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This ceremony may seem long in
written form but it only takes about 12 minutes.
Below you will find the text of the spiritual vow
renewal ceremony. The service is by Rev. John
Souter.
INTRODUCTION
Good relationships never stop growing. Like fine
wine, they get better with age. MALCOM and
ROSEMARY you’ve now been married ____ years; and
today you come to renew your vow and commitment of
love for each other here in the land of aloha.
God invented marriage because
He knew of your need and desire for companionship,
love and fulfillment. But we know that there will
never be a perfect marriage. As you continue in
your relationship, I’m sure you understand that it
takes a lot of love AND a lot of work to make your
relationship work properly.
Some couples tend to think of
marriage as a 50/50 proposition. But the best
relationships are usually 90/10. If you both give
90%—you’ll have a formula likely to continue to
bring a lifetime of happiness.
Love is a verb. Although it can describe a state
of being, love really is an ACTION verb. It’s not
just how you feel about each other, but what you
DO for each other that’s the key. Over time,
feelings can change. But if you keep performing
acts of love for each other, your feelings will
stay fresh & alive.
1 CORINTHIANS 13
Some of the greatest advice
about love ever written is found in 1 Corinthians
chapter 13. Let me read it from the Living Bible:
“Love is very patient and kind,
never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud,
never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not
demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy.
It does not hold grudges and will hardly even
notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad
about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins
out.
“If you love someone you will
be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will
always believe in him, always expect the best of
him, and always stand your ground in defending
him.”
Great words for us to live by.
In the Hawaiian language there
is a term that describes how couples should treat
one another. Ho’oponopono means: “to put things
right by family discussion.”
In other words, don’t let the
sun set when you find that you have become angry.
Talk things out. Makes things right with each
other quickly, before the sun disappears into the
horizon. That’s the best way to keep little
misunderstandings from growing into relationship
killing problems.
SANDBURG POEM
Poet Carl Sandburg captured the
essence of a love which can grow and mature over a
lifetime when he wrote:
“I love you. I love you for
what you are, but I love you yet more for what you
are going to be. I love you not so much for your
realities as for your ideals. I pray for your
desires, that they may be great, rather than for
your satisfactions, which may be so hazardously
little.
“A satisfied flower is one
whose petals are about to fall. But the most
beautiful rose is one, hardly more than a bud,
wherein the pangs and ecstasies of desire are
working for larger and finer growth. Not always
shall you be what you are now. You are going
forward toward something great. I am on the way
with you and . . I love you.”
HIS VOWS
MALCOM, please take the lei and
place it around ROSEMARY ‘s neck and in the
Hawaiian tradition, give her a kiss on both
cheeks.
Do you MALCOM, acknowledge your
desire to continue to take ROSEMARY, to be your
wife, to live together according to the Bible?
Will you continue to love and cherish her, giving
her assistance in all of life’s labors? Will you
continue to be true to her both in sickness and
health, both when things are going well and when
there are problems? And will you be faithful to
her as long as you both shall live? If so, you may
answer, I DO.
MALCOM, let the beautiful &
fragrant flowers that you have placed on ROSEMARY
remind you of the fragile nature of your
relationship with your wife. Cherish her always as
your princess.
HER VOWS
ROSEMARY, take this lei and
place it around MALCOM ‘s neck and in the Hawaiian
tradition, give him a kiss on both cheeks.
Do you, ROSEMARY, acknowledge
your desire today, to continue to take MALCOM, to
be your husband and to live together according the
Bible? Will you continue to love and cherish him,
giving him assistance in all of life’s labors?
Will you continue be true to him both in sickness
and health, both when things are going well and
when there are problems? And will you be faithful
to him as long as you both shall live? If so, you
may answer, I WILL.
ROSEMARY, let the beauty &
fragrance of these flowers which you have placed
around MALCOM ‘s neck remind you of your
commitment to continue to be his bride. Cherish
him always as your prince.
HER RING
MALCOM, may I see the ring that
is the lasting symbol of your vows to ROSEMARY?
This gold ring has been
subjected to tremendous heat so that the waste
could be removed and the metal purified into a fit
token of your commitment of love. As it has since
the day you first gave it to ROSEMARY, let this
ring continue to symbolize your willingness to
build your character through your self-sacrificial
love for your wife.
Touch that ring on ROSEMARY ’s
finger, symbolic re-giving it to her, and repeat
these vows to your wife:
“I MALCOM, renew my commitment
to you ROSEMARY, as your husband. I will love you;
I will cherish you. I will to be true to you, no
matter what comes, whether we become rich or poor,
whether there is sickness or health, until we are
parted by death, and with this ring, as a symbol
of my pledge, I now renew my vow of love to you --
my wife.”
HIS RING
ROSEMARY, may I see the ring
that is the lasting symbol of your vows to MALCOM?
Note that the ring you have
given him is a circle, which symbolizes
eternity—for a circle has no ending. ROSEMARY, let
that ring remind you of the new lifetime
relationship that you are continuing in with
MALCOM. Touch the ring on MALCOM ’s finger and
repeat after me as you remake these vows to your
husband:
“I ROSEMARY, renew my
commitment to you MALCOM, to be your wife. I will
love you I will cherish you, I will be true to
you, no matter what comes. Whether we become rich
or poor, whether there is sickness or health,
until we are parted by death, and with this ring,
as a symbol of my pledge, I now renew my vow of
love to you -- my husband.”
PRAYER
PROCLAMATION
Now that you MALCOM and
ROSEMARY have openly declared your wish to be
united in the covenant of marriage, and as you
have made these promises to each other before God
and these witnesses, and have given each other
rings to confirm your vows;
I, John Souter, by the power &
authority given to me as a minister, do affirm
before God, that the two of you have today
expressed your desires to rekindle your love and
passion, and renew your vow of marriage.
From this moment on, let all
know of your desire to continue for a lifetime: as
husband and wife. May God bless you. You may kiss
your bride.
To see the Christian Vow Renewal Ceremony, click here:
To return to Maui Vow Renewal
page, click here:
Call me TODAY!
Call Toll FREE Maui Weddings
at
1-800-856-3270
Maui Me®, Inc.
120 Peahi Road, Haiku, Maui, HI 96708
USA Toll Free Number: 1-800-856-3270
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