The devotional for the officiating minister impacts the whole wedding experience. As the one who has the authority to perform the wedding before witnesses, the officiating minister sets the tone for the wedding, welcomes the guests as the hosts, leads the couple, and serves before God to fulfill the act of marrying the couple.
Devotional for the Officiating Minister
The officiating minister of a wedding has a long list of responsibilities. We won’t cover every one of them in this blog post. This article is designed to give those who serve as officiating ministers in a wedding inspiration for a devotional on the day of the wedding or leading up to the wedding.
Before the officiating minister or pastor is prepared to serve the couple, he or she must look to God for strength, direction, and guidance for this significant day for this couple and their families and friends. It’s better not to start out thinking about what you will tell the couple or instruct them to do. Instead, every life of faith should begin by asking God what his purpose is for our lives, marriages, work lives, relationships, etc.
The Scripture in Mark 7:37 is an excellent source of encouragement for believers. It also fits very well for a devotional for an officiating minister. This passage reminds the reader that God always does things well. It also suggests that part of doing well is to do something with excellence:
“People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
The officiant needs to be reminded that God is in the business of doing things well. Weddings can be a very stressful time for all involved. We often forget how this stress affects the pastor leading this event. Many details can go wrong, but we are supported by the divine Word of God that reminds us that before anything could go wrong, God, who loves us deeply, did everything well on our behalf. Things were done so well that it’s harder to mess up than we might realize.
We must remember that the weight of this responsibility to be the officiating minister does not fall solely on us. God is the one who has promised, for example, in Scripture, that what God has put together no man can take apart in Mark 10:9. Putting together the couple in marriage is not the minister’s responsibility. When a marriage takes place, God promises to fulfill the act of marrying the two together in holy matrimony.
This helpful reminder relieves stress for the officiating minister, which should affect all participating. Suppose the officiating minister is calm and ready to receive direction from the Holy Spirit. In that case, they will be prepared to offer a non-anxious presence to the couple getting married and all those at the wedding party and those attending the wedding. When the officiating minister gives instructions or guidance to everyone, they will feel prepared for the moment, which will go a long way.
Everyone from wedding guests to wedding party members to vendors will be able to tell that you have prepared yourself mentally, spiritually, and emotionally for the task ahead.
Speaking of emotional preparation, the officiating minister is meant to be a source of strength and stability for the couple. This means that you will expect emotions present, especially from the bride and groom. However, the officiating minister must hold it together as much as possible.
When I married one of my best friends, it was the most challenging wedding I did because I wanted to cry so badly, but I knew how important it was that I didn’t call.
You are here for the couple on this particular day, and even if you are performing a wedding for a family member or close friend, do your best not to let your emotions, good or bad, get to you, which will disrupt the ceremony.
Another Scripture that may be helpful for the officiating minister’s devotional is a passage that many are familiar with. It is Philippians 4:30, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This passage is helpful in the wedding environment because so many things are happening at once.
As an officiant for over ten years, at some point, I realized that part of the reason weddings are so stressful is that you have so many different things to do. It’s also stressful because this is a momentous occasion, but you might not have much time to practice the ceremony. Add to this the fact that many family members are meeting one another for the first time, and you quickly begin to see where the stress levels come from.
But you, minister, can do all things. You can do anything that God has set you forth to do, including joining the bride and groom and encouraging the families. The welcoming of the guests, the hosting of the church, and most importantly, listing to and availing oneself to God as you stand in His presence.
Remember, you are working hard to provide a good experience. As you complete your devotional for the officiating minister, this is also an opportunity to enjoy the ceremony and remember that marriage reflects the relationship between Christ and the church he loves deeply. Amen.
Also, remember that Youversion has plenty more devotionals to choose from!
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