A Life, in One Act, with many scenes

The Intro – Knowledge at first Sight
Scene One – The lobby of Marsh Auditorium in the Fine Arts Center of the University of Southern Mississippi. A few chairs on either side of the small table. A young lady sitting on one of the tables, swinging her feet; we’ll call her YoungLady or YL for short. Sitting next to her is a friend named Chris. Some other friends were around chatting and waisting time between classes. It was actually almost time for the next round of classes to begin; we had all just had lunch across the street, Subway that day. There was much chatter and laughter being had by all. Some friends of ours had just gotten engaged and most of the girls were ooing and aahing over the ring and giggling over showers that needed to be planned. Chris leans in to YL and says:

Chris: I’m never gonna find a girl to marry.
YL: Sure you will.
Chris: No, I’m not. What about you?
YL: Me? You want to marry me?
Chris: (who turns bright red with embarrassment) No, I mean don’t you care about the dating stuff? You were so cool about it when Richard broke up with you. And it’s been a while. You know, he was impressed with the way you handled it. (wink, wink)
YL: Oh, no thank you! I learned way more about him than I bargained for. I’m grateful for that break up.
Chris: So, when are you gonna get back out there.

Interruption in YL’s head. A very tall, very handsome, very dark-haired man dressed to the nines walks through the lobby as YL’s eye follow him all the way through the room. A huge cast iron pan just whacks her across the head and she elbows Chris in the ribs and says:

YL: You see that guy? That guy right there in the suit – tall, dark, and handsome? I’m gonna have that guy. That’s my husband.
Chris: (baffled, and still chuckling from the elbowing) What are you talking about?
YL: That guy, you idiot! (trying not to point) That’s who I’m going to marry and spend the rest of my life with.
Chris: Yeah, sure.
YL: Mark my words, ChrisMan. It will happen.

That’s it. She knew, as simply as being whacked on the head with a cast iron pot, that she had found her life’s mate.

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Time Passes, one year and three months later
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Scene Two – A beautiful church in the south of Mississippi two very happy, extremely excited people are about to take their wedding vows. She is dressed in the gown that he bought for her because her parents wouldn’t. He has never seen this gown or her in it. It has been a very traditional preparation and very old traditions of ceremony and service are planned complete with two officiating ministers, 6 bridesmaids and 7 groomsmen, brass, soloists and organ.

A SERVICE of CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE

Saturday, the eighteenth of December
nineteen hundred ninety-three
at six o’clock in the evening

Order of Worship

The Prelude

The Seating of the Family
“The Voice of my beloved sounds” arr. Alice Parker

The Processional
“Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” harm. Hassler
Fanfare “Albason” Reiche
“Trumpet Voluntary” Clarke

The Salutation

*Hymn 53 Lobe den Herren
“Praise to the Lord the Almighty”

*The Apostles’ Creed

*The Gloria Patri

The Declaration of Consent

The Ministry of The Word

Scripture Lesson
Ephesians 5:1 and 2, 21 – 33

Homily/Charge

The Marriage

The Wedding Vows

The Exchange of Rings

*Hymn 37 (Psalm 67, Metrical) aurelia
“O, God, to Us show Mercy”

*The Collect

*The Lord’s Prayer

*The Suffrage
Minister: O Lord, save Thy servant, and Thy handmaid;
People: Who put their trust in Thee.
Minister: O Lord, send them help from Thy Holy Place:
People: And evermore defend them.
Minister: Be unto them a tower of strength,
People: From the face of their enemy.
Minister: O Lord, hear our prayer.
People: And let our cry come unto Thee.

The Lighting of the Unity Candle

Solo
“Trinitarian Blessing” music by K. Lee Scott
May the Sending One sing in you,
May the Seeking One walk with you,
May the Greeting One stand by you
in your gladness and in your grieving.

May the Gifted One relieve you,
May the Given One retrieve you,
May the Giving One receive you
in your falling and your restoring.

May the Binding One unite you,
May the One Beloved invite you,
May the Loving One delight you,
Three-in-One, joy in life unending.
Words by Brian Wren
Copyright 1989 by Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, Illinois. Used by Permission.

The Blessing of the Marriage

The Presentation

The Recessional
“Toccata” (from Symphony in F) C. M. Widor

the SmockLady and SmockDaddy

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A few hours pass
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Scene Three – we’ll skip it; it’s nunya.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Twelve years pass
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Scene Four – A happily married couple spends a regular day, doing what comes normal for that day. Today is Sunday. Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. It’s one week before we celebrate the birth of Christ.

To my dear husband, my best friend:
I cannot tell you how happy I am that I married you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in this life on earth. You have loved me. You have cared for me. You have given me the five best children on the face of this earth. You have prayed for me. You have prayed with me. You have put up with my temper. You have an enormous amount of patience with me, my temper. You have change way more than your share of diapers and dishes.
You have provided for me and this family with everything that is in you. In the midst of times that we thought there would be absolutely nothing to eat after we cook what was left, God has provided every time. You made sure my faith stood strong when I wondered if we’d been forgotten. You scrubbed toilets to earn money to buy food. You worked nights at the paper plant between other jobs. You put up with crap at work while looking for other places to get a job. You spent ten years at a hostile working place just so there was surety of income while you looked elsewhere. Many men would have thrown there hands up and walked away without other sources of income. You stuck it out and made sure we were taken care of. You kept your mouth shut while others attacked you fiercely so no one could accuse us of gossip and lying. You protected me from so much hatred. You put yourself behind me and our children in everything you so – you always stand firm in your protection of us and you stand firmly behind us when we need to speak out. You are the rock of this family. You have suffered so much because of my family. Although, I did try to warn you, you always thought I was exaggerating. And when they attacked you, you didn’t let them rock you. When they attacked me and our children you defended us to the point of taking a beating most husbands and fathers would have walked away from. You didn’t. You stood strong. You stood tall. You stood your ground. You stood strong against the beating so that they wouldn’t get any closer to us. We’ve all felt the blow, but you took the brunt of it for us. There aren’t many marriages that would still be standing as strong as we are today if they had to go through so much of what we’ve been through.
I love you so much and am thankful every single day that you are my husband and the father of my children. It’s been twelve years of so much financial struggle mixed in to our joy that sometimes we both forget about the joy. But it’s there and we both know it is. Maybe 13 will be our lucky year. Simply put: Happy Anniversary! You are my hero! I love you!!

Your wife,
the SmockLady