why are we doing a series on marriage?

why are we doing a series on marriage?

“Do you want to be single and lonely or married and bored?” The comedian Chris Rock asked this in a stand-up routine once and, in a phrase, captured the ambivalence many of us feel toward marriage.  We long deeply for companionship and love; yet we’re terrified of marriage, or struggle at it, or we are fearful for what marriage might mean for our lives.  A recent article in the Washington Post reports that the proportion of adults who marry has plunged drastically in recent years - a symptom of our paralyzing fear of saying, “I do.”

Starting Sunday, January 8th, we’ll be doing a six-week exploration of the Christian vision of marriage.  Here are a few reasons why...

Many of us aren’t married. This may seem counterintuitive, as over half of our congregation is single, and many - if not most - of our friends and neighbors are unmarried.  Yet many of us, now or eventually, will pursue marriage. This series will help those of us who are single prepare for married life.  In addition, as we explore the Christian vision of singleness and marriage, we’ll explore the unique way in which Christianity offers dignity to unmarried people.

Many of us are getting married. There are quite a few of us who are preparing for marriage, getting engaged, and planning for our wedding day.  This series will help us not simply prepare for a wedding day, but for a flourishing life.

Marriage is hard work. No one who has been married for more than a few months would describe marriage in the syrupy, Hallmark terms that we read in the cards we receive on our wedding day.  Marriage is beautiful... and hard work.  This series will equip those of us who are married to grow and deepen in covenant companionship.

Many of us have scars where marriage is concerned. There are quite a few of us who come from broken or abusive homes.  Many people have actually never seen a marriage on a first-hand basis that they’d want to emulate.  Some of us have experienced the pain of separation or divorce.

There are numbers of us who are investigating Christian faith. What if you’re only beginning to process the claims of Christianity, or aren’t sure what you think of the Bible (if anything!)?  This series is for you, as well. Over the years, as I’ve officiated weddings for folks who aren’t familiar with Christianity, I’ve shared the logic and wisdom of the Christian view of marriage to many, and watched it be deeply helpful to many peoples’ surprise.  Additionally, Christian faith says that marriage is one of the main pictures we have of the saving love of God for us; exploring the Christian wisdom concerning marriage is a prime way to “try on” the Christian message.

So, join me as we explore love and marriage. We hope this series will be honest, helpful, and practical.  As we make our way through this series, we’ll be drawing on material from a great book on marriage that pastor and author Tim Keller recently wrote, entitled “The Meaning of Marriage.” I’d encourage you, if you’d like to go deeper with this material, to pick up the book as well.  Plan on inviting a friend, and join us on the 8th!

May the love of God enable us to love each other well...

Jared Ayers

preaching pastor, liberti church