I had talked to Renee on the phone, and she and Lynn had the opportunity to review the text of their ceremony in advance, but I had not met them until an hour before the ceremony. Lynn was especially relieved to learn that I am gay and said that knowing this made going through the ceremony so much easier for her. She didn't say it in these words, but it seemed that part of what she was saying was that, with a heterosexual minister, she might have felt that the minister was condescending to accept her union in contrast to knowing that the gay minister was on her same team, sharing rather than merely accepting.
The ceremony took place under a pergola at the back of the house Lynn and Renee will be moving to in a few weeks. The space was just the right size to accommodate their guests.
One part of the ceremony that I wrote for them I will share here:
Wedding Address
Many ancient societies didn’t have words to express the bond we are gathered here to celebrate and give witness to today. But some did. There have always been those who recognize the divine gift of the loving pairing of one person with another in its many forms. In our society today there are those who don’t yet have a vocabulary that allows them to understand the God-given grace of the union we have gathered to celebrate today. But a growing portion of the people around us are beginning to awaken to the beauty of love and commitment in all its rainbow colors and many expressions. We live in a time of wonderful potential, when people in love can receive the recognition of law and support of society that each one deserves.
Almost 2,400 years ago a Greek philosopher wrote about a dinner party where each guest was to give a speech in praise of love. Among the guests, one told a humorous metaphorical tale about early humans being a composite of the stuff that would make up two persons, but in one complex body. Each human body was either female and female, female and male, or male and male. But the gods decided that these joined humans were too powerful, and so they split them into two unique persons in separate female and male bodies. As a result of the separation, though, each one feels incomplete and seeks her other half.
The biology of attraction, the chemistry of love, and the sociology of commitment are quite complex. Our scientists are still trying to figure it out. But in the Book of Genesis, God observes that it is not good for a person to be alone. There is something deep within our humanity that yearns for another person to mutually balance, complete, and support us. This is a precious gift from God.
And so today we come together as witnesses, recognizing the joining of Renee Foster and Lynn Crespi in bonds of mutual love and support.
~~~~~
The brides were radiant. And I was privileged to be a part of their publicly recognized union.
1 responses:
Beautful post. Congratulations to the brides!
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