The sentences below are spontaneous expressions written at the end of the orientation time on a day prior to the ceremony. They are only a few among scores of similar expressions. Several young ladies have been moved to tears during the explanation of the God who has a wonderful plan for their lives and of the meaning of the vows.
We are so glad we could have an orientation time. Thank you so much for providing it. //
This time was truly meaningful as we realized that our wedding is not
merely a form but has deep meaning.
// It was so good to have a
rehearsal on a day prior to the ceremony.
Also, we now begin to understand something about the Bible. //
The things we heard today will be of great help in our married
life. Thank you so much.
This was a happy time, and truly helpful. We would like to hear more.
// We feel we are beginning to
understand Christianity. // We will
think carefully about what you said today.
// We were able to understand
things we could not understand before. //
Thanks to you, we now understand the meaning of marriage and of the
church wedding! Our thinking has changed!
Please bless many other couples also from now on. //
Nowhere can we hear what we heard today. We felt something special today, and we don’t want to forget
it. //
I attended my friend’s wedding here, and I knew I wanted you to do my
wedding. // Everybody today felt the warmth of your heart. Your concern for
each of us was very clear. // Today was so meaningful, and it was good to
have an orientation time before the ceremony.
Your talk was easy to understand and we felt your sincerity.
Our hearts were warmed by your words.
// We were moved by what you
said and we want to carry it with us in our lives. // Thanks to your
orientation today, we are really looking forward to our wedding! We feel we received something very special
today. // It was a meaningful time.
Thank you for speaking from your heart.
We realize now that marriage is truly a blessed thing.
We chose a church wedding just because it was attractive, but after
your talk today we really want a
church wedding! There wasn’t enough
time today. We would like to hear
more. Your wonderful message rings in
our hearts. // Today was so helpful. The time was really wonderful. We now feel we can relax as we come to our wedding day.
Approximately 44% of all couples married in our chapel have responded to my orientation request to send a snapshot “in the near future.” Most of them send letters with their picture, many of them similar to those below. In response, I send each couple a personal letter with a picture of my grandchildren, an announcement of the next Vespers, and a lovely tract by author Ayako Miura. Many couples have written a second and third time, often with pictures of their babies. Thirty-two couples have attended at least one of the seven Vespers services held so far, and many of those have brought children for a prayer of blessing.
Our wedding was a most beautiful time.
We want to see you again, and we’ll drop by when we are near the
chapel. Our baby was born in April, and
the three of us are very happy. Please
remember us and watch over us.
The memories of our ceremony will last forever. We are so thankful to you.
Our families and relatives were deeply moved and delighted with our
chapel wedding. We learned so many
helpful things at orientation, such as just being our true selves together and
making up when we disagree. We want to
make our married life worthwhile. Our
wedding was truly wonderful. When we are a little more settled, we want to come
to the services at the chapel.
Fourteen years passed from the first time we met until we came to our
wedding day. We met once and then had
to wait all that time until we met again.
We feel sorry that we were not able to understand each other and express
our feelings that first time. Thanks to
the orientation time and our wedding ceremony, we are able to leave regret
behind, and we are thrilled to feel together the meaning of our marriage.
Our families and friends were delighted with and deeply moved by our
lovely wedding. Some of our friends
said they want to be married in your chapel.
We were so happy to hear you speak our names again and again in the
ceremony. Our family and friends said
they were deeply moved by our lovely ceremony.
One relative said that he was really impressed by you. “That minister seemed to care for all of
us. There isn’t anyone that sincere
among all the Shinto priests in Japan!” he said.
We had thought a chapel wedding was special merely because our friends
could attend. But we heard the meaning
of the church wedding and of marriage, and we feel we have experienced a true wedding! We have been saying that we want to be lovers forever as we were
on our wedding day in church!
Thank you for a beautiful ceremony.
When I think of it, tears come even now. Your gentle face is imprinted on the depths of my memory. We dated twelve years from high school days
and finally arrived at our special day.
As I listened to your words, thought of the meaning of the hymns, and
felt the gentleness of my husband, even though I was actually very happy, I
couldn’t help but cry.
We were deeply moved by our wedding ceremony. We’ll not forget it as long as we live. Being married in church gave us a feeling of being washed clean.
Thank you for a true wedding
ceremony. Thanks to you, my childhood
dream of a church wedding was beautifully fulfilled. The memory of that time remains in my heart even now. Our friends said, “It was so beautiful!” It is because of you, Rev. Book. We are so proud of our lovely wedding, and
we thank you. The orientation time also
was wonderful. Everything together
makes us feel we would like to come back in twenty or thirty years and have you
do our ceremony again!
We told each other, if we hadn’t chosen a church wedding, we wouldn’t
have met you. We thank God that we
could know you. Please remember us
always!
Our wedding was so wonderful!
Many family members and friends have said how deeply moved they
were. Some of them said they envied the
job of the minister who could make so many people that happy and move them so
deeply! The two of us feel that meeting
you is one of our family’s treasures.
Even though we are only one couple among the many you meet, we are so
grateful that you considered our ceremony “the only one” and us “the only couple.”
Our ceremony was more wonderful than we thought possible. We were deeply moved. We cannot express adequately our feeling at
that time and our gratitude to you.
A half dozen parents have
written letters very much like those below.
One of them was from a father!
We were deeply moved by your words in the wedding. We will not soon forget the loveliness of that time. We were so happy for your ceremony, and we feel certain that our daughter and son-in-law will succeed supported by your words. I do hope we can meet again soon.
Thank you from my heart for your lovely ceremony for my son and his wife. I recall again and again with great delight the deep impression received at that time.
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It
is by no means insignificant that these people felt something in their
first church experience. A small
beginning, perhaps, but evangelism begins with a first contact. “Church” has now taken on a new meaning for
these people. An opening has occurred
in their hearts that was not there before.
Next time, perhaps, they will respond to the faith that the Church
represents.
It is possible that Japanese Christians -- at work, while shopping, as next-door neighbors -- rub shoulders with these very people who have felt that first touch of the Spirit. Pray that Christians in this land will seize the opportunity to nurture the seed that has been planted by being earnest and faithful in witness.
Doyle C. Book
November 2000