I’m sure you’ve been to a wedding before. They always go on forever, making the most of every second, so the attention can be centered on the bride. Because at a wedding everyone knows it’s all about the bride!
I went to a wedding a few weeks back that caught me off guard. It was quick. To the point. They didn’t have a unity candle, no long message/sermon and no solo. Just vows and a kiss. For all the attendees it was awesome!
It must have been the simplicity in the ceremony that got me thinking, I’m certain of it. But when the pastor had the couple share their vows, I immediately began thinking of the role of the local Church. The bride of Christ!
The Church is the most beautiful thing in the world through the eyes of Christ. And many of you reading this get the opportunity to serve in the bride of Christ on a weekly and daily basis. Do you consider it as one of the greatest joy’s in all your life?
As the pastor continued to prompt each spouse the next statement of their vows, I couldn’t help but continue to see this picture through the lens of the Church.
from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part….
To have and to hold… It’s the promise Jesus and the Church made to one another. Though our culture seems to have lost it’s faith in the institution of the local church, we can still rest assured that the Church is the greatest institution in the world in the eyes of our Savior. Ephesians seems to speak a lot about the role of the local Church in God’s grand vision and it’s particularly interesting that in Ephesians 5 Paul also relates the relationship of a husband and wife to that of the church.
At SALT, we want to encourage and equip this relationship and the calling many of us have to serve in the local church. It’s not just something we’re “saying” either. We want to live that out through our keynote speakers being teaching pastors in the local church, community group leaders as full-time leaders and team members in Churches of all styles and locations.
So today, if you are on the verge of burnout or you are the most excited one on the staff team to be where you are in the local Church, press on and encourage one another. You get the pleasure and the opportunity to serve the bride of our Lord and Savior. There’s nothing greater than that opportunity.
