| The Rock MCC church home page Rev. Brad Rice, pastor |
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What We Believe
About Marriage
At
The Rock MCC the Rite of Gay Holy Union
/ Straight Holy Matrimony is the celebration of the
spiritual joining before God of two persons in a covenant
relationship. It is perhaps best described as a formal and binding
agreement between two individuals. It encompasses a spiritual,
and emotional and a physical commitment to each other by the couple as
an expression of mutual love and support. It is a covenant which
places God at its center. The concept of a covenant-agreement is found
in Scripture. Historically, a covenant was a solemn, mutual agreement
between people with a statement of specific terms, confirmed by an
oath. In many instances God was the formal, named witness to the
agreement. The covenant of Holy
Union / Holy Matrimony is a serious undertaking, not to be
entered into lightly. The Rock MCC believes
that it is primarily a religious ceremony. In light of this, we
feel it is important that your faith be an integral aspect of each of
your lives. If you are not seeking a faith-based ceremony, a secular
ceremony may be more appropriate for you. In keeping with its sacred
nature, it is essential that the Rite of Holy Union / Holy
Matrimony occur within a service of Christian worship. The service
itself can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish it to be, but some
basic elements need to be incorporated. These include prayer,
Scripture, instruction or encouragement, dismissal and blessing.
The
Rite itself should include a proclamation of commitment, vows or
pledges, and the exchange of rings or other sacred tokens. It is a
ceremony of celebration for the couple and for the community of faith
with whom they worship. As a ceremony of celebration and blessing this
Rite provides a time for your family and/or friends to publicly
witness and support your covenant of commitment to each other.
The
Rite of Holy Union is a purely religious Rite, while marriage
is both a religious and a civil act. At present, there is no state
within the continental United States of America that affords Holy Unions
the same legal status as a Marriage. Consequently, a Holy
Union offers you no civil legal protection. You can arrange
such protection by consulting an attorney. Ask the pastor when you
have your first appointment, if you need a referral. A Marriage
ceremony does change the legal status of the relationship of
two people of different gender. There are numerous civil forms and
legal requirements which must be adhered to and it will be your
responsibility to check with the appropriate authorities and to obtain
the appropriate licence(s) prior to the wedding date if this is the
ceremony you require. [Vermont -and Connecticut
and New Jersey-
offer Civil Unions for gays, while Massachusetts offers state Gay
Marriage for gays, each state offering certain civil legal protections
applying to that state. Soon other states will follow suit.
Canada now offers Gay Marriage for gays, but it is not yet
recognized by the USA. 5 or 6 other countries offer some form of gay
marriage or union for gays, and many more will be in the near future,
including all of the USA.]
The UFMCC
and The Rock MCC take the
sacraments and rites of the church very seriously. Therefore, the following conditions must be met before our pastor will
officiate at a Union or Marriage.
1. The couple must meet with the pastor.
2.
Each of you must be legally single. 3. You must assume
financial responsibility for the cost associated with Holy Union
/ Marriage. 4. You must have known one
another at least 1 year and have been living together for at least 6
months prior to your ceremony.
A Holy
Union or Marriage ceremony is not a "quick fix" for a
troubled relationship. It is important that proper thought be given to
the significance of having the Rite of Holy Union / Holy
Matrimony performed.
During
your first appointment, the two of you and the pastor will get
acquainted and discuss several important topics. After you have had an
opportunity to consider the issues and options, a second appointment
will be necessary to plan your actual ceremony and finalize other
details. Depending on your unique process, a third appointment may
also be necessary. Included in the workbook will be a planning
checklist. A list of vendors is available upon request.
No date for a
ceremony is considered confirmed until the planning is complete and
the fees pre-paid. This process will require time, discussion, and
decisions involving each of you. Expect to spend some time together
planning for this important event. You will need to make decisions
about any party or reception, what you are going to wear, who will be
your witnesses and/or guests, etc. The list of decisions can become
overwhelming at times.
E-Mail for Assistance with Your Marriage
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