Weddings
We understand that many couples have a hard time finding the right minister for their ceremonies. Our clergy place no restrictions on how or where they will officiate or co-officiate at an Interfaith / Interspiritual Marriage. And we promise to help make your wedding ceremony joyous and memorable.
Our ministers believe that "no" is not included in God's vocabulary and we know that love is by far the greatest doctrine of all faiths!
Our clergy will work with you on everything you need- from your pre-marriage counseling, interfaith / interspiritual wedding program, through the selection of specific symbolic elements, music, and wedding vows and we will help to make your day an expression of who you are.
Our fees are always very reasonable and we will work with you and your budget.
House Blessings
After moving into a new home, some people hold a spiritual house warming.
Dating back to the earliest days of Christianity, the ritual protected inhabitants from "evil" spirits and typically happened during the Epiphany, the 12 holy days after Christmas. In the Christian faith, house blessings are primarily a tradition in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Episcopal Church. Other faiths have similar rituals that invoke spiritual protection, like the mezuzah posted in doorways in Jewish homes, the blessing by Buddhist monks to ensure peace and prosperity or the burning of herbs to purify the home done in some Native American religions.
The house blessing recognizes a connection between the hearth and the altar. The home, through the ritual of a blessing centers the home owner or renter making the home one of the most sacred places for the individual; a place of holy ground so to speak.
This is where people draw together in close relationships within the family and extend their hospitality and warmth to others.
During a house blessing, family and friends gather in the home with the minister, who goes from room to room, saying a prayer specific to each room and sprinkling holy water and or burning Native American Sage or incense. For example, in the guest room a prayer could be: "Do not neglect to show hospitality, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." And in a child's room: "Jesus said, Let the children come to me and do not hinder them; for to those like them belongs the kingdom of heaven." Or in the bathroom: "I will sprinkle you with clean water and you will be cleansed."
Feel free to contact us for more information on the interfaith / interspiritual blessings we perform.
The house blessing speaks to the meaning of family and home and the importance of faith within its walls. The house blessing is not about chasing out evil spirits, but serves as a symbolic gesture of living one's faith.
Commitment Ceremonies
A commitment ceremony is often very similar to many other kinds of wedding ceremonies. The difference is that rather than being a legally binding ceremony, it is simply a public affirmation of a couples commitment to one another. Generally, the couple is a lesbian, gay, or transgender couple, and thus are unable to marry under the law in many states. Note: We do perform wedding ceremonies for those that can legally be wed!! (smile)
A commitment ceremony may be religious or secular, formal and traditional or loose and unstructured. The makeup of the ceremony will depend on the rules of the officiant/house-of-worship and the couple's own preferences. However, generally speaking, these are the key elements:
Greeting
The officiant welcomes guests to a celebration of the love and commitment between the couple. He or she will probably also say a few words about their relationship, or about marriage/commitment in general. Many of the aspects of a heterosexual wedding occur in a GLBTQ commitment ceremony and or wedding.
Vows
This is the part where the couple declares their intent to be a committed or married couple. As in any kind of wedding, they will make promises about what that commitment means. They may promise to love in sickness and in health, in richness and poverty, till death do they part. Alternatively they may write their own vows.
Readings/Music
A religious commitment ceremony will likely incorporate hymns and scripture readings that focus on love. (Many religious officiants will have a standard set of music and readings that are often used at commitment ceremonies and weddings.) A secular ceremony will usually also include music and readings about love, including poems, passages of literature, famous quotes, personal writing, pop songs, and classic wedding music. It may be gay/lesbian/transgender focused or very general, depending on the couple's personal preference.
Exchange of Rings
The couple exchanges rings, and says a few words about what these rings mean. It may be With this ring, I thee wed I give you this ring as an expression of my love and commitment to you I'm honored to give you this ring as a symbol of the promises I've made to you today, and a proclamation to the world of the love I have for you. Or anything else the couple wishes to say (working with their officiant to craft it - some religions may have rules regarding the ring ceremony)
Pronouncement of Marriage
The officiant announces to the guests or congregation that the couple is now married (joined/united/wed - whatever word you prefer to say) and invites the couple to kiss. Some couples may not be used to kissing in public and thus may only have a very small kiss, or forgo this part altogether. Others will relish the moment to have the opportunity to kiss each other in front of their loved ones, proclaiming their love, and pride in having that love.
Reception
Most couples will follow the ceremony with a reception of some kind. As with all weddings, there are no rules as to what this should be - it can be very formal and traditional, or as casual as a backyard picnic. It may include traditional wedding elements such as the first dance, cake cutting, and bouquet toss, or may just be an unstructured party. Generally the invitation will give some clues as to what it will be like (e.g. Please join us after the ceremony to toast the happy couple or A reception at the Springfield Country Club will immediately follow the wedding)
Personal Blessings
"To be blessed" means 'to be favored by God'. Blessings therefore are directly associated with God and come from God. Therefore to express a blessing, is like bestowing a wish on someone that she will experience the favor of God. "May you have a blessed Christmas", therefore can also be translated as: "May you experience the favor of God during this Christmas period." (Wikipedia)
May the LORD bless you, and keep you; May the LORD make his face shine to upon you, and be gracious to you; May the LORD turn his countenance to you and grant you peace. This formula has been introduced into Christian worship as well. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, the humble, and the persecuted in the Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.
One of the first incidences of blessing in the Bible is in Genesis 12, where Abram is ordered by the LORD to leave his country and told:
`I will bless you, I will make your name great.` (v 1-2)
We offer a wide variety of personal blessing services as well and are more than happy to tailor one specific to meet your needs.
For more information about Ceremonies:
By Phone: Rev. Dr. Raymont Anderson (voice) (202)607-1573
By Email: "subject line:Ceremony Inquiry"
info@pfcls.org
contact@pfcls.org
Send CC to Administrator Tracy Rhymes Tracyrhymes@ymail.com
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