This month’s chaplaincy article is by Sam van Leer, Groningen Chaplain each other: One the special, unexpected delights of ministering in Groningen, a university city I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be whose population is therefore my wife/husband, comparatively young, is that we of Grace to have and to hold from this day Church have experienced many weddings forward; in the last year. In fact, since the summer for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, of 2015, we have had a total of 6 member in sickness and in health, to love -couples getting married (4 in greater and to cherish, Groningen, one in England and one in till death us do part; according to Romania), and there are more in the diary God’s holy law. already for next year. In the presence of God I make this vow. Members of our congregation come from vows are the center-piece of the every continent, and even our Dutch wedding ceremony. Holy Matrimony is members hail from different regions of the the blessing of a union between a man country. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, when it and woman, who openly acknowledge the comes to the wedding sealed in the presence and grace of God in their lives, Church, before God, most prefer the and give themselves to each other, so trusted Anglican forms. The Anglican long as they both shall live. Or, as the liturgy, rooted in the 16th century Book of pastoral introduction to our liturgy puts it: Common Prayer, but now with 'For Christians, marriage is an invitation contemporary local variants throughout to share life together in the spirit of Jesus the worldwide Anglican Communion, uses Christ. It is based upon a solemn, public a time-honored, familiar language that and life-long covenant between a man strikes a balance between Word and and a woman, declared and celebrated in Sacrament in a way that couples from a the presence of God and before variety of church backgrounds find witnesses.' While weddings are appealing. celebrated by an ordained priest in liturgical vestments, they are sealed by For many, it would not feel like an the vows and not -- contrary to popular authentic wedding if they did not join belief -- by the blessing, or the hands before the altar, look into each exchanging of rings, however customary other's eyes, and repeat these words to these have become.
This month’s chaplaincy article is by Sam van Leer, Groningen Chaplain One the special, unexpected delights of ministering in Groningen, a university city whose population is therefore comparatively young, is that we of Grace Church have experienced many weddings in the last year. In fact, since the summer of 2015, we have had a total of 6 member -couples getting married (4 in greater Groningen, one in England and one in Romania), and there are more in the diary already for next year. Members of our congregation come from every continent, and even our Dutch members hail from different regions of the country. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, when it comes to the wedding sealed in the Church, before God, most prefer the trusted Anglican forms. The Anglican liturgy, rooted in the 16th century Book of Common Prayer, but now with contemporary local variants throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion, uses a time-honored, familiar language that strikes a balance between Word and Sacrament in a way that couples from a variety of church backgrounds find appealing. For many, it would not feel like an authentic wedding if they did not join hands before the altar, look into each other's eyes, and repeat these words to each other: I, (Name), take you, (Name), to be my 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 us do part; according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow. vows are the center-piece of the wedding ceremony. Holy Matrimony is the blessing of a union between a man and woman, who openly acknowledge the presence and grace of God in their lives, and give themselves to each other, so long as they both shall live. Or, as the pastoral introduction to our liturgy puts it: 'For Christians, marriage is an invitation to share life together in the spirit of Jesus Christ. It is based upon a solemn, public and life-long covenant between a man and a woman, declared and celebrated in the presence of God and before witnesses.' While weddings are celebrated by an ordained priest in liturgical vestments, they are sealed by the vows and not -- contrary to popular belief -- by the blessing, or the exchanging of rings, however customary these have become.
Newsletter-2016-11.docx