Discussion Page on Marriage

JohnHurst contribution to discussion day, 25 Oct 2014

Background

Statement of UCA Theology about Marriage

Acknowledge Disagreements

Informed and Faithful discussion

Marriage Service liturgy is starting point

1. The Gathering
2. Declaration of Purpose
3. The Word
4. The Marriage
5. Prayers
6. The Blessing

Here tackle just the first two.

1. The Gathering

Marriage service is a service of worship

Also a witness to promises and commitment

Doctrine

Creation - marriage is the Christian context for procreation

Fall - marriages do fail

• levels of failure: human joy, human sin, human brokenness

Redemption - marriages can be repaired

• if not, people can be repaired
• divorce and remarriage?

Practical Considerations

divorce is a remedy, not an intrinsic good

to lose sight of the theology of marriage is to lose sight of the Xian view of marriage

NOT Xian!:

• hostility towards sex
• assumption of perfect innocence
• pessimism about or rejection of marriage

Same Sex Marriage

2. The Declaration of Purpose

Biblical Foundation

Draws heavily upon Genesis

A profound document - how do we interpret it? Stumbling block, or Milestone, for the human journey?

Adam and Eve

Women as property, cultural issues

Sexual Faithfulness

Xian view: Marriage or Celibacy (celibacy better!) Are these the only two?

Does marriage as "full expression of physical love" (i.e., "good sex") mean that other forms of sex are bad?

De-facto hetereo- and homo- partnerships

Is faithfulness possible? Are these fruitful relationships? Is it about "what's in a name?"

Children and the Purpose of Marriage

Child rearing has been decoupled from marriage through the (birth control) pill.

3. The Word

4. The Marriage

5. Prayers

6. The Blessing

CategoryCongregation