Complete Book of Wedding Vows (7 page)

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Authors: Diane Warner

Tags: #Family & Relationships, #Marriage, #test

BOOK: Complete Book of Wedding Vows
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American Lutheran
The American Lutheran Church branched out from the original Lutheran Church, a Protestant denomination founded by Martin Luther after the Reformation in the 16th century. There are many types of Lutheran churches in America, some favoring formal, traditional worship services, others a more relaxed, contemporary style, but all adhering to the Protestant religious teachings of Martin Luther. A Lutheran wedding ceremony may be formal or informal. This is one traditionally accepted wedding vow:
"I take you, _____________________, to be my husband / wife from this day forward, to join with you and share all that is to come, and I promise to be faithful to you until death parts us."
Presbyterian
Although there are many types of Presbyterian churches, they all generally adhere to Calvinism, which is based on the religious doctrines of John Calvin, a 16th-century French theologian and religious reformer. As is true in the Lutheran church, Presbyterian churches vary greatly in their style of worship. In the case of a formal Presbyterian wedding ceremony, however, this is an example of an acceptable vow phrasing:
"I, _______________, take you to be my wedded wife / husband, and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving
 
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and faithful wife / husband, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live."
Methodist
The Methodist Church in America is a Protestant Christian denomination with theologies developed from the teachings of John and Charles Wesley. Their worship services, as well as their marriage ceremonies, vary greatly as to their formality. Here is one of their traditionally accepted wedding vows:
"In the Name of God, I, ______________, take you, ______________, to be my husband / wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a fairly new denomination in America, founded in 1957 by a merger of the Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. Although their worship style, as well as their wedding ceremonies, may vary slightly from church to church, the wedding vows themselves usually lean toward

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