Second Year of Marriage

The last Lord’s Day was the first anniversary of a wedding I took over in Holland. The young couple, both Germans, had worshipped at Martin Top for a year before university. Weddings are charming and idealistic, carefully planned, beautifully scripted and minutely choreographed. Marriages are rather harder: learning to live with someone, sharing decisions, putting another first and getting used to the dull routines of running a household and joint finances give less pleasure. There are exciting milestones ahead like new homes, children and silver wedding anniversaries, but the meantime is characterised by the mundane and ordinary.

In several places in scripture, the Christian and the Church are likened to the ‘Bride’ and Jesus Christ the ‘Groom’. Many of us can look back to our spiritual birthdays and recall the joy of knowing that we had been pardoned of sin and given a new hope. We also know that our death-day shall be greater than our birthday, for then we go to be “be with Christ, which is far better”, but what about all that ordinary stuff in-between? We are not in constant receipt of divine messages, angelic visitors or miraculous interventions; the ‘ordinary means of grace’ like Bible study, corporate worship and personal devotions characterise our lives and form a new routine. Yes, there are times of blessing, but these are usually sporadic drops rather than heavy showers. Like an earthly marriage, our intervening, present years are relatively mundane. Do not mistake them for being unimportant, however; marriages should be worked at and walking with Jesus Christ, even before we see Him in heaven, should be done with all diligence and care.

But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Joel 2:16

A D