Fiance and I have found a very exceptional Christian minister (henceforth to be known as VECM) who is willing to bend all of his denominational rules to their very limit in undertaking to conduct our marriage service.
We met with him last night to discuss the details. Various questions of ahem style arose. In the interests of (a rapidely diminishing) sense of magnanimity and of conciliatory hopes on my part, I'm trying to persuade my Place of Current Employment that one of their representatives may like use of a microphone through which to mutter through gritted teeth the odd prayer for Fiance and I. VECM is concerned that my Place of Current Employment may take ahem the liberty of an impromptu half hour sermon-in-prayer, as such types are allegedly prone to do. His final comment being 'well Grace, I can only warn you, our choirboys have been known to start to riot if the prayers carry on too long'.
I wish, I wish that I could instill such fear in my Place of Current Employment. I wish that I could threaten such subversive action and be received with anything other than threats.
We met with him last night to discuss the details. Various questions of ahem style arose. In the interests of (a rapidely diminishing) sense of magnanimity and of conciliatory hopes on my part, I'm trying to persuade my Place of Current Employment that one of their representatives may like use of a microphone through which to mutter through gritted teeth the odd prayer for Fiance and I. VECM is concerned that my Place of Current Employment may take ahem the liberty of an impromptu half hour sermon-in-prayer, as such types are allegedly prone to do. His final comment being 'well Grace, I can only warn you, our choirboys have been known to start to riot if the prayers carry on too long'.
I wish, I wish that I could instill such fear in my Place of Current Employment. I wish that I could threaten such subversive action and be received with anything other than threats.
2 comments:
Ha.
The Girl asks why you are specifically having a Christian wedding (as a multi-cultural couple). I said I didn't know if Fiance was practicing in his particular tradition. She noted that, regardless, "having a non-Christian wedding would keep the Christian crazies out."
Is it blasphemous and wrong of me that I agree entirely? :D
Fair question, and one into which much discussion, prayers and tears have gone into considering. I can very much see the point you both raise. We're having a Christian wedding because, essentially.
1. Fiance has not practiced any religion for a very long time.
2. Fiance's former Religious Community have been somewhat (and I put this diplomatically, there are "family isssssues" involved) less than welcoming to me and have also declined to marry us.
3. My faith is at the very centre of my life (though that probably doesn't come across too well here) and therefore, I want Christ publicly invoked as at the centre of our marriage.
4. The thought of a secular civil ceremony, when I found out exactly what it would involve (a ban on any "religious" words, music, symbols etc) made me, somewhere at gut-level, heave. I just don't think, emotionally speaking, I could cope with or justify such a major life event without God acknowledged as present.
5. I feel as though (and this may be pure stubbornness on my part) having a civil ceremony would be letting the bastards win. I feel as though it would imply an acknowledgment that what we are doing is sinful, evil and something of which I am ashamed.
6. Having a civil ceremony would get my Place of Current Employment off the hook. They'd love to do us a little blessing something-or-other afterwards and pretend they love me, really. My entire family would refuse to turn up... and I think Fiance would, too.
What I would very most like would be an inter-faith ceremony that respects and acknowledges the faith backgrounds and communities of both Fiance and I, and of all the guests present (a large cohort of whom may be from another faith group entirely - if they don't en masse boycott). But given the way in which I can't seem to get one (renouned for its tolerance) Christian denomination to consider accommodating the prayer-style of another, I think the scope for such inter-faith collaboration seems fairly distant.
This side of heaven, anyway.
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