Okay, I've done a wedding on horseback, at the beach, several outdoor weddings, one at the 18th green at a frou-frou golf course, one at Cabela's (next to the Polar Bear eating the prong horn) - and now, add to the list: as a referee!
Mike and Bre are both incredible athletes, and make their living in the sports/fitness field. They wanted an athletic themed wedding and asked me to officiate as a... Referee.
So I did.
During the wedding (held at CrossRoads Community Church in Ottawa Lake, MI) I explained that as a Referee, I am not there to tell them who is right and who is wrong, or to take sides. Instead, I am there to make sure that both play the game with the same rules and to the best of their abilities.
I went on to explain that the point behind marriage, is for a watching world to see the love relationship between Christ and His Church lived out in the way a man and woman love and submit to one another.
The wedding was fun, the crowd big and boisterous, and I especially liked my benediction.
Coming out from behind the couple, I said (with the correct referee hand signals) "My prayer is that you'd be flagged often for 'holding' each other close as you travel through life. That you'd be guilty of 'encroachment', filling up the space of each other's aloneness. That you'd find 'safety' in each others presence. That forgiveness would follow every 'personal foul'. And one more. That you'd 'score' often."
The place went wild!
Then, when I introduced the couple, I asked the congregation to respond with 'the wave'. Which they did - and well! The sound man (great job, Andrew!) then played 'The Victors' while the new 'family' marched out!
What a fun day!
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