October 1, 2016
2:00 PM
First Congregational Church, Palo Alto, California
Prelude
Alicia Chin and Moo (Margaret) light the candelabra
Pastor Don, Groom Matt Chin and Groomsmen: Best Man Ian Heung, Best Man Eric Chin, Groomsmen Russell Chin, Brandon Fong, and Nick Lam enter from the side
Processional
Please rise!
Groom’s Parents are seated: Albert and Audrey Chin on right facing the front
Bride’s Mother is seated: Nita Mok with Ronald on the left facing the front
Bridesmaids: Matron of Honor Toni Wong Chow, Maid of Honor Yolanda Phong, Katrina Wong, Ellenor Louie, and Amy Chung
Ring Bearer: Damien Louie
Flower Girl: Sophie Lew
Bride Jackie Wong and Father David Wong (Father kisses the bride and seated and Jackie joins Matt)
Welcome
Please be seated.
We are gathered here to unite Jacqueline Wong and Matthew Chin in marriage. Marriage is an honorable institution ordained by the church, blessed by Jesus with his presence at the marriage at Cana in Galilee, and perpetuated by faithful and honorable men and women throughout the ages. This simple celebration is the outward token of a sacred and inward union of hearts, a union created by God’s loving purpose and kept by God’s abiding will.
Jackie and Matt, we have joined to help you give added life to this marriage that you have chosen. Nothing is greater for two human souls than to feel they are joined together in the presence of their Creator to strengthen each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent, unspeakable memories of the heart, and to let their happiness lead them into decisions and deeds that contribute to the lives of others and to the betterment of our world.
Jackie and Matt welcome you, their families and friends. Each of you has given some of yourself into their lives. They want you to know that your love, guidance and encouragement will forever be appreciated. It is fitting, then, that you share this celebration of their commitment to each other.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray. O God, we thank you for your presence among us on this joyous occasion. As Jackie and Matt give themselves to each other, we pray that they might also give themselves to you, offering their shared life in service to your will. Now, as Jackie and Matt stand before you and their families and friends, we affirm the love that has brought them together. In the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Presentation of the Bride and the Groom
Invite parents to stand.
Acknowledging that love has united Jackie and Matt, who present this couple to be married today?
The Parents say: “We do.”
Parents be seated.
Declaration of Intent
Before God and this congregation, I ask you to affirm your willingness to enter this covenant of marriage and to share all the joys and sorrows of this new relationship, whatever the future may hold.
Matt: Matt, will you have Jackie to be your wife, and will you love her faithfully as long as you both shall live?
Matt: “I will, with the help of God.”
Jackie: Jackie, will you have Matt to be your husband, and will you love him faithfully as long as you both shall live?
Jackie: “I will, with the help of God.”
Worship Song Ian Heung & Toni Wong Chow
While remaining seated, please join in the singing of the worship song.
Scripture Reading
Colossians 3:1-4, 12-17 Christine Otani
Words to the Couple
The Cross of Love
When we think about love, we immediately imagine a heart. We click the heart emoji to convey our feelings. As Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, when we see the cross, we think about God’s love for the world and as specifically as God’s love for each of you.
In Colossians, we hear the Gospel good news that since we have died in Christ, we are now raised with Christ. This is God’s love. Now it’s up to us to seek the things that are above. Set our minds on things that are above. When we focus our lives on Christ and our lives are filled with God’s love, then Christ is revealed through us and that will be glorious!
Matt and Jackie, you are great examples of Christ’s disciples seeking the things and setting your minds on the things that are above. Both of you are actively involved in your churches becoming faithful examples for youth and others to see. You have made your church commitments the highest priority in your life together. Jackie, you play for worship so that people will know that God is here. Matt, you teach young people inviting them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. You make the practice of prayer a central part of your life together in order to seek God’s plans for your life. And we know that when the two of you are ministering together in the name of our Lord, marvelous wonders will begin to happen because God is with you.
The cross of Christ conveys to us that the vertical symbolizes God’s gracious love in Christ. The horizontal symbolizes the love we are then to have for one another. In the Colossians passage, we are called to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves in love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.”
When you first met on the tennis courts, you probably were not too patient with each other. When you were on the driving range, you may have been only half-hearted in your kind comments for each other. But in time, when you clothe yourselves with love, everything will come together in perfect harmony. When you spend time watching TV shows, you will continue to define the Godly life you seek to become. When you spend time with your families, you will see the rich traditions and histories that both of you are inheriting. When you eventually find a place that you would call home, you will find harmony in your house.
Affirming that it’s God’s love in Christ that has given you new life and believing that the love that you have for one another “binds everything together in perfect harmony,” means that there’s more that God is calling the two of you in marriage to do. Colossians says that with the “word of Christ dwelling in you richly, teach, admonish in all wisdom, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.”
Jackie, with your seminary degree; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom. With your gift in music, sing spiritual songs to God. Matt, in your work administering MRI tests to patients, let them see that the word of Christ is dwelling in you richly. With your gift in photography through the lens of your cameras, reveal God’s glory in this world so that in “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” so that we give thanks to God.
The symbol of the cross is truly a symbol of love. Serve Christ faithfully together. Bind yourselves in perfect harmony. And proclaim God’s glory in Christ by the singing spiritual songs and capturing beautiful pictures for which we are thankful!
Exchange of Vows
To publicly declare their lifelong commitment to each other, Matt and Jackie will exchange vows and give each other rings.
Matt: Dear Jackie,
Who knew that we would be standing here today,
In front of our family and friends about to get married!
In my mind we almost didn’t make it past the first meet up to play tennis back in 2013,
When I pulled out the exact same tennis racket as you,
I honestly thought to myself, “Well good job Matt,
She probably thinks you’re a creeper, well this isn’t going to last long”.
But obviously God had something up his sleeve.
Jackie, I knew I fell in love with you was when you randomly left bottles of root beer in front of my garage the night before I was to leave to Yosemite . It was like 5-6am, I opened the garage door when I noticed a brown paper bag full of something sitting in front of my car, so I gave it a little kick to see if I could hear what was inside. It sounded like glass bottles. Immediately I thought some jerk left their garbage in front of my car, but then I found your note on the driver’s side window. You reminded and encouraged me to spend time with God while being in God’s creation with my favorite soda. Your thoughtfulness and willingness to go out of your way to surprise me truly made me feel special.
You have been my closet friend, someone that I can trust with my thoughts and feelings, you take the time to listen and encourage me, you sacrificed your weekend so we could grow our relationship deeper at “a weekend to remember “ in Napa, and you show me what it means to really trust in our Lord even though the path isn’t always clear. But most importantly, you are the love of my life and seeing you makes me happier than I could ever imagined. You have helped me become a more Godly man through the way you live your life and for that I’m truly blessed.
I promise to communicate fully and honestly.
I promise to ask “clarifying question” instead of assuming what you’re trying to say.
I promise to try my best to dry off completely before stepping on the bathroom mat.
I promise to love , support, and encourage you through the ups and downs of life.
But most importantly, I promise to trust God’s will for us and our future family.
I love you Jackie!
Jackie: Matt, you are God’s gift to me. Before you came along, commitment was a bit scary for me because human love always seemed to be so fleeting…it seemed like it could be present one day and gone the next. But I grew to understand that what I thought is not an accurate portrayal of what real love is. But when God brought you into my life, He supernaturally began to heal my distorted understanding of romantic love. And maybe “romantic” love is not the right word because I feel like the love we share is so much deeper than that. Since we’ve been together, you’ve given me glimpses of what real love looks like. The patience and grace you’ve consistently showered me with reminds me of the perfect patience and grace that God has for His children—and it’s so beautiful and humbling to witness it firsthand in our relationship.
Matt, I promise to always pray for you and encourage you as you strive to live into the man God has created to be.
I promise to consistently speak truth to you and remind you of your truest identity in Christ Jesus. For as long as I shall live, I will be beside you to remind you that you are a man who is kind, compassionate, humble, and patient. You are a man who has been made holy – for all these attributes have been declared about you since the day you put your faith in Christ Jesus. Matt, You are the beloved son of our risen King—and as you lead me and our future family towards the heart of God and in doing His will, I promise to faithfully submit and support you for all the days of my life.
I love you – and though I’m sure we will have our fair share of ups and downs, because a sanctifying marriage is not about rainbows and unicorns, there is no man I’d rather walk through this marriage journey with than you, Matthew Chin. I am committed to you and our marriage 100%, and I promise not to ever give up on this relationship that God has so graciously blessed us with. According to the Myers-Briggs test, our personalities are very different and complete opposites, but I believe it to be a good thing because we can continue to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses as we live out our ultimate goal in life, which is very much the same—to glorify our Heavenly Father with our actions, hearts, minds, and souls. I love you, Matt Chin, and I can’t wait to begin this epic journey with you, as we become one flesh.
Exchange of Rings
For many centuries, a wedding ring has been a symbol of a pledge that those who give and receive a ring intend to live up to the vows and promises made at the time of marriage. A ring is a visible sign of an inward grace which signifies the givers and receivers becoming one in holy matrimony through the church of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let us pray. Enable, O Lord, the ring giver and the ring receiver to fulfill the vows taken here and to know your joyful presence in Matt and Jackie’s marriage and family; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Matt: “As evidence of my love for you and my vow to be your faithful husband as long as life shall last, I joyfully place this ring upon your finger. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Jackie: “As evidence of my love for you and my vow to be your faithful wife as long as life shall last, I joyfully place this ring upon your finger. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Unity Ceremony—Blending of Water
Water is a powerful symbol in our daily life and in our Christian faith. Water is necessary to clean ourselves. Drinking water is essential for survival. In our current drought conditions, we know how precious water is. We also think about water when John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. And from that time forward, we have been baptizing persons in their profession of Christian faith. As Matt and Jackie pour and blend their individual water together, it signifies how refreshing, life giving, and precious their new life together will be.
Honoring Parents
Matt and Jackie wish to publicly share their gratitude to their parents who brought them into this world, nurtured and guided them along life’s ways and will stand firmly with them as they begin their new married life together.
Matt and Jackie participate in the Unity Ceremony and Honoring Parents
Special Song Ian Heung & Toni Wong Chow
Declaration of Marriage
The special joys of this day will long be remembered as your vows are kept and your love is fully shared. So it is through love that you are united in this ceremony today. And it is through loving that you will find many blessings in the years to come.
Wedding Prayer
Most holy God, you know the sacrifices required by love. You, more than we, know the price of unconditional commitment made known to us in Jesus Christ. Pour out your wisdom on Matt and Jackie as they pour out their lives on this special day. Give them the ability to place self aside and to love without reserve. Within their affection, build a lavish supply of forgiveness and grace for each other. Instill them deeply in their hearts with your Word and our Lord. Ingrain in them a resilience that will guard and guide the choices they make as they honor each other on this day and for the rest of their lives. Amen.
Announcements
Following the service, we invite you to enjoy the desserts in the courtyard.
Our wedding coordinator will also instruct you for photo sessions in order to capture your presence at Matt and Jackie’s happy day.
Pronouncement & Benediction
Now may you experience loving companionship in your lives together,
So that if one falls, one may pick the other up;
So that if one is cold in San Francisco, one may give the other warmth;
So that if one is laughing, one may share the laughter;
So that if Matt is rooting for the Giants, Jackie may have the patience to root too;
So that if Jackie has plans to furnish their home with William & Sonoma, Matt may enjoy their home together;
So that if one is dreaming, one may share the dream.
You came as friends, you leave as friends.
You came as two, you leave as one.
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Embrace and Kiss
Matt and Jackie, you may now kiss!
Now it is my joy to announce and present to you for the first time, “Mr. and Mrs. Matt and Jackie Chin!”
Recessional
Wedding Coordinators: Jenny and Jennifer
Church Coordinator: Miranda