Joseph Rex of Tasmania,
son of Kevin Wayne,
and Susan Joan,
of Hobart Towns,on this Day of all days,
do you take this man—Jesus of Nazareth,
seed of Abraham,
descended from David,
offspring of the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,Israel’s long-awaited Messiah,
called Christ—God’s King—,
Son of the only wise and living—
Yahweh—the Father Almighty—,do you take this man—
who died as the Lamb,
crucified for your sin,
risen as your King,
living for you,
forgiving all who do,taking him for all he is,
over death and the world and sin—do you take Him—
this man who is,
ascended to God’s right hand,
who offers his Spirit too,
and a new creational kingdom,when he comes in power to reign,
to make good of all your pain,
to make right of all the shame—do you take this man—
who has promised you His vows,
to come into you—as his home—,
to bring you to his very throne—,
putting out all whom He disowns—,and there consummate his love,
filling you with all that is above—,
and as a dove rests upon its own,
come to show you himself alone—,do you take this man—
to be your lawfully wedded Lord,
your Husband and your World,
your Lover and your All,
your God and all that you adore—,to have him and hold him Whole,
until death join you,
or He come to find you,
and bring Day to its very End,
and your Self he then will mend—Will you submit to him,
respecting and loving,
and serving him,
as yourself; as your Master—with all of your heart,
with all of your soul,
with all of your mind,
and body and strength,in sickness and in health,
for better or for worse,
in riches and in poverty,
and forsaking all others?—so help you God.
By the grace of God, I do.
Come, our Lord Jesus!On this Day of all days,
will you also—
do you take this Man too—this One and True,
and Living Man,
who is come to take
you by the hand?—this Galilean of the Gentiles,
this Groom of Capernaum,
the aged wine in place of water,
the Word before this world began—this Lion of the line of Judah,
this Shoot from Eden’s Tree,
this Adam out of Woman,
working the ground until it's free—who hovered over the waters,
and sits again there now,
wooing light with gentle whisper,
calling Day forth by name—who is returning to his garden,
crossing over the threshing floor,
entering in between the swords
that flash with flaming hordes—this Son of Man with Serpent,
hanging from his standing cross,
who stoops with bended knee
to write upon the earth:“Woman, where are they—who say,
‘Now condemned you must lay down’?”
I have come to wed my own;
I laid down upon my throne—
and crown I take back now,
and you by your trembling hand,the stones themselves I felled,
my bride, I you upheld.”Will you take this man—
you womb without child,
you man without humē,
you land without priest,
you one who is alone—From your bones—
from your flesh—
from your dead hillside,
this offspring has come
to open Spring up Inside—And the leaves will unfold
with light in their eyes,
and the trees will lead down
into rivers within time—And you shall be called
Woman and Bride,
Wife and Loved,
by this Man’s very side—And he will carry you in,
to his tent open wide,
and the warmth of his smile
will be naked for all time.Will you take this man?—
His hand—held out one more time,
it was opened on the cross,
where it poured out like his side.Leave your lovers and your loves,
your idols and your gods;
and, forsaking all others,
take his hand—so help you God.
The grace of Christ our King
be with his own—
his ones—his body—his home—
now and forevermore.Amen!
