfect communion
which is your very essence and life,
O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
who live and reign in glory everlasting. Amen.
© 2015 Church Publishing Incorporated
The Lessons
or
A Reading from ___________________________.
The Word of the Lord.
or
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
or
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.
Thanks be to God.
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The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
___________________________.
The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to
___________________________.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
The Witnessing of the Vows and the Blessing of the Covenant
Who presents ___________________________ and
___________________________ as they seek the blessing of
God and the Church on their love and life together?
We do.
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Will you love, respect, and pray for ____________________
and ____________________, and do all in your power to
stand with them in the life they will share?
We will.
_______________________ and _______________________,
you have come before God and the Church to exchange
[and renew] solemn vows with one another and to ask
God’s blessing.
_______________________, do you freely and unreservedly
offer yourself to _______________________?
I do.
Will you [continue to] live together in faithfulness and
holiness of life as long as you both shall live?
I will, with God’s help.
_______________________, do you freely and unreservedly
offer yourself to _______________________?
I do.
Will you [continue to] live together in faithfulness and
holiness of life as long as you both shall live?
I will, with God’s help.
Will all of you gathered to witness these vows do all in your
power to uphold and honor this couple in the covenant
they make?
We will.
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Will you pray for them, especially in times of trouble, and
celebrate with them in times of joy?
We will.
The Prayers
Then let us pray for ___________________________ and
___________________________ in their life together and
for the concerns of this community.
For ___________________________ and
___________________________, seeking your blessing and
the blessing of your holy people;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For a spirit of loving-kindness to shelter them all their days;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For friends to support them and communities to enfold them;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
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For peace in their home and love in their family;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For the grace and wisdom to care for the children you
entrust to them [or may entrust to them];
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For the honesty to acknowledge when they hurt each
other, and the humility to seek each other’s forgiveness and
yours;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For the outpouring of your love through their work and
witness;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For the strength to keep the vows each of us has made;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For all who have been reborn and made new in the waters
of Baptism;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For those who lead and serve in communities of faith;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
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For those who seek justice, peace, and concord among
nations;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For those who are sick or suffering, homeless or poor;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For victims of violence and those who inflict it;
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For communion with all who have died
[especially those whom we remember this day:
_______________________________________];
Loving God, or Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Giver of every gift, source of all goodness,
hear the prayers we bring before you for
___________________________ and ___________________________,
who seek your blessing this day.
Strengthen them as they share in the saving work of Jesus,
and bring about for them and for all you have created
the fullness of life he promised,
who now lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
If the Eucharist is to follow, the Lord’s Prayer is omitted here.
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_______________________ and _______________________,
I invite you now, illumined by the Word of God
and strengthened by the prayer of this community,
to make your covenant before God and the Church.
In the name of God,
I, _______________________, give myself to you,
_______________________, and take you to myself.
I will support and care for you by the grace of God:
in times of sickness, in times of health.
I will hold and cherish you in the love of Christ:
in times of plenty, in times of want.
I will honor and love you with the Spirit’s help:
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in times of anguish, in times of joy,
forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live.
This is my solemn vow.
In the name of God,
I, ___________________________, give myself to you,
___________________________, and take you to myself.
I will support and care for you:
in times of sickness, in times of health.
I will hold and cherish you:
in times of plenty, in times of want.
I will honor and love you:
in times of anguish, in times of joy,
forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live.
This is my solemn vow.
Let us pray.
Bless, O God, these rings as signs of the enduring covenant
___________________________ and ___________________________
have made with each other,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
____________________, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow,
and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you,
in the name of God. or in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
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Let us pray.
By the rings which they have worn, faithful God,
___________________________ and ___________________________
have shown to one another and the world
their love and faithfulness.
Bless now these rings,
that from this day forward
they may be signs of the vows ___________________________ and
___________________________ have exchanged
in your presence and in the communion of your Church,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pronouncement
Now that _______________________ and _______________________
have exchanged vows of love and fidelity
in the presence of God and the Church,
I pronounce that they are
married [according to the laws of the state or civil jurisdiction of
___________________________]
and bound to one another
as long as they both shall live. Amen.
Let us pray.
Most gracious God,
we praise you for the tender mercy and unfailing care
revealed to us in Jesus the Christ
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and for the great joy and comfort bestowed upon us
in the gift of human love.
We give you thanks for ___________________________ and
___________________________,
and the covenant of faithfulness they have made.
Pour out the abundance of your Holy Spirit upon them.
Keep them in your steadfast love;
protect them from all danger;
fill them with your wisdom and peace;
lead them in holy service to each other and the world.
God the Father,
God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit,
bless, preserve, and keep you,
and mercifully grant you rich and boundless grace,
that you may please God in body and soul.
God make you a sign of the loving-kindness and steadfast fidelity
manifest in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior,
and bring you at last to the delight of the heavenly banquet,
where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
God, the holy and undivided Trinity,
bless, preserve, and keep you,
and mercifully grant you rich and boundless grace,
that you may please God in body and soul.
God make you a sign of the loving-kindness and steadfast fidelity
manifest in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior,
and bring you at last to the delight of the heavenly banquet,
where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
© 2015 Church Publishing Incorporated
The Peace
Presider The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
Presider The peace of Christ be always with you.
People And also with you.
At the Eucharist
Because in the giving of two people to each other in faithful love
you reveal the joy and abundant life you share
with your Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
God our strength and joy,
we thank you for the communion of our life together,
for the example of holy love that you give us in
___________________________ and ___________________________,
and for the Sacrament of the Body and Blood
of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Grant that it may renew our hope
and nourish us for the work you set before us
to witness to the presence of Christ in the world,
through the power of your Spirit,
and to the glory of your Name. Amen.
© 2015 Church Publishing Incorporated
