I once heard a story of an old hobo who had a bad fall when jumping off a train and was taken to the nearest Emergency Room. As it just so happened, it was a Catholic Hospital and the people attending to him were also nuns. The nun in charge of administration asked him if he had any health insurance? “Do I look like the kind of fella that has health insurance?” The nun undeterred by his answer pressed on, “Well, do you have any relatives we can contact that may be able to help with the cost of your treatment?” He said, “Come to think of it, I have a sister who is an old maid and also happens to be a nun.” The administration nun was a bit offended at how he described his sister and said “Sir, nuns are not old maids, we are married to Christ.” Then the hobo said, “Oh, I didn’t know that. If that’s the case, send the bill to my brother-in-law.”
I sure hope no one minds my jesting a bit with a story about nuns. The story came to mind because I remembered that the fourth of June is “Old Maid Day.” The thought came to me as I jumped ahead and flipped a coin in honor of June first’s “Flip a Coin Day” trying to figure out what I would write about this month. There are other days some of us take to heart. For instance, cat lovers such as Nanette (our church secretary) and I will make sure and honor “Hug your Cat Day” which is also celebrated in June. As a proud dad, I, of course, look forward to “Father’s Day” which is celebrated in June as well. This year’s Fathers Day is made a little more special because I look forward to the Fathers Day breakfast provided to the men of our church by the ladies of our church. We are blessed with some astronomical cooking talent amongst the ladies of SLCC. June is also known for something that is not an official holiday. Although I could not find it as an official celebration day in June, June is widely know as the month for weddings. The tradition of June weddings is traced back to the Roman Mythology goddess, Juno, who was the goddess of love and marriage. Being married in June was done seeking prosperity in marriage. Wedding memories are as varied as the couples that are joined in marriage. However, there are some interesting similarities in the brides. The wedding day ceremonies and activities are generally much more important to the bride than the groom. For the life of me, I can’t ever recall seeing a soon to be married bachelor pouring hours of his time into studying books on wedding attire or spending a lot of time at the tux shop with his friends asking “what do you think of this tux?” I have also heard that it was not uncommon for young girls or teens to spend time practicing what it would be like to sign their name with a different last name. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying guys are an unfeeling lot, we are simply wired differently. Regardless of the venue, the cost, or the custom surrounding the wedding ceremony, just as the bride at times seems to have tunnel vision focusing on that moment when she walks down the aisle toward her future husband, the hardiest of men’s knees are weakened and their pulse quickens when they look at their bride on their wedding day and the thought “wow, that girl is actually going to be my wife” almost overwhelms them. There is no question, the day when a groom collects his bride is like an apex of emotions, dreams, and hopes when two become one. As Christians, we are part of the body of Christ, also know as His church and referred to as the Bride of Christ. In the Book of Revelation we read in , 19:7, “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of Lamb has come and His Bride has made herself ready.” (ESV) In the spirit of full disclosure, the bride in Revelation is the New Jerusalem which some commentators argue is a symbol of the church, others limit the context to Israel and yet others expand it to include all those who are redeemed in Christ. This is a monthly Newsletter and not a theological treatise so we won’t delve into this particular hermeneutical debate. The imagery for the church as the Bride of Christ is also found in Pauline writings in 2 Corinthians and in Ephesians. The point I simply wish to make is that a time is coming when Christ and His bride (in this context the church) will be united. This union will not be limited by health, earthly problems or time. It will be a time of celebration and while we are still on this earth such a time should be anticipated with baited breath just as earthly wedding celebrations are. As part of the body of Christ (AKA) His bride are you getting ready for that wedding day? Is anything missing? How can SLCC help you be as ready as you can be? Have a blessed June, Vic Comments are closed.
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