Barefoot Wedding

I've conducted well over 200 weddings, but this afternoon was the first time I've ever done one barefoot.

When we all arrived at the small beach on Beaver Lake, the bride said, "Alright everybody, I want the wedding party to remove their shoes and socks. This is going to be a barefoot wedding!"

I was the only one in a suit, and when I bent over to remove my dress shoes, someone said, "Oh wait a minute, Pastor Mark. You don't need to take off your shoes."

I replied, "Hey, I'm a part of this wedding party too -- and if the bride, the groom, the best man, the maid of honor, the flower girl and the ring bearer are all in bare feet, I'm gonna join 'em!"

Everybody cheered -- and just by taking my shoes off and looking stupid barefoot in a suit, I won over a crowd of unchurched people.

During the ceremony, when I asked for the rings, the best man accidentally pulled the string into a gordian knot. After a minute of frantic pulling, which just made the knot tighter, I called out, "Anybody got a pocket knife?"

Right away, we had five knive brandishers to the rescue -- and after a few whacks, retrieved the rings.

I remarked, "May the knot we're tying today be even tighter than that one!"

This wasn't a very "religious" crowd, and some of them drank too much -- but I found a special bond with all of them. They were wary of me at first, afraid I was going to judge them,

The good Lord waits until people are dead to judge them, so why should I be judging them while they're here on earth?

After the nuptials, the groom said, "Thanks for doin' my wedding. You're the first preacher I ever met that didn't look sideways at me. You're gonna be seeing a lot more of us at church."

That's a good thing -- because, although we ask our couples to come to church six times before they get hitched, I think this one snuck in under the radar. He's never been there yet, as far as I know.

From our premarriage counseling, I've gathered that he has gone through some very difficult times in his life, including the tragic recent deaths of his father and brother. I've really been praying for him, and I'm certain that won't be our last connection.

Heading back to my car, I was stopped by another guy, "Preacher! Preacher! Be sure to remember me in your prayers!"

"I will," I smiled, "Come and see me sometime."

"I will", he grinned, and, respectfully, raised his Budweiser in a farewell salute.

Doing weddings like that are good for me. They keep me from getting too starchy, and remind me of how Jesus befriended sinners.