Selections from The Song of Songs

The voice of my love: listen!

bounds over the mountains

toward me from across the hills.

My beloved calls to me:

“Arise my love, my friend,

and come away.

See, winter is over, the rains are done,

wildflowers spring in the fields.

The time of the nightingale has come.

In every meadow you hear

the turtledove in song.

The fig tree is sweetened and green,

and the young vines blossom,

budding in a fragrant stream.

Arise, my love, my friend,

and come away with me.”

You are wholly beautiful, my love;

you are perfect, you are flawless.

Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as a sign upon your arm;

for love is fierce as death,

its jealousy—bitter as the grave.

Even the sparks of love are a raging fire,

a devouring flame.

Great seas cannot extinguish love,

And no river can sweep it away.

GRACE and MICHAEL are here to marry each other. No one else’s will can create such a union. It is their words, their intentions, their vision, that must define and shape this marriage. So I call upon them now to state their vows before this group of their family and friends: the pledges that will bind them together.

As we join our lives together,

I vow to be your lover, partner, and friend,

Your ally when facing challenges,

Your companion through adventures,

Your champion in victory,

and your consolation in disappointment.

I vow to be your strength in your need

and be vulnerable to you in my own.

I vow to cherish your wisdom and share mine with you.

I commit to sharing life with you in pursuit of peace, thoughtfulness, generosity, and love.