XP Ceremony readings

katehar01

Hi Ladies,

I posted this in ceremony ideas, but didn't get a ton of responses.  FI and I are going to meet with my pastor tomorrow about the ceremony, and I wanted to go with some ideas of readings.  I'm sure he'll have ideas, but I'm the type to just say "Sure!" even if I don't like it if I don't go in with some idea of what I want, haha. 

Anyway, I read my Bible but I'm not really at the point of coming up with specific verses off the top of my head (other than 1st Corinthians, haha), so I googled.  We probably will use 1st Corinthians, but I'm looking for a couple others.  Do you ladies have any verses you're using/used in your wedding that you really loved?  We also may have one secular reading in addition (a poem or something), so if you have any suggestions on that, I'd appreciate them as well!

Thanks so much!

naomikb

There are lots, but here are some of my favourites. The first 2, Romans and Matthew are the ones we used for ours.  For our non-biblical reading we used the Apache Wedding Prayer.  Sorry for the messed up fonts, they are copied from various places into a document I have...

Romans 12: 1-2, 9-18

 

12I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. ⁹Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Matthew 5:14-16

   ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

1 John 4:7-12

 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Two are better than one, 
   because they have a good return for their labor: 
If either of them falls down, 
   one can help the other up. 
But pity anyone who falls 
   and has no one to help them up. 
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. 
   But how can one keep warm alone? 
Though one may be overpowered, 
   two can defend themselves. 
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Place me like a seal over your heart, 
   like a seal on your arm; 
for love is as strong as death, 
   its jealousy unyielding as the grave. 
It burns like blazing fire, 
   like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love; 
   rivers cannot sweep it away. 
If one were to give 
   all the wealth of one’s house for love, 
   it would be utterly scorned.

--Song of Songs 8:6-7  (Hebrew Bible)

Colossians 3:12-17
¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Apache Wedding Prayer
Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be companion to the other.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect,
and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.
Give the highest priority to the tenderness,
gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.
When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship;
as they threaten all relationships at one time or another,
remember to focus on what is right between you,
not only the part which seems wrong.
In this way, you can ride out the storms
when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives,
remembering that even if you lose sight of it
for a moment, the sun is still there.
And if each of you takes responsibility
for the quality of your life together,
it will be marked by abundance and delight.

Go now to your dwelling place,
To enter into the days of your life together,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

naomikb

Here's another good (concise) list of NT readings.  You should check if you need one OT and one NT or if you can mix it up.

Matthew 5: 1-10	The Beatitudes
Matthew 5: 13-16	You are the light of the world
Matthew 6: 19-21	Where your treasure is, there will your heart also be
Matthew 7: 24-29	A wise man built his house upon a rock
Matthew 22: 36-40	The greatest commandment
Mark 10: 6-9	What God has joined together let no man put asunder
John 2: 1-12	Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana
John 15: 1-8	I am the vine and you are the branches
John 15: 9-17	Love one another as I have loved you
Romans 12: 9-12	Let love be genuine
1 Corinthians 13: 4-13	Love
Ephesians 3: 14-19	May you be grounded and rooted in love
Ephesians 5: 21-33	Wives submit to your husbands, husbands love your wives
Colossians 3: 12-17	Put on love, which binds everything together in harmony
1 John 4: 7-8, 12	Beloved, let us love one another
Revelation 19: 5-9	The marriage of the Lamb

BekahL90

We are using Song of Solomon 8:6-7 and Matthew 19:4-6. 

agape1cor813

We had Colossians 3:12-17.

ochemjenn

We used:
Tobit 8:5b-8
I Corinthians 13:1-13
John 2:1-12

AshNoel8

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_xp-ceremony-readings?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:f68403b1-7c9b-44b0-be1f-b9674fcf0d8dPost:bb25064b-56c7-4d6e-924e-766a3d4adde5">Re: XP Ceremony readings</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>1 John 4:7-12 </strong> Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  8  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  9  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  10  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  11  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  12  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 
Posted by naomikb[/QUOTE]

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</div><div>We used this in our ceremony! I like this one! </div>

katehar01

Thanks for all the input ladies!  This was so helpful!

DeannaCW

Just be careful about the Apache Wedding Prayer. If you like what it says then feel free, but just know that it was written in the 1950's to be included in a movie, it's not anything traditional.

catwine

we are going to use Ruth 1:16

"...where you go, I will go. where you stay, I will stay.  Your people will be my people adn your God will be my God."

cwill6212

We're using 1 John 4:7-12 and also Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 to coincide with our cord of three strands unity celebration.