Welcome to the Marriage Rite
of Christine Ann Hoff & John Richard Kraemer
Saturday, August 4,
2001 Ten o'clock in the morning
Mercury Hall Austin, Texas
[Altar.
Glass bowl with unlit flower candle.]
Gathering Music
[Katie
stands in center, plays music on the flute. When ritual is ready to begin, John
Eargle positions bell person, gives Katie signal to stop, signals Melanie to
enter.]
Casting of Circle
[Shanta
plays heartbeat on drum. Lucy walks clockwise around the circle ringing little
bells, starting from the west (blue). Melanie stands in center, bows with
incense to each direction as Lucy goes around.]
Processional with Elements "Circle of Virtues"
*Will
the congregation please stand when the bride enters.
[Mary
K. and family stand and sing song once through – once without drone, once with.
Congregation joins in gradually.]
Please listen as the
Isaacs-Bryant family sings the verse through twice, then join in singing as you
feel comfortable.
Circle
around the bowl of love
Circle
around the cup of compassion
Circle
around the bowl of love
Circle
around peace.
Source: Adapted slightly
from the song by Mignon & Kathleen Isaacs-Bryant
[Procession
begins when congregation joins in singing. Each walks fully around circle once,
attends to altar if necessary, then proceeds around circle to direction. Sid
stands behind altar. Christine & John end up in front of altar.]
Processional
order: Sid, Jim & Sherry, Barry & Beverly, Brandon & Dana, Merilee
& Alex, Michael & Liza, Mike & Beth, John, Christine
Brandon
& Dana (Earth/North): basket of petals [scattering petals]
Merilee
& Alex (Air/East): bubbles & wands [blowing bubbles]
Michael
& Liza (Fire/South): 2 unlit candles [to put on altar]
Mike
& Beth (Water/West): pitcher of water, chalice [use pitcher to fill bowl,
removing and replacing flower candle]
[When
Christine & John have taken their places, Mary K. signals congregation to
end song. A moment of silence, then Isaacs-Bryant family sings "Gathered
Here" twice through or until candles have been lit and parents have
returned to their seats.]
*Candle-lighting with parents with Mary K.
& family singing "Gathered Here"
[Parents
come forward to light candles – one for Barry & Beverly and one for Jim
& Sherry, using large lighters. Give hugs. Go back to seats but remain
standing.]
*Invocation: "Invocation to the
Ground of Being" –Starhawk
Sid: Will you please join me in the invocation.
(Sid) (Group)
Nameless One of many names
Eternal and ever-changing One
Who is found nowhere but appears
everywhere
Beyond and within all.
Timeless circle of the seasons
Unknowable mystery known by all.
Lord of the dance, Mother of
all life,
Be radiant within us, Engulf us
with your love,
(Unison)
See with our eyes, Hear with our ears, Breathe
with our nostrils,
Touch with our hands, kiss with our lips,
Open our hearts!
That we may live free at last
Joyful in the single song
Of all that is, was, or ever shall be! Amen.
Source: The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk
Sid:
You may be seated.
Welcome and Words of Purpose
Sid:
Welcome, all of you, to this celebration. We gather today at the invitation of
Christine and John to witness their love and commitment to each other, and to
bless their joining together before God. Our intimate relationships are essential
parts of our spirituality, whether between human beings and God, between
parents and children, among friends, or between lovers. Therefore it is right
that we lift to God and our community this couple in a public affirmation of
the sacred within their intimacy. We ask that all the energies of God's
creation – the passion of fire, the wisdom of water, the steadfastness of
earth, the clarity of air, and the spark of divine spirit – be present with us
today.
Source: Adapted from Equal Rites
[Sherry
stands.]
Scripture: Song of Songs, 1 John
Sherry:
The scripture today is taken from Song of Songs and from 1 John.
Stamp
me in your heart, upon your limbs,
Sear
my emblem deep into your skin.
For
love is strong as death, harsh as the grave.
Its
tongues are as flames, a fierce and holy blaze.
Endless
seas and flood, torrents and rivers
Never
put out love's infinite fires. –from Song of Songs
---
Beloved,
let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born
of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
–1 John 4:6-8
Sherry:
The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: "Creator of
Love"
Sid:
Let us pray.
Sid:
Creator of love,
love
that sculpted our bodies,
inspirited
our souls,
called
us to companionship,
and
made us your family:
Bless
us, gathered today
as
the community in which John and Christine
may
be supported and upheld as a couple,
as
the family in which they
may
enjoy the freedom to be themselves,
as
the church in which they
may
feel your divine welcome.
Through
your Spirit,
you
hear our sighs too deep for words,
sighs
of loving and of longing,
sighs
of body and soul.
Amen.
Source: Adapted from Equal Rites
[Mary
K. and family teach both parts of the song. Congregation practices each part by
itself before singing song together. Mary K. invites congregation to stand for
singing. Order of verses: faith, hope, joy, love (end with love).]
*Song: "Now Let Us
Sing"
Source: Singing the Living
Tradition, UU hymnbook
Sid:
You may be seated.
[Congregation
sits; parents and wedding party remain standing.]
Blessing
Sid:
Who supports this woman as she comes before God to declare her sacred vows?
Beverly
& Barry: We do, and we give her our blessing.
Sid:
Christine, how have you come here today?
Christine:
Of my own free will, and in love and trust.
Sid:
Who supports this man as he comes before God to declare his sacred vows?
Sherry
& Jim: We do, and we give him our blessing.
Sid:
John, how have you come here today?
John:
Of my own free will, and in love and trust.
[Parents
sit.]
Walking the Circle
Sid:
John and Christine, you have come here both freely and gladly. This ritual will
seal your commitment to walk life's journey together. Will you now walk
together the circle of time, travelling through the elements and seasons?
Christine
and John: We will.
[Christine
& John take hands.]
[Christine
& John walk to the South.]
Michael:
Will your love survive the harsh fires of change?
John
& Christine: It will.
Michael:
Then accept the blessing of fire in this place of summer.
[Liza
lights flash paper, tosses it up.]
Michael:
May your home be filled with warmth.
[Christine
& John walk to the West.]
Beth:
Will your love survive the ebb and flow of feeling?
Christine
& John: It will.
Beth:
Then accept the blessing of water in this place of autumn.
[Mike
sprinkles water.]
Beth:
May your life together be filled with love.
[Christine
& John walk to the North.]
Dana
or Brandon: Will your love survive the times of stillness and restriction?
John
& Christine: It will.
Dana
or Brandon: Then accept the blessing of earth in this place of winter.
[Brandon
or Dana feeds each a grape or berry.]
Dana
or Brandon: May your union be strong and fruitful.
[Christine
& John walk to the East.]
Alex:
Will your love survive the clear light of Day?
Christine
& John: It will.
Alex:
Then accept the blessing of air in this place of spring.
[Merilee
blows bubbles.]
Alex:
May your marriage be blessed by the light of every new dawn.
[Christine
& John return to the center. Elements sit.]
Sid:
All things in nature in circular. Night becomes day, day becomes night, and
night becomes day again. The moon waxes and wanes and waxes again. There is
spring, summer, autumn, winter, and then the spring returns. These things are
all part of God's creation. Christine and John, do you bring your symbols of
this circle of life?
John
& Christine: We do.
Source: Adapted from the
druidic ceremony in Alternative Weddings by Jane
Ross-MacDonald
Vows
[Christine
& John turn to each other and hold hands and take their vows.]
John/Christine,
before God and these people I take you to be my beloved husband/wife.
For
as long as I live, I will love and honor you.
I
will change with you, and learn compassion by your side.
I
will help you achieve your heart's true will.
Like
a stone shall my love be firm;
Like
a star shall my love be constant.
With
this ring I pledge to you all that I am.
Lighting of Unity Candle
[Christine
& John retrieve long matches from under altar, light from candles, then
light floating candle together. Turn and face Sid again, hold hands.]
Pronouncement of Marriage by
the Community
Sid:
From every human being there rises a light reaching out toward heaven. When two
souls are called to choose each other, their streams of light flow together and
a single brighter light shines forth.
Sid:
Family and friends, will you now seal this union?
All:
We now pronounce you husband and wife.
Kiss
[Applause
and cheering.]
Sid:
In a moment we will celebrate this new union with a spiral dance. As we dance,
look about you. The faces of all those in this room will pass by you, male and
female, young and old. These faces represent our past and our future as we move
through the cycle of life. Through dance, let us acknowledge our unity as
members of the human family, connected through our common experience and
through the spirit of a loving God.
The
dance is very simple – if you can walk and sing at the same time, you can do
it. If for any reason you would prefer not to dance, however, I invite you to
participate by sitting at the center of our circle.
[Sid
gives the following instructions:
Please
put all chairs against the wall with the table.
Belongings
can go along kitchen wall.
Programs
will not be needed.
Chairs
will be provided in the center of the circle for people who don't want to
dance.
Everyone
form one large circle, holding hands.]
[Chairs
and props get moved.]
[Shanta
gets in center of circle with drum.]
[Mary
K. teaches the chant.]
Dance: "We are a circle
within a circle"
[At
end, congregation reforms into one big circle. John, Christine, and Sid step
forward.]
[Mary
K. starts chant, Shanta joins in on drum, John leads dance.]
Benediction
Sid: Christine
& John,
Now
may the peace of God go with you,
May
the power of God sustain you,
And
may the love of God keep you together forever.
Amen.
[Sid
announces that the wedding party will pose for pictures, and that people are
welcome to stay.]