News Elites: Joining of Couples - Cornerstone Parish

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Joining of Couples - Cornerstone Parish

WEDDING CEREMONY - CORNERSTONE AREA

On the 1st day of December, 2018, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (Cornerstone Area) witness the Solemnization of Holy Matrimony between Mr. Ikechukwu Valentine Ahia (Nigerian) and Miss. Sarah Nekusa Nakazzi (Ugandan) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Couple locking lips

The ceremony commence with the processional hymn 1: To God be the Glory, great things He hath done!
So loved he the world that he gave us His son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin.

Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O' come to the Father through Jesus the son, and give Him the glory, great things He hath done!

Just immediately after the hymn, the officiating minister in the person of Pastor Seyi Omisore climbs the pulpit to proceed with the joining.

Beloved brethren, we are gathered here today before God and His congregation to join Sarah and Valentine in Holy Matrimony.
He further said MARRIAGE is an honourable institution ordained by God Himself before the fall of man and it symbolizes the union between Christ and the Church. That Christ sanctions marriage is evidenced by the fact that He honoured an invitation to a wedding in Cana of Galilee and He performed His first miracle there.

Pastor Sey Omisore

Also, Apostle Paul pointed out that marriage is honourable among men.

Therefore, marriage should not be rushed into with the thought of satisfying canal lust, but should be approached with dignity and the fear of the Lord duly considering the cause for which it was ordained.

The minister further gave some important reasons for Marriage as he explains.

Firstly, marriage is for mutual fellowship, companionship, help and comfort which husband and wife ought to have for each other in all circumstances of life.

Secondly, marriage is to check the sinful life of fornication and adultery so that those not gifted to be continent can marry and thus keep themselves holy as the body of Christ.

Thirdly, marriage is ordained for the purpose of procreating and raising of children to fear the Lord, abide with the teaching of His words and glorify His Holy name.
These agreements, these two sister Sarah and brother Valentine have reached and are to be joined together.

Groom

Bride

THE HOUR OF HEART BEATING
From the foregoing therefore, if anyone has any reason or reasons why these two should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, let him/her say now, this question was repeatedly ask three times by the minister, as he proceed to say if there is none, let everyone remain silent over this marriage forever.

Pst. Omisore further guide them through the marriage vows saying, now both of you do realize that those joined contrary to the will of God are not acceptably joined together in the sight of the Almighty.

Therefore, do any of you have any reason why you should not be joined in Holy Matrimony?
Both the groom and bride answered saying, no I don't. Hence there is no reason by either of them, the marriage vow follows.

NUPTIAL VOW

The groom holding the right hand of the bride, the man pledges thus: (Saying after the minister).

Valentine vows while holding Sarah's right hand

I, Valentine, accept you Sarah as my wife today, to have and to hold, for better and for worse. I will love in plenty and in poverty, in health and in sickness, I will love you and nurse you according to the will of God, till death do us path, for this I give you my troth.

The bride holding the right hand of the groom, the woman pledges thus: (Saying after the minster). I, Sarah, accept you Valentine as my husband today, to have and to hold, for better and for worse. I will love in plenty and in poverty, in health and in sickness, I will love you and nurse you according to the will of God, till death do us path, for this I give you my troth.

Sarah vows while holding Valentine's right hand

Thereafter, the groom gives the bride a new copy of the Holy Bible and both hold it together as they repeat the following after the minister.

With this Holy Bible, which is the word of God, I marry you, I surrender myself to you in sacrifice and I will nurse you with all my possession in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...Amen.

Couples holding Bible together

The minister shall then lay hands on the new couples and say:
"For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and the two shall be one flesh. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh, what therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."

As Valentine and Sarah have agreed to be joined in Holy Matrimony even as they confessed before God and man and backed it up with the giving and receiving of the Holy Bible as an everlasting testament, I say they should live together as husband and wife as from today in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit...Amen.
Just immediately the couples pronounced husband and wife by the officiating minister, they proceed to signing the marriage register as the ceremony come to a close with a closing prayer just as opening prayers were made at the start.