ORDERS AND SERVICES FOR WEDDINGS

A Brief Form for the Wedding Service

This is a brief order for a mostly-secular or civil ceremony for same sex couples.  It acknowledges and prays for God's blessing, but can be used with couples who do not desire a specifically Christian ceremony.  That may seem strange or false to practicing Christians.  However, many people today are quite aware and open about the fact that they are not estranged from religion but neither are they practicing Christians.  Hence they would feel hypocritical participating in an expressly Christian religious ceremony. 

If our pastoral ministry emphasizes God's invitation, not God's ultimatum, we should be willing to respect their desire not to begin their reliationship with hypocrisy.  In that context, it is relatively easy and non-confrontational to invite them to consider beginning their married life on a spiritual note, rather than refuse to serve them.

Download A Brief Form in PDF format.