The power of the sacrament

I recently received a relatively heated diatribe from a Vicar colleague about my apparent lack of preparation for married couples. Said couple had been deciding whether to get married here (where he lives) or at the Church of said Vicar where she lives. They had told him the rumour that I sometimes prepare for weddings in a local pub ( actually I think I have done it twice!!)

They have provisionally decided on here ( if they can't get a cancellation at the secular venue they really want - which puts the whole earnest endeavours into something of a perspective).

I loved this post about baptism here which seemd to apply similar sacramental concerns to baptism - where my preparation might also be deemed inadequate.

I silenced my critic by asking how many of the couples that he had married over past few years was he still in touch with - ( it seemed 1 who were already members of the Church) - my continuing contact level is about 60% higher so there!!

I reflected that I would prefer contact after they had married rather than any course of preparation - but maybe I am missing something?

Comments

[Lorna]

meeting in the pub sounds a great idea to me!

and yes keeping in touch after the wedding is probably more important.

what a choice :)

be blessed and keep on doing what you are doing - loving people INTO the kingdom of God

[tony]

What is baptism or marriage preparation *for*? Given that parents of small babies have other things on their minds, as do young people in lerv about to get married, I suspect that not much of it sinks in. So I have long suspected the real purpose of it is to make the vicar providing it feel he/she is doing a good or necessary job. I've long been trying to learn how to feel good about the job I do without providing unnecessary and often unwelcome services.