The Main Religious Features of a Christian Marriage Ceremony

The Main Religious Features of a Christian Marriage Ceremony

The Bible teaches that Marriage is sacred and that God intended man

and woman to become one through marriage. Wedding ceremonies can vary

but there are certain things about the ceremony that remain the same

.These things are: the Declaration of purpose. This is when the

minister speaks about the importance and purpose of marriage, the

Vows, this is when the bride and groom make promises to each other

.These are required by law and can be added to by the couple but they

must contain certain things. A typical example of a wedding vow is “I

(name) do take thee (name) to be my lawful wedded wife/husband, to

have and to hold 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.” The Exchange of rings , this is when the bride

and groom give each other rings to symbolise the promise of unending

love and the exclusive commitment of the couple to each other , the

Warning, were the minister quotes Jesus’ words “Man must not separate

,then, what God has joined together” Mark 10:9 . The Pronouncement,

states that the couple are now married. Finally the wedding is

finished by the bride and groom both signing the register, this is a

legal requirement in which a couple (and witnesses) sign a register

and receive a marriage certificate. All these aspects of a wedding

ceremony are important to a Christian couple that have made the

commitment of marriage.

After the wedding there is usually a party called a reception party

were any people not invited to the actual wedding ceremony can come

along to...

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... before marriage. In recent years marriage has gradually

become less sacred. It has become acceptable for people to divorce

their partner and remarry as many times as they want. The breakdown of

family life has contributed to this, as parents do not teach their

child about marriage and its sacred meaning. As families are less

committed to each other and do not communicate as much as they used

to. If a family breaks down, there are not many consequences, as the

father is still made to pay for their child’s education. This

means that the mother would have no reason to stay with the father

because of financial reasons. But one consequence is that this affects

the children and it makes them see marriage in a less sacred way,

therefore making divorce seem more acceptable to them, these factors

contribute to yob culture.