The Bride of Christ.

 

Look, I love weddings. I love going to them and looking at pictures of them, Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezillas, Four Weddings, and… okay I have a stupid large bridal magazine collection for an ultra single girl.

I just LOVE WEDDINGS. Because I play the piano, I have been able to be in a few weddings in that respect but the greatest joy of my life is to stand in a wedding. A few years ago, while I was watching Emily graduate from high school, one of my best friends called a few times. Left a few voicemails. Her aunt called. and texted. and the sum of it was this: don’t get too excited, but what is your dress size at the Gap?

The moment we were released from the gym, I called her. She wanted me to be a bridesmaid.. because she and Ruairi were getting married.

The Ward wedding happened overlooking the lake by the gazebo at Camp Arnold. As I stood there, watching Sarah slowly make her way to the orchard, the romance of their love story hit me. Ru is from Northern Ireland. Sarah is from Spokane, Washington. To be standing in that moment as their love triumphed over so many obstacles, doubts and uncertainties was one of the most humbling experiences of my entire life.

I’m not one for romance and love stories and blah blah, but my heart started blooming roses in that moment.

As Sarah came down the aisle, Ru’s back was to her until the very last moment. We saw her, beautifully done up for her groom, as she slowly walked down the aisle, waiting for him to turn around and behold his bride for the first time. Every single person saw the bride while the groom stood there full of anticipation and expectation.

 

So when Susannah presented the topic of being the bride of Christ, my brain immediately went to that moment. We – all of us who are moving in hopeful anticipation down the aisle – are Christ’s Bride. He himself has paid every cost of the wedding, he himself has sacrificed it all for that moment, so that when the time comes for the “speak now” part, nobody – not our Father, not Taylor Stupid Swift – can say a single word because he has silenced all opposition to the joining of us to him.

The thing about weddings is that they’re just the kickoff of a marriage. So why aren’t we considered the WIFE of Christ? Why are we the eternal bride, he the eternal groom?

Let’s pretend that Sarah and Ru had planned to relocate to Northern Ireland after their wedding. I would have killed them both if that was the case, but let’s just pretend. Pretend that Ru flew to Washington and proposed. Before he left he said “We have a house ready for us. My provision will care for you. The wedding is planned and paid for. Buy whatever dress you want. You are taken care of for our wedding and in our marriage. The only thing you have to do…. is get ready.”

That’s what Christ did for us. He came down, he courted us, and then said “I’m going back to prepare our marriage. We will be reunited, all you must do is get ready.” Once we say YES, often with tears and relief, he says to get ready for the wedding.

One of my favorite songs says,”We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring / your bride will come together and we’ll sing You’re Beautiful.”

and I just imagine us, all of us, standing together and saying “oh, let’s iron out that wrinkle… you have a smudge of lipstick on your teeth. your nails look beautiful! Did they just start the prelude? Let’s tuck that piece of hair behind your ear.”

Not because the groom is superficial. Not because he will call the whole thing off if we have lipstick on our teeth.

Because all he said we needed to do is be ready. He paid for it all, the wedding and the marriage and has been anxiously awaiting the moment when he turns around and sees us standing there, having spent all of our energy preparing ourselves since that is all he asked of us. He will take us in denim or dress, but our love for him and our gratitude is the heart behind wanting for his waiting to pay off.

We need not worry about the marriage, about eternal dwelling places. He has taken care of that. We were given a Counselor to help us with our emotional baggage. We were given grace so that we could wear white. It’s all up to us if we spend our engagement worrying or readying.

All we have to do is get ready, because he’s taken care of every detail and he’s waiting to turn around.