Sunday Worship #9 - Wedding Day

Today I celebrated my last Sunday Worship with the girls at My Refuge House. For the last couple months, we forwent going to regular church on Sundays and instead spent the time brining church to the girls. It has been a worship experience that has surpassed any that I have been part of either on Sabbath or Sunday.

We had the girls dress up in their white blouses again. And when I arrived, the backyard had been transformed into a beautiful arrangement of flowers, streamers, covered table and an archway decorated with blossoms. We even brought out some of the colorful leather furniture from the inside and camped it out in the back. The girls had enjoyed decorating it the day before and early this morning. It was simply magical.

I got dressed into my white barong (formal Filipino shirt) and we were ready to start our Wedding. Prior to starting, I gathered the girls and told them with regret that we had no digital camera to capture any of today's events. Instead, I told them to preserve it in their heart and mind - where it will lay deep inside them wherever they go and experience. Today was a day for them to never forget.

After cuing up the music, we had the girls go towards the back of the property so they could march along the path leading up to the flowered archway. We chose one of the girls' favorite songs - Destiny for them to march down. I have contended before that you can take any decent love song and have it express your love affair with Christ. This is was the purpose of Wedding Day - to imagine being united with the One who loves us most. When Paul talks about the mystery of marriage, He is actually talking about the mysterious love of Christ.

With flower in hand, each of the eight girls walked down the pathway. As they approached where I was standing, I saw them as a father - amazed and proud of their simple beauty, courage, and strength. I fought my emotions and just simply smiled back. It was my joy to officiate another encounter with Christ.

I started the service with the opening lyrics from the song - "What if I never knew, what if I never found you...". And then I raised the Bible in my hand and told them that this was one love story. Starting out in Genesis, it talks about how we were created to be perfect and one with God. But because of a lying snake of a serpent and Eve and Adam's foolishness to believe the lies, they immediately felt shame and they hid from God. But note verse 9 - God's very first words after the fall -

"Where are you?" . And with those words begin God's relentless pursuit of us - which all unfolds in the love story called the gospel.

I reminded the girls that God is pursuing them, and He will not stop until He finds them. The only way He will not find you, is if you run away from Him. And the greatest demonstration of God's pursuit or chase after us is God coming down. You can call Him Jesus. Or you can simply call him Love. Love came down (at Christmas). And being with him is our destiny (Revelation - The End).

We closed the ceremony by reading a bunch of vows, basically a list of their new identity in Christ. They were asked after each statement if they believed it and to each of them they said "I do." We sealed it all with a group hug!

What an absolutely fun day! We celebrated afterwards outside picnic style. We had sparkling cider (along with a toast), a bunch of Jollibee hamburgers and fries, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was an awesome reception. And oh yes, we cut a white cake from Red Ribbon Bakery.

Sorry for no pictures. You would have had to have been there to really grasp the beauty. My prayer is that they grasp and hold on this day, much like lovers hang on to the wedding day.

"How did this come to be, I don't know how you found me.....But now you're always there for me, When you say forever I believe."