When I was preparing to officiate my first wedding for some dear friends I spent much time in prayer, meditation and a modicum of unholy panic as the momentousness of the ceremony dawned on me. This is an ACTUAL legal happening, I realized. Two people will be officially married when the ceremony is done. As the hugeness of this rose in my awareness I extended much love to my thoughts as I naturally turned to Holy Spirit for peace, clarity and my real purpose on the day. I realized, in a ceremony, we are all letting go into, together, for the sake of what is being observed and celebrated.
I extend trust to this thought.
HS: Dearest One,
Be truly open to what is needed on the day. Your presence is your gift. Be there with them in Spirit and in truth, not grandeur, but in simplicity, as the reminder of the beauty inherent in each moment.
Ceremony is but an open declaration and reminder to oneself of that which is already true.
Love is.
Love is here.
Love is here now.
Love is hear, now and forever.
Speak from your heart on the nature of love and joining. Speak of the joy and gentleness of commitment. The commitment to one’s own heart and the love that dwells within. Delight also in your selves for this is the will of God. Hold the space for them to go forth together as one and remain gloriously listening to and trusting in their own hearts. This will always serve our joined higher purpose.
Love is.
Remind them to fear not the moments when anger and conflict walk into the room, greet these, too, as honored guests here only to clarify their own hearts. Remind them also to welcome, abide and take time with one another as you welcome, abide in and take time to listen and follow your own hearts. Your willing and joyous declaration to join together in the company of all who love you simply reminds you that Love and joining together with that love will always lead you into a rich and beautiful experience of life no matter what may come to pass.
The commitment made in this ceremony will serve as your guidepost for in the willingness to love you were also willing to commit to love–even when you forget, even when you don’t feel like it, even when you feel something that feels like not-love. This day, this ceremony, this commitment will remind all present that Love is the truth about each one both now and forever.
In this way, all can respond silently and in truth to the vows within your own heart to join in Love for that has already happened it is simply the awareness you are now joining with.
Do you take Love to be your partner in all that you are, think and do? I Do.
**Today I let go of pleasing anyone else but my own heart.
Such synchronicity for me —
I have already officiated about a dozen weddings and had been thinking that it was not part of my calling, so I would not promote myself as a wedding minister.
Then just yesterday I got an email from someone who was recommended by one of my brides, to officiate his wedding. It felt right, so I communicated my willingness to officiate his wedding.
Now this morning I read your post, and feel the joy and honor of this opportunity.
I still do not want to “sell” myself as a wedding minister, but I am freshly re-opened to being led to whatever Spirit would have me do as part of my calling.
I am again reminded of the quote, “When the flower opens, the bees will come.”
How delicious and kind synchronicity is! It was such a huge delight and honor to officiate at my friend’s wedding but I cannot quite picture what it would feel like if I didn’t know the couple. Have you done that and if so what was it like? I would imagine that your preciousness is being called out into this field again so we can all share your sweet heart!
A few of the weddings were for friends and relatives. (I loved doing them!) A few were referred to me by the churches I am affiliated with. And a few were referred to me by another Interfaith Minister who books many weddings because she loves it and promotes herself as a wedding minister, recommending me when a couple requests a date for which she is already booked.
Some of the weddings for “strangers” were delightful, but some felt like a big expensive show. I realize now that the disconnect I felt during the big expensive shows were in my own mind, and not imposed upon me by them. (I am not a victim.) I was making my decision to step away from weddings because they did not feel sacred to me when I was judging the couple as having a materialistic focus.
Looks like I have some homework to do. Letting go of judgments, and bringing my own sacred connection to the weddings. Hmmmm.
Thank you, Eva!
Thank you for your thorough response! Everything gets to be healed and don’t we just love it when a new area presents itself 🙂
In my crankier moments I think of them as “another f’n forgiveness opportunity” but most of the time, yes, I am delighted to unearth another blockage to the awareness of Love’s Presence!! 😉
Can we declare this term an “AFFO” so we can all use it with gay abandon?! Here’s to AFFO’s for all of us and may God bless us every one with the swift renewal of the awareness of Love’s dear and precious Presence!!! xoxox