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A.    Almighty God, who saw that it was not good for man to live alone and who established marriage for the happiness and well-being of men and women, we thank thee for thy gift of love to these two, and we rejoice on this glad occasion, when these two have come before the altar to be joined in this sacred ceremony, to make meaningful promises to each other. Bless this young husband. Give him strength as he fights the battles for bread. Make him wise to weight the values of life. Give him a sound sense of judgement. Keep him honest and forthright in character in a way that will make his wife proud of him. And may she find in him that inner strength for which the heart of every woman longs. Bless this lovely wife. Give to her an understanding the faith that will make her great. Keep her alert to every opportunity to bring good cheer to those she loves. Grant that she may have the joy that comes from doing daily tasks well. Give to her that inner beauty of spirit that never fails. Bless these two as together they seek to find their place in the world. Give them tasks to do that will challenge them. Give to them enough tears to keep them tender, enough failure to keep their hands clenched in thine, enough success that they will be sure that they walk with thee. And when, at last, one must lay the other in the arms of God, may they be found then, as now, still thanking thee for each other. (An adaptation of a prayer by Lewis Evans)

B.                     (Couple kneeling.)
        O Father, thou hast heard the vows which these young people have made as they enter upon their wedded life. We bow in thy presence to ask thy blessing upon their marriage and upon the home which they shall establish. May Jesus Christ be pleased to abide in their hearts and in their home. May they render a greater service to thee and to the world because they face the problems and seek the goals of life together. Unite their hearts in strong and holy love that under the stress of trail it may root the deeper and grow the stronger. Preserve them from any evil that would destroy or diminish their happiness. Grant to both of them humility, kindness, patience, courage, and love not only for each other, but also for the children whom thou mayest be pleased to give them but for their church, their neighbors, and the world at large. Keep their vision clear and their spirits pure.

C.    Eternal God: without your grace no promise is sure. Strengthen ________ and ________ with the gift of your Spirit, so they may fulfill the vows they have taken. Keep them faithful to each other and to you. Fill them with such love and joy that they may build a home where no one is a stranger. And guide them by your word to serve you all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

D.    Together they are here; so, too may they continue, each in step with the other, faithful all the way. Through life's long pilgrimage unto the journey's end. If paths are rough and winds grow cold. May they the closer draw hand in hand. Appear before thy face serene and unashamed.

E.    Our Father, who sanctions marriage, as you approve all acts and efforts of men to come together more perfectly, give your blessings now done here. Make the moment fruitful to this couple in terms of added devotion, of new inner strength, and of a new sense of the sacredness of all life. We do not ask that they be kept from sorrow and trail, but that they may learn from these, and be strong because of them. We do not ask that all life be easy and profitable to them, but that they find it good and worth celebrating. We hope they will have children, as further objects of their love, and that they will find all their tasks in life, including the task of being human, easier because they approach those tasks together. Make them each quick to enjoy, and quick to see the worth of each other. Let each so value the personality of the other that he may not which to alter it into some other course, but to exalt it, to draw it out, to adore it. And let them, in the measure of time that is theirs together, find much joy in small things. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who has taught us, when we pray together, to ask simply, (Lord's Prayer)

F.    Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life. We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name. By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this man and this woman. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

G.    God our Creator, _________ and _________ have intentionally placed their lives together. Be with them. As friends and family to _________ and ________, we rejoice in this covenant they have just made and ask for your blessing. On their behalf, we, who have witnessed these vows, pray for your Spirit to continue as their inspiration and motivation for loving each other. And grant, most merciful God, that their union will bring fullness of joy, now and forever. Amen.

H.    Let us pray. Most merciful and gracious God, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; bestow upon these thy servants the seal of thine approval, and thy fatherly benediction; granting unto them grace to fulfill, with pure and steadfast affection, the vows and covenant between them made. Guide them together, we beseech thee, in the happy way of righteousness and peace, that loving and serving thee, with one heart and mind, all the days of their life, they may be abundantly enriched with the token of thine everlasting grace, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I.    Most gracious God, thou hast kindled in these hearts the fire of a divine love. Wilt thou keep it aflame upon the altar of their souls. Wilt thou make the inward aspirations of their hearts the outward reality of their home. Wilt thou make that home a place of light and truth, a place of beauty, a place of joy and happiness all the days of their lives. In the name of Jesus, our Lord and Master. Help us reverently to pray the prayer he taught his disciples: (Lord's Prayer)

J.    Hand in hand, we come before you, O Lord. Hand in hand, we are stepping out in faith... We, who are gathered here, ask that you would take this couple into your hands. Help them, O Lord, to keep firm in the commitments they have just made. Guide them, O God, as they become a family, as they each, change through the years. May they be flexible as they are faithful. And Lord, help us all to be your hands if there be need. Strengthen, tenderly all of our commitments, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

K.    O God, creator and Father of us all, we thank you for the gift of life and, in life, for the gift of marriage. We praise you and thank you for all the joys that can come to men and women through marriage, and through the blessing of home and family. Today we think especially of ________ and ________ as they begin their life together as husband and wife. With them we thank you for the joy they find in each other. Give them strength, Father, to keep the vows they have made, and to cherish the love they share. Help them to support each other with patience, understanding, and honesty. Let your Spirit so direct all of us that we may each look to the good of others in word and deed, and grow in grace as we advance in years; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

L.    Dear God, grant to ________ and ________ a true love to unite them to each other; patience to assimilate their differences; forgiveness to cover their failures; guidance to lead them in the right way; courage to face times of testing; and Your inner peace to comfort them and uphold them in times of distress. Bless them in the living of their days together, and deepen their love for each other in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.

M.    Father, your gift of love has blossomed and matured, for ________ and ________, into marriage love. On this sacred occasion they have become husband and wife. We pray for your blessing on their marriage. Surround their relationship with a lasting and a growing love. Permeate their life together with Your presence. May their life together reflect the life of Jesus, their Leader, in whose name we pray. Amen.

N.    God of love, bless the marriage of ________ and ________. Surround their relationship and their home with an ever-growing love. May they always be aware of Your presence and Your care in their lives. And now, ________ and ________, may the grace of Christ attend you, the love of God surround you, and the Holy Spirit keep you. Amen.