Holy Week arrives!

I'm sorry not to have written very much in my blog during this past month or two. What energy I've had for Blogging has been spent keeping our Lenten Blog up-to-date.

I really enjoyed Palm Sunday yesterday. We had a story and two shorter sermons, and involved the children three times during the service, so that they were able to stay in and enjoy worshipping with the rest of us. I even got to arrest the Moderator of Presbytery!

One of the youngsters was quite funny after the arrest. I had tied Peter up with a rope and then led him out of the sanctuary by the door at the front of the church, where the creche usually meets. He then untied himself, went round the outside of the building and came back in to sit at the back of the church.

Five-year-old David hadn't seen Peter come back, so during the next hymn, he went out to find out what had happened to Peter. He came back looking rather mystified - because Peter wasn't there.

I think David had a preview of how the ladies felt that first Easter Sunday, when they went to the tomb and could not find Jesus' body.

I don't know if David found Peter after the service was over, but I must make sure they meet up again soon!

After a short break, people started arriving for the afternoon wedding. Church weddings on a Sunday are rather rare, but it was the only solution that met everyone's requirements. It was nice to continue our Sunday Worship with this family ceremony.

However, on reflection, I think I would suggest integrating the wedding ceremony into the regular church service. Many of the wedding guests, who are regularly at morning worship, had missed the morning service since they had wanted to get ready for the wedding instead.

For a long time, I have felt that wedding ceremonies for church people have become far too elaborate. I think a wedding should be a simple ceremony, in front of the whole congregation, as well as including the couple's family and other friends.

The actual marriage formalities themselves only take a few minutes. So it would be perfectly possible for the couple to be married as part of a Sunday service.

Of course, some people want to get married on other days of the week; and then it is very reasonable to have a reduced worship service. It is right that God be put at the centre of Christian marriages, and therefore right that we worship God as part of a Christian wedding, and ask His blessing on the happy couple.

I wonder what you think? Would you have liked to get married on a Sunday as part of a regular church service? Do you think it would be a good thing to do? Or not? I would be glad to read your comments!