婚约誓言

 

 

 

译／蔡越

 

 

 

婚约誓言，是基督徒新郎新娘,在上帝和众亲友面前所发的爱的誓言。通常由牧师带领进行，是婚礼中最重要的仪式之一。本刊特将这篇经典婚约誓言译出，该誓言中的三个“无论…….”，代表着基督徒的婚姻观，感人至深。

牧师：新娘和新郎，你们到此表达心愿，希望正式结成夫妻，并保证没有任何法律、道德、宗教的问题能妨碍你们的结合。现在，请你们互相握住右手，聆听下面的话：

新郎(新娘)，你右手所握的女(男)子是你合法婚配的妻子(丈夫)，你要承诺，无论是病弱还是健康，无论是贫穷还是富有，无论是在愁苦黯淡的日子里，还是快乐光明的顺境中，你都爱她(他)，照顾她(他)，尊敬她(他)，支持她(他)，凡事以诚相待，终身相守，至死不渝。

你愿意这样承诺吗?

新郎(新娘)：我愿意。

 

交换婚戒

 

牧师:这婚戒作为有形的信物，是属灵的信念的表征。

一枚婚戒有两个特点，能恰如其分地提醒我们，基督在我们的婚姻里有何等重要。

第一个特点,婚戒是圆的。圆永无终结，基督徒的婚姻也应永无终结。即使在艰难的岁月里，基督徒也会持守自己的责任,相爱相守到永远。这圆形的戒指就是提醒这永不止息的责任。

二个特点，婚戒通常是用金银等贵重金属制成的，岁月不能磨损它们的品质，反而使它们更为珍贵。愿你们的爱也随着岁月增长，永不褪色，永不磨损。

 

 

 

Wedding You

 

 

PASTOR: You　　　　　(Bride) and you　　　　　　(Groom)

having come to me signifying your desire to be formally united in marriage, and being assured that no legal, moral, or religious barriers hinder this proper union. I command you to join your right hands and give heed to the question now asked you.

(Groom/Bride) In taking the woman/man whom you hold by the right hand to be your lawful and wedded wife/husband,I require you to promise to love and cherish her/him, to honor and sustain her/him, in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in the bad that may darken your days, in the good that may light your ways, and to be true to her/him all things until death alone shall part you.

Do you so promise?

Groom/Bride: I do.

 

 

The Ring Ceremony

 

PASTOR: The ring is a material symbol that has been designed to illustrate a spirtual truth.

A ring has two characteristics which make it suitable as a reminder to us of the importance of keeping Christ in our marriages.

Frist,the ring is a circle. Circle never end. Christian marriages should never end. They should last and last and last. Difficult times will come, but the commitment of Christians is to make their marriage go on forever. The ring, which is a circle, is a reminder of that never-ending commitment.

Also, rings are made out of a precious metal, usually silver or gold, which has the unusual quality of getting better and more valuable with age. Instead of wearing out and deteriorating, we pray for your love to grow and improve with age.