Dear Friends,
During the month of September, Holy Trinity will celebrate two weddings – Doug and Maeve, and Chloe and Ignas. In a few weeks, Phil and I will also be journeying to Ireland to celebrate a nephew’s wedding. All these special days will be ones of great joy, a time of bringing two people together in a lifelong relationship where they promise to love one another for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, as the old rite says. And of course those words reflect the reality of life. Being married to someone means rejoicing in the wonderful days whilst also getting through the difficult ones – in whatever guise they come along.
We are told that Jesus himself attended weddings – and I hope he enjoyed the partying as much as we do. He went to a wedding in Cana where he first revealed who he was. He told a parable about a wedding feast… and we are given the image of a wedding banquet in Revelation where we will be joined forever with Jesus.
As I considered this, and wrote liturgies for the celebrations which are coming up, I reflected about how a wedding can be a metaphor for community life – such as we enjoy in Holy Trinity. Both illustrate God’s abundant joy, relational unity, and the call to gather as an inclusive, interconnected family that shares in mutual support and divine presence.
For weddings and community life are indeed times of shared joy and hospitality. We gather together on Sundays and Wednesdays for our refreshments and lunches, sharing fellowship, company and food. Our host in church and in life is primarily Jesus – the One of generosity and abundance who invites all, whatever our circumstances. At the Wedding of Cana, Jesus quietly provided for the party when things went awry, just as in our community life God provides grace, comfort and support in times of need. During weddings we join together in an interconnectedness of love for the happy couple… and on Sundays and Wednesdays we are connected to each other and Jesus through the sacrament and in our daily prayers as we pray for and remember each other. This interconnectedness not only extends to those of all ages, our community being truly inter-generational, but it also encompasses the natural world, with God our Creator, as well as with our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
A wedding ceremony denotes the start of a new relationship through which, it is hoped, the couple will grow and flourish, and in the same way our community continues to build over time, as members are helped to grow in the image of God, as we exchange our stories and support each other.
We are so blessed to be part of Holy Trinity. For each and every one of us is vital for our community’s growth and well-being. God bless you all.
with love, Liz